Whether you are passionate about saving the environment or alleviating poverty, you can now contribute your time and effort to the cause even if it is halfway across the world, without leaving your couch. A report by Saudi’s General Authority for Statistics has found that 16.8% of Saudis practice volunteering, and the total population has spent about 52.2 hours volunteering within the year preceding the survey. This percentage can be increased the more we take initiative in helping our community.
Modern technology and the digital age have made remote volunteering possible and accessible. This present-day concept allows you to complete your tasks from the comfort of your home.
The best way to commit to remote volunteering is to first think about what cause you are most passionate about and how much of your time you can dedicate to it. Once you have those answers, you can start researching and reaching out to organizations that are working in those fields.
Today, almost every big non-profit organization has an option for remote volunteering where you can channel your time giving back to a good cause. It includes all types of tasks from fundraising, research, translation, illustration, blogging, and much more. Most organizations are keen to enlist remote volunteers at every skill level. They do not expect you to be an expert, in fact, these opportunities allow you to develop those skills as you go
Advantages of remote volunteering include:
As all the work is done remotely, the schedule is flexible and can be set according to what suits you best. There is also no time wasted in commuting or getting ready. So, when you have some free time after work, you can take part in remote volunteering as it is constructive and fulfilling.
Depending on the work, each job is based on a certain skill such as writing, researching, fundraising or more. Volunteers are given guidelines and assistance and this helps in enhancing their current skills and making them more confident. You get to learn a new skill without having to pay for it.
Remote volunteer work does not have any geographical restrictions, it can be done from anywhere in the world. This means if a non-profit you are interested in is based abroad, you can still be a part of it without having to travel.
Volunteer work is an added bonus on the resume. Given the modern lifestyle we lead and hectic schedules, it is always difficult to find time to work on philanthropic projects. Remote volunteer work takes care of this as the hours and time dedicated to it is flexible and it is still appreciated by the recruiters.
We all want to give back to the community and contribute to the betterment of society. Although our intentions might be good, it is always a challenge to connect with a project because of different circumstances. Remote volunteering makes that easy and helps you to pick a cause and go with it.
Just because we aren’t physically together doesn’t mean we won’t be connected to other people while working on a project. Remote volunteering allows us to speak to and work with experts in the field. This is a great way to network and forge relationships for future work and projects.
Once you shortlist the places that interest you, the next step is to reach out to them. Not every organization has open positions or a dedicated space to apply to. Just because they do not have an opening doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to accept volunteers. In order to connect, you can send an email explaining how their work is close to your heart and how you can contribute your time and effort.
The task of where to begin the process of remote volunteering can be daunting. There are some platforms you can start applying to:
Translators Without Borders in a non-profit organization that offers both translation and language help to humanitarian organizations across the world. They also aim to raise awareness about translation barriers.
Tarjimly is a mobile app for volunteers that are multilingual to work as translators. Millions of refugees and people in need of humanitarian assistance struggle with language barriers. Tarjimly connects the Translator and Beneficiary in a live chat session where they can send text, voice notes, documents, or even start a live phone call. Translators can also work on asynchronous translation tasks throughout the week on Tarjimly Docs on the website.
The Red Cross works with virtual volunteers to help monitor disasters through discussion, both sharing updates on social media, and finding those who are in need of help.
VolunteerMatch is a platform for finding volunteering opportunities online. These include everything from writing newsletters to website design. To this day, 15.4 million volunteers have already been connected through VolunteerMatch.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Program contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges–anywhere in the world, from any device. Online volunteering options are open to all individuals who wish to volunteer for peace and development.
Although virtual volunteering may not provide immediate and direct benefits to the receivers, it has a positive impact on both the volunteers and the charities. It will not only enrich your own life but also the lives of those benefiting from it.
