Spice up your day by doing something exciting and motivating from the comfort of your own home. It’s called virtual volunteering and it can take a minute or several hours. There are hundreds of tasks on an online volunteer site. Here are a few ways you support your community:
Reading for Audio Libraries
There are several sources of free audiobooks available for communities around the country. Since it takes so much time to record and edit audio files, listening choices are limited. The Gutenberg Project and the Internet Archives provide books from the public domain. Nonprofit organizations need help recording the books to audio files. These books include children’s stories, classical manuscripts, and How To texts. All you need is a computer with a microphone and a recording program to set the wheels in motion.
Virtual Volunteering at Nonprofits
Do you have a skill you would like to donate from the comfort of your home? Nonprofit organizations need a variety of virtual talents to reach their goals. Organizing events, tracking confirmations, placing phone calls, and scheduling video chats are important. Research writing could include marketing strategies or grant proposals. Artisans create anything from logos to merchandise for auctions that raise awareness. Whatever skill you have, there is a need to fill and it can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Museums Need Volunteers
Museums like the Smithsonian are putting many of their collections online. Historical documents need transcribing and content created. Many museums are looking for dedicated researchers to preserve these collections. Go online or call your local galleries to see how you can be a virtual volunteer.
Quick and Easy Tasks
Make it easy on yourself by tackling small tasks for non-profits. This can be anything from doing quick research on a market to answering a few emails. Cancer foundations, educational centers, and local organizations use virtual volunteers to get the work done. Various nonprofits are joining global online communities in search of volunteers every day. Log in and check back whenever you have a few minutes. It not only helps reduce your boredom, but it also offers you another way to give back to your community.
Virtual Volunteering Challenge
Ask co-workers, friends, and family to volunteer from home. Take part in a volunteering challenge or tackle a large project together. Determine the skills you want to provide and tackle a small task to start. Your group can choose the same organization or a variety of businesses to volunteer with. Set up daily goals or strive to finish a project that is important to you.
Volunteer for projects that challenge your skills and build knowledge. Share this information within your group and find out who else may want to join. Continue to volunteer and add to your group as a way to support the community.
Virtual Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new things, and keep yourself busy from home. Since most of the work is done while you’re still in your pajamas, it’s easy to find five minutes a day. Remember, many organizations offer quick mini-tasks as well as longer assignments. It’s the perfect lazy man’s solution for volunteering around the community.