How to volunteer virtually? 6 virtual volunteering events & ideas
May 29, 2023 . 3 min read . Author: Michael Milner
We are living in an era when the world is a global village. This lets us make new connections around the world with just a few clicks. The modern setting affects many areas of our life. It is not uncommon for us to work with digital nomads and participate in online events. Thus, virtual volunteering is also becoming much more common.
While a couple of years ago this would seem quite abstract, nowadays there are many ways to volunteer virtually. But how to do it? Here are some of our ideas. Read on to find out more!
6 virtual volunteering ways and ideas
If you are wondering how to volunteer virtually, think no more – we have a couple of ideas and event recommendations that will help you! Check our 6 suggestions:
- Try a translation volunteering program – This is a great volunteering idea for those who know many languages. There are many programs online where translators are needed. For instance,TED Translate offers the opportunity to translate TED Talks from any place in the world. All you have to do is apply and complete a short language test.
- Opt for online counseling volunteer programs – There are many ways to volunteer virtually. If you are a professional counselor, you might try doing your profession through video calls or phone calls. This way you can help people from the areas that make them more susceptible to traumas, for instance from regions struggling with wars or natural disasters. You might want to cooperate with a bigger organization, but you may also try to launch your services independently.
- Get a grasp of online administrative work – No matter whether you want to volunteer to get some additional experience, or simply to help people, you can combine these two purposes by choosing online administrative volunteer programs. Even nonprofit organizations need to have their paperwork done, so you might kill two birds with one stone.
- Start an online teaching/mentoring program – Many people lack proper education because they are unable to afford it or have no access to it in their place of living. You can now change it and get some teaching experience as well. Reach out to organizations such as Paper Airplanes or RefuNet and start your digital lessons. You will see all the ins and outs of teaching while helping those who have fewer possibilities.
- Reach out to virtual volunteering organizations – If you are looking for virtual volunteering events, it might be worth checking the websites of organizations that focus solely on these kinds of activities. A good example is Points of Light. They have a whole search engine dedicated to volunteer opportunities. This way, you will be able to analyze many offers at the same time and decide which one suits you most.
- Try out transcribing – Transcribing might be a great virtual volunteer idea. After all, the topics will be different depending on where you choose to volunteer. So, if you are a history lover, you might opt for Smithsonian Digital Volunteers and transcribe historical documents. If you are more interested in law, you might select the volunteer program of the Library of Congress. There are numerous opportunities regarding transcribing, so you can pick a topic range that will prove useful for you in the future.
The takeaway
There are many virtual volunteer ideas that you might follow. The most important aspect is to select something matching your interests and skills. From online volunteer translation programs to virtual counseling and teaching – pick something that you like, something that will help you develop and that the community will benefit from, and you are bound to be satisfied. And all of that from the comfort of your own home.
You might also like: How to Find Volunteer Opportunities to Help Animals?