3 Tips To Make Your Next Volunteering Experience Meaningful
We might assume that all volunteering experiences will be meaningful, especially given that we’re doing something good for the community, right? But for those of us who are still figuring out what we truly are passionate about, we might go home feeling a little lost and confused. Volunteering is what you make out of it, so here are a few tips to help you find your calling and gain clarity on how to get the best out of every volunteering experience!
1. Find Out Who You Would Really Want To Help
Having a clear purpose is the first step to making your experience a memorable one. When you discover a cause you’re truly passionate about, volunteering will be something you look forward to. This interest will translate into higher involvement, as you dedicate yourself into helping your beneficiaries.
Spend some time thinking about what kind of targeted beneficiaries you wish to help. Be it delivering food to homebound elderly or tutoring underprivileged kids, you’ll be able to channel your energy into the project when you truly want to make a difference to their lives.
2. Search For The Right Organisation
Now that you’re sure who exactly you want to help, it’s time to search for the right organisation that can help fulfil your goals. It’s important to make sure that your vision aligns with that of the organisation’s; it adds purpose to your work and gives you a greater sense of belonging. More importantly, this encourages you to commit to the organisation long-term instead of just attending one-off events. This way, you’ll be able to see through the project and ensure that you create sustainable impacts for your beneficiaries.
To create meaningful change for your beneficiaries, explore how you can add value to the organisation. What are your strengths? What expertise can you contribute to the organisation? Take some time to think about these questions to gain clarity what volunteering opportunities suit you the most, so as to maximise your impact in the organisation. If you’re looking for skills-based volunteering, click here to find out more about what opportunities are available!
3. Reflect After Every Experience
Your volunteering journey doesn’t stop after the event itself! Many people might neglect this, but self-reflection is also a significant part of your volunteering experience. Journal down your thoughts, like what went well and what could have been done better. By internalising how you’ve managed to create meaningful impact, you can continue doing the same for your next volunteering opportunity, and improve your performance for future experiences.
Not only does this help with self-improvement, it also serves as useful feedback for the organisation to understand how to refine the programme, maximising benefits for both volunteers and beneficiaries.
If you’ve been viewing volunteering like a chore, try the above tips to enhance your experience! We hope that you can gain clarity on why you volunteer, and maximise your impact for your beneficiaries. Happy volunteering!
About Skills for Good
Skills for Good, a local volunteer-matching organisation, with a base of eclectic volunteers with skills ranging from marketing and communications to information technology to fundraising. We seek to empower volunteers through convenient and meaningful skills-based volunteering opportunities that help social organisations to achieve their mission. Volunteer with us today and wake up tomorrow with the warm and fuzzy sensation of ‘volunesia’.
Author: Ong Zhi Yi
