Getting involved with an organization

July 12, 2007 12:20 PM

Getting involved with an organization

I need to join a organization that I can actually help out on, need to get a proactive role in the organization that can help out in my resume, to kill free time during the week/end.

I have a full time job(40 hrs day, 5 hrs a day) and I usually dont live in one place more than 8 months, because Iam in college.

Requirements:

Global( Accessible in another state, country)

Good Cause

Proactive volunteering actually gets you involved with the organization, not just another obscure person.

Can feel part of the organization and stay involved even when iam 50 yrs old

Iam looking for personal experiences, If it helps I live in NJ, go to college in NY and my parents currently live in India, next summers internship could be anywhere.

posted by radsqd to Society & Culture (10 answers total)

I think you'd like Habitat for Humanity a lot.
posted by spec80 at 12:32 PM on July 12, 2007

I know this might sound crazy, but what causes interest you?
posted by mendel at 1:00 PM on July 12, 2007

Depending on the organization, a 'proactive role' may be hard to come by. Nonprofits are just like corporations - it takes some time and dues paying to get to a place of decision-making power and unique contribution.

You may want to be prepared to spend time in the trenches first. Rather than seek something you think will continue to interest you for 50 years (that's a very long time,) pick something that interests you now and that you have a passion for. What you learn as a volunteer on the front lines, doing the work of an organization, will be the most useful training you can possibly ask for to be more effective in leadership later. Skills in nonprofit organizations are highly transferable, regardless of mission. Start with anything; you may want to switch after a few years.

If you really want to dedicate yourself to something in the long term, pick something you really care about. I agree with mendel - you must start with your sincere interests rather than thinking of this as a mere resume builder.

Are you concerned about the next generation? Scouts, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs. Hunger? World Hunger Year, Oxfam, Salvation Army. Disaster Relief? Red Cross/Crescent/Star. Arts and Culture? Local theatres, orchestras, Environment/Outdoors? Local/state parks (New Jersey has excellent park systems), Sierra Club, Appalachian Mountain Club. Civic Engagement? Rotary, neighborhood groups, Chamber of Commerce. And those are just the majors (you might be able to advance faster in a smaller organization). There's a lot to choose from. But volunteer work really needs to start with a cause you feel invested in.

Something like VolunteerMatch might help.
posted by Miko at 1:11 PM on July 12, 2007

proactive role in the organization that can help out in my resume

We need to know your career field.
posted by desjardins at 1:59 PM on July 12, 2007

Idealist.org is good for volunteering...

Also, for one shot opportunities (I know you didnt ask about this), check out OneBrick
posted by jare2003 at 2:17 PM on July 12, 2007

need to get a proactive role in the organization that can help out in my resume

What do you mean by "proactive role"?

While volunteering looks good on a resume and can certainly help kill time, as a 5+ year volunteer for an organization, we don't really need any more timekillers. We need commitment, which usually comes hand-in-hand with volunteers who are really into what the organization does.

So, find your passion, then find your organization. If you don't have passion for it, you won't want to be doing it in 5 months, let alone 50 years.
posted by rtha at 2:55 PM on July 12, 2007

You sound like you could be one of the most irritating of volunteer genera -- just trying to be involved because it looks good not because you find it rewarding, interesting, edifying or you see an opportunity to change something for the better and so on.

I'm not saying you couldn't do some good things (and I'm not saying you've got to be altruistic), but you seem to not be too into volunteering in general. Usually people can tell when other people are kinda checked out and usually the 'checked out' perform their tasks poorly in relation to how a non-'checked out' person might perform under more passion-driven circumstances.

But really, any ideas? You know you better than us, I hope. Would you prefer to work with people (old/young)/animals (which types)/corporations?

There're some very good reasons volunteering can be a big plus on a resume, maybe think about those and try not to miss out on them if you're going to be volunteering, for your own sake.
posted by Matt Oneiros at 4:10 PM on July 12, 2007

I worked as a volunteer coordinator for a small community center. I echo those posters who say you need to find direction, and volunteers who come in without direction and are simply looking for a good line on their resume are supremely unhelpful in the long run.

Find something you like. Then use websites like those mentioned above to find organizations that specialize in those areas. Realize that unless you put in a lot of effort and hours even if you start now it may not garner you an internship in that organization for the summer. The purpose of volunteering is to help others, and the organization is not there to enrich your grad school and job applications.
posted by Anonymous at 6:29 PM on July 12, 2007

Matt Oneiros brings up a good point. If you don't commit 100% to the time you dedicate to your volunteering and you are doing it for show rather than passion for actually helping out, added with the fact that you might be moving around alot... be prepared to do crappy grunt work that you may not see as fulfilling, but is incredibly helpful to the organization like filing or taking out the garbage or cleaning cages (if you go for an ASPCA or something) or answering phones.
posted by spec80 at 9:15 PM on July 12, 2007

What about the Jaycees?
posted by SisterHavana at 8:30 PM on July 13, 2007