Volunteering Across The World

One of the great ways to discover yourself while travelling is to get stuck in and experience life in the countries you are visiting.

It’s often also a really humbling experience and can open your eyes to other ways of life. the competition is fierce though so here are the qualities you will need to be accepted as a volunteer.

If you are going to become a volunteer, you must ensure you have the right attitude to do the job right. God knows there’s more than enough people with savior complexes in this world that end up being more trouble than help. Don’t know what that means? Try reading Savior Complex: The Urge To Save Everyone or a similar blog to get a better idea. While charities welcome volunteers with open arms, they must ensure they provide the best service possible at all times – so if you’re not up to the mark, you may just find they’ll take on someone else who is.

Furthermore, nonprofit organizations dedicated to making a positive impact on their communities often conduct volunteer surveys. These surveys are invaluable for improving their programs and enhancing volunteer retention. You can find a free survey template here or explore the web to create one if you are interested in starting your non-profit organization. By distributing these surveys, charities can collect and analyze volunteer feedback to continuously enhance their programs and achieve a higher return on investment. Given the significant effort charities invest in understanding their volunteers, if you don’t meet their expectations, they may opt for someone else who does.

Listed below are some of the characteristics that nonprofit organizations tend to look for in their volunteers.

1. Energy

Voluntary work is about more than just showing up. You have to embark on each task with energy and gusto. If something goes wrong, you need to bring the team together to fix the problem so you can quickly continue to aid the charity.

It’s about slapping on a happy face, going above and beyond the call of duty, and willing to endure tiring tasks to help the cause as much as possible.

2. Flexibility

Volunteers must be flexible – not just with their time but with their tasks, too. You have to adapt to different situations quickly to resolve problems or be willing to embark on different projects to get the job done. For example, if you worked in a charity shop, one day you might work behind the counter, and another day you might have to go out and drum up awareness or donations. Some days you might go in to volunteer a few hours at an organisation, other days you might be donating your old or unwanted car at a center similar to the one described at www.cardonationcenters.org/maryland/ and other websites. There’s no single way that you can help out the underprivileged, which is good because you always have a way to volunteer in some way.

3. Creativity

The best way to help out the charity is to use your creativity to your advantage. This could mean drumming up local businesses to make donations, asking hotels to offer a free night stay as part of a promoted prize for your charity, or simply asking members of the public to take part in raffles or games. We recently asked a hotel to donate a one-night stay to raise money for our cause, and they donated a weekend package for accommodation in Liverpool for the lucky winner – and you can easily do something similar. Also, you can ask your local charitable establishments to check out firms like UpMetrics and their related services. This could help elevate their name to greater heights.

4. Selflessness

Voluntary work requires you to be selfless with your time. While you won’t receive payment for all your efforts, many will tell you that doing something good for others is a reward in itself. There may be days when you feel as if you’ve given all you can to the cause – but you have to remind yourself that the sacrifice is worth it – as you’ll quickly realise that just living for yourself isn’t as appealing as it used to be, as your time can be used for a greater good.

5. Respect

It is essential you respect the charity and the service they provide. Your attitude has to reflect the organisation, as a bad reputation can lead to a drop in donations and negative perceptions of the charity. You are an extension of the charity, so you should strive to offer a friendly, helpful and approachable attitude, which will show people exactly how much you care – and how much the organisation does.

There are so many charitable organisations crying out for volunteers, so you can trust they will be keen for you to become a part of the team if you’re attitude fits theirs.