Skill-Based Volunteering - the Latest Trend!

Welcome to the new TrueNorth volunteerism blog: The Volunteer Path. The purpose of this blog is to explore topics related to volunteerism and offer a venue for people to share their thoughts on volunteering. Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome!

Skill-based volunteering is a huge new trend in the volunteerism sector. Has anyone heard of this term before? Anyone? Anyone? Let’s break it down; Think about the skills you personally have. I’m not talking about math or science here. You may have an outgoing personality and enjoy talking to people… or know a lot about music… or be able to type 100 words per minute. Sports, art, technology, reading, social media. The list is endless. Skill-based volunteering harnesses those abilities and leverages them to help nonprofits like ours achieve their mission.

When most people look for volunteer opportunities, they often look for something that already exists such as a roadside cleanup or stocking food pantry shelves. While those are both very important, these types of volunteer opportunities don’t typically require a high skill level. What if you flipped that strategy upside down? Look at the skills that you have attained throughout your life and ask yourself – “Could any of those things possibly help a nonprofit?”  

Your sports talent could translate into an opportunity to teach a child to play. Your experience in human resources could help an organization recruit and train new volunteers. Maybe your ability to interact with people online could help a nonprofit advertise and advocate for their cause. Look at yourself in a new light. What do you have to offer the world?

Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Assess the knowledge, skills and experience you can offer a nonprofit.
2. Choose an organization whose work is important to you, and identify ways you can support its mission.
3. Establish goals and expectations for each project.

Still need convincing? Check this out: http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/files/SBV-a-new-generation-of-service.pdf

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Join Hands Day- May 7, 10am-12pm

Join Hands Day is a national volunteer day that specifically targets and develops relationships between young people and adults through volunteering. This year at TrueNorth, we will be hosting a Warm Hearts Blanket Bee on Saturday, May 7, to make warm, no-sew fleece blankets for children and families in need.  Michigan weather can be unpredictable, even in the summer. Often, the only thing that separates cold people from comfort is a warm blanket. A really neat feature of the Warm Hearts Blanket Bee is the no-sew method used to create the blankets, which ensures that almost anyone can do it; there is no sewing experience necessary! This is a day for families to come together and volunteer for the community they live in. To RSVP, please contact Lora at 231.924.0641 or lstevens@truenorthservices.org.

Challenge Course Facilitator

The purpose of the Challenge Course at Camp Newaygo is to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership, as well as helping campers confront personal fears. The Challenge Course includes a climbing wall, ropes course, team-building activities, and more. A trained volunteer facilitator will help groups of campers safely complete the Challenge Course by demonstrating proper techniques and leading team-building activities. This is a great opportunity to build your resume, improve your communication and management skills, and learn how to use a ropes course and other functions of a Challenge Course. Training is on June 3, 2011. For a complete position description, please click here.