There are lots of ways volunteers can help your organization deliver on its mission. From direct service volunteering to pro bono work, volunteer leaders need to understand the different types of volunteer work roles in order to recruit the best volunteer for the job.
In this article, we’ll learn about the types of volunteering and how to promote these volunteer roles and responsibilities.
Let’s get started!
There are many ways a volunteer can support your organization. When starting your volunteer program, you’ll want to consider your community’s needs and how volunteers can help address these needs.
Here are a few factors to consider when designing your volunteer roles:
Regardless of the types of volunteers you engage, most organizations benefit from a structured volunteer program. A volunteer program is an organized way of managing your volunteers, from recruitment to volunteer appreciation.
Volunteers can take on many roles, including:
Direct service is one of the most common types of volunteering and is part of a supervised volunteer program.
Direct service volunteers work directly with community members in community development initiatives. Community development volunteers work together towards a common goal of building stronger communities.
These types of volunteer work roles can be wide-ranging, from disaster response to beautifying community spaces.
How can your community benefit from direct volunteer services? Here are some examples of direct service volunteer roles:
Volunteers can support your organization in so many ways beyond direct service. Volunteers make great leaders, fundraisers, advocates for your cause, and more.
By thinking outside the box, you can learn to leverage volunteers of all kinds to advance your mission. Let’s take a look at some types of indirect service volunteering:
Volunteers can work behind the scenes to support the day-to-day operations of the organizations they serve. From leadership opportunities to administrative support, these types of volunteers don’t work directly with clients, but can be vital to the success of your organization.
Examples of this type of volunteer work include:
Fundraising is a critical function of most social impact organizations. Did you know that volunteers can support your funding efforts?
Fundraising volunteer opportunities can include:
Community organizers and activists use their voices and connections to raise awareness of key community issues and inspire action.
These kinds of volunteers might be responsible for educating the public on an issue, coordinating marches, or influencing policymakers.
Social action volunteering is driven by a common advocacy goal. Some examples of social volunteering work include:
Organizing and running an event requires lots of helping hands. Why not enlist the help of volunteers? Volunteers are great resources for supporting your next event at any stage, whether it’s a fundraising gala or performance.
Here are some examples of event volunteer roles:
To recruit and manage event volunteers, you’ll need to have efficient management and communications tools established. Event management software can help you host fundraisers, schedule volunteers, and communicate with attendees easily.
Pro bono is professional or skilled work donated to those in need. While pro bono often involves legal services, the term can also refer to any professional work provided without charge.
Some common examples of pro bono volunteer work include:
This type of work is highly structured and usually requires a more extensive recruitment and vetting process. Learn more about how your organization can leverage pro bono and skilled volunteers.
Virtual volunteering is any volunteer activity that can be done online or at home. Like traditional volunteer programs, intentional virtual volunteer recruitment and management leads to greater impact.
Some common types of virtual volunteer roles include:
Microvolunteering is a type of volunteering that allows people to volunteer quickly and conveniently. If your volunteers have a minute or an hour, they can support meaningful social impact initiatives.
Here are some examples of microvolunteering activities:
Learn how your organization can engage microvolunteers.
Community service is similar to volunteering in that it is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit of the community. Community service can be different from volunteering because it is not always performed on a voluntary basis.
While some community service roles may be similar to the roles of volunteers, the reasons a person might partake in community service can differ.
Here are some reasons a person might participate in community service:
Community service is often organized by an organization, such as a school, place of worship, or government agency.
Service learning is a type of volunteering or community service managed by schools, colleges, and universities.
Students of all ages can participate in service learning volunteerism. Service learning connects experiential learning with community service or volunteerism so that students can engage in hands-on activities that support their in-classroom learning while addressing community needs.
Some examples of service learning projects include:
Corporate volunteerism is workplace-supported volunteering that connects employees with community-based organizations and their volunteering opportunities.
Employee volunteerism is usually part of a company’s corporate social responsibility initiative. Businesses typically partner with local social impact organizations and nonprofits to create volunteer opportunities that benefit all parties.
From single-day events to regular opportunities throughout the year, corporate volunteers can offer time, skills, and resources that help move your mission forward.
Check out these examples of corporate volunteer programs and projects.
Informal volunteer work is usually unfunded and unstructured by a volunteer program. Informal volunteer work includes voluntary acts of kindness, such as buying food for a person in need or helping a neighbor with yard work.
Other examples of volunteer work include:
These acts of service occur daily in nearly every community around the world and often go unrecognized. However, it’s important to understand the impact of everyday acts of service in helping to shape our communities.
Need more volunteering examples? Here are some volunteer roles and opportunities to inspire your next initiative:
However your volunteers get involved, you’ll need to write compelling volunteer opportunity listings that convert!
Effective volunteer management helps nonprofits recruit, track, engage and retain a significant number of volunteers. The following are some of the tips on how volunteer managers can get more volunteers involved:
Volunteering offers several benefits to both the organization and individual volunteers.
Volunteer programs help promote positive and sustainable growth within communities. It is also an effective way to enhance social connections and improve employability for volunteers.
Volunteer management involves creating robust plans for recruitment, training, and coordinating various volunteers.
Leveraging the best volunteer management software can help you optimize operational progress to achieve the desired objectives.
Get Connected provides top-notch volunteer management software that helps organizations plan, recruit, and manage volunteers in a single platform.