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This is an index of links to major regional and nationwide sites in the U.S. and Canada that provide updated lists of volunteer opportunities at various different organizations. Many of these are third party volunteer databases (they provide information about other organization's volunteer opportunities). Also included are links to indices of local sites, such as volunteer centers and community networks/freenets.

NOTE TO AGENCIES: Before you post volunteer opportunities to any of these online database, make sure you are ready to answer e-mails promptly and place volunteers immediately into your orientation process or an actual opportunity. There are more suggestions to help you prepare here on the VV Project site.

List of Volunteer Centers by U.S. State

There are a number of places to find such lists online; our recommendation:

• x
  
  By the Points of Light Foundation.

List of Community Networks and FreeNets in the U.S.

Community Networks and FreeNets often have areas to promote local volunteer/service initiatives, and sometimes work in conjunction with local volunteer centers. Two places to find local networks:

• x

  
  

Web Sites Promoting Volunteer Opportunities in the U.S. and Canada

(or are based in the U.S. or Canada and promote opportunities outside of either country)

denotes listings of virtual volunteering opportunities (these may be listed as e-volunteering opportunities, online volunteering opportunities, or as tasks that could be completed from home or work. Not all databases have a specific category for online volunteering opportunities).

Action Without Borders
(formerly the Contact Center Network)

http://www.idealist.org

A well-traveled place to post and find volunteer opportunities, including virtual volunteering opportunities, and for volunteers to post about themselves. Offers many other nonprofit resources as well.


 


Amigos de las Americas

http://www.amigoslink.org

Sponsors volunteers, primarily between the ages of 16 - 25, in public health and environmental projects in Mexico and Central and South America.


 


Amizade

http://amizade.org

Not-for-profit organization with programs that offer a mix of community service and recreation which provide volunteers the opportunity to participate first hand in the culture of the region. 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 historic preservation and environmental cleanup in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Volunteers need no special skills, just a willingness to help.


 


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. Learn about the different opportunities CNVS promotes for these programs through the RESPONSE directory.


 




Charity Village Volunteer Bulletin Board
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Canadian registered charities and Canadian public service agencies needing volunteers may put a notice on the Charity Village Bulletin Board without charge.


 


City Cares

http://www.citycares.org/

Local Cares organizations were formed with the goal 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.

 

CitySearch
http://www.citysearch.com

A for-profit company creating Web-based community guides for selected cities in the U.S. (and expanding to other countries as well). If your organization is in a CitySearch city and involves a large number of volunteers, you can post your volunteer opportunities on the CitySearch Web site for your area, and have a link from CitySearch to your own Web site (as applicable).


 




Community Action Network
http://www.getinvolved.net/

Another place to post volunteer opportunities, including online opportunities, or to post volunteer interests. Presented by Samaritan Software.


 




CommunityService.com

http://www.communityservice.com

A nonprofit organization based in New York offering an online database of volunteering opportunities (it features opportunities listed on many of the services listed on the page you are reading now). The database includes online opportunities (e-volunteering) for other organizations. This site also offers a place for volunteers to register their expertise.


 


COOL (Campus Outreach Opportunity League)

http://www.COOL2SERVE.org/

National non-profit that helps college students start, strengthen and expand their community service programs. The COOL Web site lists to even more organizations that can help students to get involved in improving their communities and the environment.


 


Do Something
http://www.dosomething.org

A 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.

 



4laborsoflove.org
http://4laborsoflove.org
For volunteers to list their skills, and for agencies to list volunteer opportunities.


 


Give Five
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Works raise public awareness about the important role that giving and volunteering play in our communities. You might have seen Give Five public service announcements in the newspaper, on TV, or heard them on the radio. The Web site includes Ten Tips for Volunteers, Selecting an Organization to Help, and general information about volunteerism.


 


Global Service Corps
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Provides short-term, long-term and college internship programs in Costa Rica, Thailand, or Kenya. These volunteer programs target three primary project areas: Environment, Health and Education.


 




GuideStar
http://nonprofit.guidestar.org

An initiative of Philanthropic Research, whose mission is to provide information about charities to donors and others. In addition to its information to help donors of both money, equipment and time monitor the programs and performance of charities, Guidestar also features a "classifieds" section of volunteer opportunities, including virtual opportunities, at agencies around the U.S.:


Onsite volunteer opportunities: xx

Web development (online) opportunities: xx


 




Impact Online (& VolunteerMatch)
http://www.impactonline.org/

A nonprofit organization online since 1994. It's Web site is an excellent place for agencies to post volunteer opportunities (VolunteerMatch/CityMatch), including virtual volunteering opportunities. Potential volunteers can use the site to find volunteer opportunities (VolunteerMatch/CityMatch).


 


InterAction: The American Council for Voluntary International Action

http://www.interaction.org/jobs.html

Nation's largest coalition of international development, disaster relief and refugee assistance agencies. Members include more than 150 US-based non-profit organizations. InterAction was 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.

http://www.interaction.org/pub/gw2000.html

Interaction also offers online its Guide to Appropriate Giving and Volunteerism, at http://www.interaction.org/disaster/guide.html


 


Make A Difference Day

http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/

Each October, sponsored by USA Weekend. Includes a database of volunteer opportunities for Make A Difference Day each Fall.


 


Netday

http://www.netday.org

Effort by a partnership among volunteers and corporations to wire schools in the U.S.A. to the Internet.


 


Opportunities and Information for Volunteers
http://nonprofit.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa072298.htm

Another good list of links to web-based databases of volunteering opportunities, by Stan Hutton and About.com, an online publisher.


 


Peace Corps

http://www.peacecorps.gov/home.html

Begun by the Kennedy administration in 1961, the Peace Corps places volunteers from the United States into developing countries to help citizens with education, environment, health, business, agriculture and other projects. Former and returning Peace Corps volunteers can also participate in the new Crisis Corps, providing short-term assistance to countries that have experienced natural disasters or a humanitarian crisis.


 




POSH Corps

http://www.posh.org

People Organized and Striving for Harmony. The Corps says it supports volunteers with a $2,000 POSH Public Service Award and free database services for volunteers to track and document their service. WARNING: this site is very graphic and java intensive; you will need a very high-end computer and high speed Internet access for this site.


 


ServeNet
http://www.servenet.org
or

http://www.volunteernow.com

A place to post volunteer opportunities, or to post volunteer interests. Opportunities are tied to the challenges of America's Promise.


 


Service Civil International - USA Branch

http://www.sci-ivs.org

Founded in the 1920s, SCI has 33 branches and groups in Europe and Asia, and approximately 5,000 volunteers active in 50 countries. SCI has links with many other organizations, worldwide, and holds consultative status with the United Nations. The US branch web site promotes both short term (two-week) and long term (three to 12 month) assignments.


 


Shine!

http://www.shine.com

This is the latest service offering an online database of volunteering opportunities. Operated by charitychannel.com


 


VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America)

http://www.friendsofvista.org/

Now part of the AmeriCorps national service program, VISTA members take on long-term community-related projects, many of them technology focused, and receive a small stipend. The "Friends of VISTA" web site has a listing of VISTA opportunities all over the U.S.


 


Volunteer Canada
http://www.volunteer.ca/

Operates the new Volunteer Opportunities Exchange (VOE)


 


Volunteering Outdoors in Parks and Wilderness Areas
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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.


 


Volunteers Solutions

http://www.volunteersolutions.org

A Boston-based nonprofit hosting a database of volunteer opportunities in selected cities in the U.S. (Austin, Boston, Detroit, Omaha, San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles).


 


Volunteers of America

http://www.voa.org/tier2_ka.cfm?folder_id=181

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.


 


VolunteerWeb

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


 

Indices of International Volunteer and Volunteerism Resources

International Volunteer and Volunteerism Resources

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Opportunities may vary in length from one week to several years, depending on the program sponsor.