Volunteering is one of the most positively impactful things you can do as a person. However, in recent years, the number of people who are opting to volunteer is dwindling; in 2015 only 24.9% of the population chose to volunteer their time to help those in need. Many times, people would like to volunteer but have no idea how or where to even get started. There are many decisions to take into consideration when choosing to volunteer, and you may be faced with decisions that you don’t even know that you’re making. Before you choose to volunteer your time or donate your money to a cause, make sure that it’s a cause that will use your donations and services in the best way to serve the greater good.

  1. Determine what you can offer. If you want to volunteer, make sure that you don’t stretch yourself too thin trying to do too much. Ask yourself questions like: How much of my time can I give on a weekly or monthly basis? What am I willing to do, and what am I not willing to do? What do I want to take away from this experience? Make sure that you’re being realistic about your goals and honest with yourself about what you’re actually able to do.
  2. Find a charity whose efforts match your philanthropic passions. For example, if you’re passionate about helping animals, do your homework; if your goal is to help them find homes, then you may want to locate a no-kill shelter. Identify what you hope to accomplish by volunteering, and find organizations that meet the same goals.
  3. Stick to your commitment. You start out saying that you’re going to volunteer every night of the week, but it very quickly slips back to one night a week at best due to other commitments and time constraints. If you choose to volunteer, be reasonable about your commitment and when you make one, stick to it! If you’re constantly being a no-show volunteer, you’re doing more damage to the organization than if you had been realistic from the start.
  4. Look at where your time and money will go. A 2013 study revealed that 50 of the worst charities in America devoted less than 4% of their donations to direct cash aid — something to which many people believe their entire donation goes. Before you select a charitable organization to donate your time or money, do your research. Find out how much of what you give will directly benefit the cause you’re trying to help and how your efforts will directly impact it as well.

Volunteering is more than something that you should do, it needs to be something that you want to do. Finding a cause that speaks to you and committing your time to helping it can engage you in ways that nothing ever will.