Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Top Volunteer Web Sites

I've looked at just about every "volunteer match" web site under the sun, and I think most of them kind of suck. Here are my top picks out of...many. 3/4 of these are focused on San Diego because, well, that's what I cared about!

OnlineVolunteering.Org

http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/vol/index.html

This is the one not focused on San Diego. Its really unique in that it provides a way to hook up on-line volunteers with projects across the world. What I really liked about it is that the opportunities here could really challenge people -- we're talking about web site design, graphic design, writing course world for university classes, providing translation services, etc. None of those would have ever came into my head before when thinking of "volunteer opportunities."

Volunteer San Diego

http://www.volunteersandiego.org/HomePage/index.php/home.html

This is the BOMB for finding local opportunities in San Diego. You can filter by type of service you're interested in, by date, by location, etc. The calendar is really useful and cool.

Single Volunteers San Diego

http://singlevolunteerssandiego.org/AboutUs.htm

Another localized web site. I thought it was pretty unique because it targeted singles and used volunteerism as a way for singles to meet. I like that.

The City Of San Diego Volunteer Opportunities

http://www.sandiego.gov/volunteer-program/opportunities/index.shtml

Another localized web site. This one focuses on opportunities through the City of San Diego. The content is pretty static, but you won't find the opportunities on the other web sites. Some of it doesn't get me engaged personally (filing and typing for example!) but if you dig down you'll see some good opportunities to work with seniors, work with kids, and clean up the community. I like that.

1 comments:

Kelli said...

Barney,

Thanks so much for the mention. It's great to hear feedback about our website and volunteer opportunities. I'm glad it works for you and we're proud to be on your Top 5! :)

Kelli
Volunteer San Diego staff
www.volunteersandiego.org