How to choose the right online volunteer opportunity?

The key to success is to choose opportunities that match your skills, interests and availability. An opportunity description should contain all the information you need to decide whether or not the opportunity interests you, your skills and expertise match the requirements and your availability meets the organization’s needs. Reading the mission statement and visiting the organization’s website will help you decide whether or not you would like to support the organization and its activities.

In addition to carefully reading the opportunity description and other information provided by the organization, you can consider the following:

• Type of organization: would you like to support for example a community-based grassroots organization, a national or international NGO, a small or large profit or not-for-profit company, a local government? When making your choice, bear in mind that organizations’ needs, capacities, resources, communication styles and experience with online volunteer management are as diverse as organization types.
• Time commitment: how much time per week would you like to devote to volunteering online? Would you like to get involved in a long-term project, or would you rather commit to a short-term assignment with a fixed end date? The amount of time indicated in most opportunity descriptions serves as an estimate by the organization, and gives you an idea of the task’s anticipated time-frame.
• Task & Skills: what tasks do you enjoy undertaking? What skills would you like to share with an organization to support their work? You may opt to use your professional expertise to support, or you may prefer to engage in a task that differs from your everyday job. It is perfectly acceptable to search for an opportunity that will enhance your skills or allow you to gain experience, as long as you are confident that you are able to complete the assignment successfully.