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This information was last updated on Novemeber 6, 2000

For those looking for information about volunteerism (why do it, who is doing it, tips for doing it, etc.) and organizations that sponsor national or international volunteering efforts of their own. This also provides links to service learning resources. There is a different index on our site for Web sites that list actual volunteer opportunities.

 
Action Without Borders (formerly the Contact Center Network)
http://www.idealist.org
In addition to posting volunteer opportunities for other organizations, also provides links to resources on volunteerism and internships.

 
Advice for Volunteers
http://www.serviceleader.org/advice/
Information on finding the right volunteer opportunity and making the most out of your volunteer activities can be crucial to making a real difference and having a rewarding experience. This resource helps volunteers explore how volunteerism can influence a career, volunteering with your family, and how to find the right agency and opportunity to match your interest. There are also links to resources to help you while you volunteer, how to find and prepare for an international volunteering experience, and what costs incurred by volunteering can be tax-deductable. Many of these resources are written by internationally-recognized volunteerism and volunteer management expert Susan Ellis.

 
Alpha Phi Omega
http://www.apo.org/
A national service fraternity for college students, "founded on the principles of Leadership, Friendship and Service." The organization trains the "leaders of tomorrow" through the performance of service projects, and sponsors an annual National Service Week the first Saturday in November.

 
American Association of Community Colleges Service Learning Site
http://www.aacc.nche.edu/spcproj/service/service.htm
Helps strengthen the service learning infrastructure within and across community colleges. Has three components: National data collection, Service Learning Grants, and Technical Assistance.

 
America's Promise
http://www.americaspromise.org
Born out of the Presidents' Summit for America's Future (summit on volunteerism and national service). Focused on how youth volunteerism and volunteerism FOR youth can improve communities, counter negative influences and empower young people.

 
Amizade
http://amizade.org
Not-for-profit organization promoting volunteerism, providing community service, encouraging collaboration, and improving cultural awareness in locations throughout the world. Programs offer a mix of community service and recreation which provide volunteers with the opportunity to participate first hand in the culture of the region where they are working. Past projects have included building a vocational training center for street children on the Amazon, building additional rooms onto a health clinic in the Bolivian Andes, and doing some historic preservation and environmental cleanup in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Volunteers need no special skills, just a willingness to help.

 
The Big Help (Nickelodeon TV)
HOW TO HELP TOOLKIT
http://nick.com/inits/bh_dev/toolkit/index.html
Nation-wide program for young volunteers driven by local activities. The Toolkit offers advice for kids on organizing, promoting and running a project, as well as a list of partnering organizations.

 
Break Away: the Alternative Break Collection
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/breakaway
National non-profit organization based at Vanderbilt University, promoting service on the local, regional, national, and international levels through break-oriented programs which immerse students in often vastly different cultures, heightens social awareness, and advocates life-long social action. Break Away promotes alternative break programs through student training, technical assistance, volunteer placement, and publications.

 
Catholic Network of Volunteer Service
http://www.cnvs.org/
A non-profit organization representing more than 180 domestic and international volunteer programs. Volunteer opportunities CNVS offers are listed in the RESPONSE directory. They also have a Lay Mission Handbook and offer technical assistance resources for volunteer programs, formation workshops, AmeriCorps programs, networking of volunteer organizations and recruitment of volunteers through a toll-free number, and volunteer fairs.

 
Charity Village Volunteer Bulletin Board
http://www.charityvillage.com/charityvillage/volbb.html
Resources for Canada.

 
Circle K International (Kiwanis International)
http://www.kiwanis.org/circlek/
Devoted to involving college and university students in campus and community service while developing quality leaders and citizens. Circle K inspires people to better our world through its international membership of over 10,000 collegians on more than 500 college campuses in eight nations.

 
City Cares
http://www.city.cares.org/
Works to make volunteering possible for even the busiest individual. In cities large and small, 22 Cares groups have been established, and four more are currently being formed.

 
Community Action Network
http://www.getinvolved.net/
Another place to post volunteer opportunities, or to post volunteer interests. Presented by Samaritan Software.

 
COOL (Campus Outreach Opportunity League)
http://www.COOL2SERVE.org/
National non-profit that helps college students start, strengthen and expand their community service programs. Holds an annual conference attracting over 2,000 students, and its staff visit hundreds of college campuses giving workshops that encourage, promote and initiate programs that get students involved in service. The COOL Web site lists to more organizations that can help students to get involved in improving their communities and the environment.

 
Corporation for National Service
http://www.cns.gov
Created by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, CNS engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities. Through its three main programs -- AmeriCorps/VISTA, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps -- the Corporation provides a broad range of opportunities for Americans to serve our communities and our nation.

 
Do Something
http://www.dosomething.org
National nonprofit organization that encourages young people to help build their communities. Organizer of The Kindness & Justice Challenge, a nationwide two-week "character education" and community service effort in January, and the organizer of Webstock96.

 
FamilyCares
http://www.familycares.org
Operated by a national nonprofit organization, Child Charitable Development Association, Inc. (CCD), which also operates Kids Care Clubs. "We provide children, families, schools, and religious groups with meaningful opportunities to help others in their local and global communities." Their proposal: "If every organized charity in the United States developed just one project a year that invited the hands-on participation of children, and schools and churches helped kids connect with the charity projects, American kids would enjoy thousands of opportunities to grow strong charity muscles and our society would anchor its philanthropic roots well into the value system of future generations."

 
Give Five
http://www.indepsec.org/give5/g5volunteer.html
Works to raise public awareness about the important role that giving and volunteering play in our communities. Site includes Ten Tips for Volunteers, Selecting an Organization to Help, and general information about volunteerism.

 
Hearts and Minds
http://www.heartsandminds.org/
Non-profit organization providing information to make volunteering and other giving more fulfilling and effective.

 
HEAVEN (Helping Educate, Activate, Volunteer and Empower Now!)
http://www.hubheaven.org
A youth-focused site that includes profiles of people, companies and causes; "Heavenly Bodies", which features celebrities and representatives from national organizations to shed light on causes they care about; a program to help inner-city and at-risk youth connect to computers, community service and careers; places to post opinions, views, essays and issues; places to chat with other volunteers; and links to various volunteerism resources. Affiliated with America Online.

 
How to fit volunteerism into your life and make a difference
http://www.thelifepages.com/Simple_Pleasures/Volunteer2/volunteer2.htm


 
Information for Volunteers by About.Com (formerly the Mining Company)
http://nonprofit.about.com/msubvol.htm?pid=2770&cob=home
Another index of volunteerism-related links, as well as other resources for community-focused agencies, by Stan Hutton.

 
InterAction: The American Council for Voluntary International Action
http://www.interaction.org/jobs.html
The nation's largest coalition of international development, disaster relief and refugee assistance agencies. Members include more than 150 US-based non-profit organizations. Formed in 1984 from the merger of the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service and Private Agencies in International Development. InterAction offers Global Work , a publication with 98 pages of opportunities with 68 international relief and development agencies in 120 countries, including the United States, and a Guide to Appropriate Giving and Volunteerism

 
International Year of Volunteers 2001
http://www.iyv2001.org/
2001 has been proclaimed the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) by the United Nations General Assembly. Aiming at increased recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteering, IYV highlights the achievements of the millions of volunteers worldwide who devote some time of their lives to serving others, and to encourage more people globally to engage in volunteer activity.

 
Internet NonProfit Center
http://www.nonprofits.org/
Another good site to help volunteers find nonprofit organizations to support. Also features the Nonprofit FAQs (frequently asked questions and their answers).

 
Joint Action in Community Service (JACS)
http://www.jacsinc.org
a a national, nonprofit organization of thousands of volunteers, dedicated to assisting male students returning from Job Corps training, to build a bridge between a returning student and the community services. Women in Community Service (WICS) helps the female students (see below).

 
Kids Korps USA
http://www.kidskorps.org/home.html
Community and resource center for youths (ages 5-18) interested in community service and volunteer work. Features a word search, a chat room, video clips and photos, and a volunteerism survey.

 
Make A Difference Day
http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/
A one-day event to volunteer each October, sponsored by USA Weekend. Includes a database of volunteer opportunities. Ideas for using the Internet for Make A Difference Day

 
A Nation Of Volunteers
http://www.usia.gov/journals/itsv/0998/ijse/toc.htm
Commentary, statistics and resources about volunteering in the United States and its impact. Authors include Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, and recognized volunteerism experts Susan Ellis and Betty Stallings. Also includes links to many other resources and an excellent bibliography.

 
Netday
http://www.netday.org
An effort by a partnership among volunteers and corporations to wire schools in the U.S.A. to the Internet.

 
Points of Light Foundation
http://www.pointsoflight.org
Formed under Bush Administration. Includes all services formerly under the National Volunteer Center, including Council on Workplace Volunteerism, annual National Community Service Conference in June, annual National Volunteer Week, and the President's Volunteer and Community Service Awards.

 
Policy.com
http://www.policy.com/issuewk/97/0428/
This conservative online publication picked "Volunteerism: Rebuilding a Sense Community" as its Issue of the Week in 1997, coinciding with the Presidents' Summit for America's Future. Many of the articles negatively portray government-sponsored volunteer programs, but there is information in support of volunteerism from a conservative political point of view.

 
POSH Corps
http://www.posh.org
People Organized and Striving for Harmony. Supports volunteers with a $2,000 Award. Offers a free database that enable volunteers to track and document their volunteer service.

 
Presidents' Summit for America's Future
(Summit on Volunteerism and National Service)
Held April 27, 1997 in Philadelphia
http://www.americaspromise.org
or
http://www.phillynews.com/packages/summit/
The summit aimed to increase corporate philanthropy, employee and individual volunteerism. Evolved into America's Promise (see above).

 
Servelink - for sport, event and recreation volunteers
http://www.servelink.org/
Based in Ontario, Canada.

 
SERVEnet
http://www.servenet.org
or
http://www.volunteernow.com
Volunteer opportunities tied to the challenges issued by America's Promise (see above).

 
Service Club FAQs
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/service-clubs/general-faq/index.html
Frequently Asked Questions and their answers for the soc.org.service-clubs.misc newsgroup. The most "canonically most up-to-date version of this document" can be retrieved by anonymous FTP from:
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/service-clubs/general-faq

 
The Service Station
http://www.servicestation.org/
Creates, promotes, and manages short-term volunteer opportunities for youth and adults between 15 and 35. The Service Station also assists high schools and colleges wishing to incorporate volunteerism into their studies and provides consultant services to cities and counties in establishing volunteer centers.

 
20 Ways for Teenagers to Help Other People by Volunteering
http://www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/volunteer.htm
From The Teenager's Guide to the Real World . Includes a list of the many different reasons for teens to volunteer, and helpful tips and links to resources to find opportunities.

 
Voluntary Action: Giving Back to the Community
A handbook to promote and support student volunteer work
http://www.pitchin.org/edition1/index.html
Published by Young People's Press, based in Canada.

 
VolunteerAmerica!
http://www.volunteeramerica.com
Dedicated to connecting individuals, families, and groups with volunteer opportunities on public lands throughout the U.S. Includes information about volunteer/service "vacations."

 
Volunteers of America
http://www.voa.org/about/
49 community-based service organizations throughout the U.S. offer more than 160 different programs that help people including children, youth, the elderly, families in crisis, the homeless, people with disabilities or mental illness, and ex-offenders returning to society.

 
Volunteer Canada
http://www.volunteer.ca/
Find Canadian volunteer centers and many other resources that promote volunteerism. Also operates the new Volunteer Opportunities Exchange (VOE)

 
Volunteer News from the Philanthropy Journal
http://www.pj.org/vol/volarch.htm
International Volunteer and Volunteerism Resources
http://www.aitec.edu.au/~bwechner/Documents/Travel/lists.html
There's also a list of organizations looking international volunteers at:
http://www.aitec.edu.au/~bwechner/Documents/Travel/Lists/VolunteerOrgs.html

 
Volunteering Outdoors in Parks and Wilderness Areas
http://www.serviceleader.org/advice/outdoors.html
Love being outside? There are a variety of volunteering opportunities for those who love the outdoors. This is a comprehensive index of web sites offering information about volunteering outdoors in parks and wilderness areas in the U.S.

 
VolunteerWeb
http://www.epicbc.com/volunteer/
Another place to post volunteer opportunities online, with some general information about volunteerism. By Epic Productions.

 
Who Cares: A Journal of Service and Action
http://www.whocares.org/
National quarterly journal devoted to community service and social activism. "Our goal is to inform readers through incisive, nonpartisan coverage of community service; inspire readers with profiles of young activists, volunteers, and entrepreneurs; and challenge our readers to consider new ways of fixing society's problems.

 
Women in Community Service (WICS)
http://www.WICS.org/
One of the largest national volunteer organizations in the country, dedicated to reducing the number of young women living in poverty by promoting self-reliance and economic independence, through the efforts of volunteers working with more than 150,000 low-income women and young adults each year involved in Job Corps. Volunteers provide support services, mentoring and workforce preparation programs nationwide. Joint Action in Community Service (JACS) serves male students (see above).

 
Yahoo Community Service and Volunteerism Resources
http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Community_Service_and_Volunteerism/
and
http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Organizations/Public_Interest_Groups/Volunteerism/
Links to a variety of organizations throughout the U.S. and around the world, including organizations specifically focused on a particular group (students, seniors) or helping in a particular area.

 
Youth Volunteer Rights & Responsibilities For a Youth Volunteer
http://www.canr.msu.edu/jackson/4-H/4h_youth_volunteer.htm
By 4H in Jackson County, Michigan, in association with Michigan University Extension.