Resources

New York Cares : “Program staff work with each organization to identify their most pressing needs, create projects where volunteers can make a meaningful difference, and then recruit and deploy teams of volunteers to help meet those needs.” New York Cares is the organization that I volunteer through most often. They have TONS of different opportunities, but they fill up fast, so make sure you check the site on or around the 20th of each month, when they post new projects for the month. You’ll also have to attend a 1-hour orientation before volunteering; orientations take place often and in various locations throughout the 5 Boroughs.

Street Project : “Street Project is a volunteer organization that provides its members - busy young professionals in New York - with a variety of regular and flexible opportunities to give back to their community and connect to a network of other dedicated people.” They also hold social events for members. This organization has a limited group of opportunities, making it less overwhelming if you are have a hard time deciding what type of activity you want to do, and besides setting up your account, there isn’t much you have to do before signing up for your first project.

NYC Service : “NYC Service is a new effort to promote service and volunteerism in New York City. It includes an innovative set of initiatives that aim to achieve two overarching goals: making our city the easiest place in the world to volunteer, and setting a new standard for how cities can tap the power of their people to tackle our most pressing challenges” You can search for different activities by borough, area of interest, and level of priority; there are a lot of opportunities for people with special skills, such as accountants, artists, grant writers, etc. This new site is very user-friendly.

Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF) : Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF), the city’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing tuition assistance for underprivileged students is looking for volunteers. There are many ways to get involved, each with a varying time commitment.  ICSF supports more than 38,000 students (93% minority and 35% non-Catholic) in 105 inner-city Catholic schools in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.  98% percent of ICSF high school seniors graduate and 96% go on to college.

Requirements include a background check and video screening to participate.  For more information, please contact Ginine Mohamad-Cilenti at 646-794-3357.

United Way of New York City : In addition to it’s partnership with NYC Service, The United Way of New York City offers other opportunities for both individuals and groups or corporate partners, in addition to offering projects you can do without leaving home or the office.

Idealist : Here you can connect with thousands of volunteer opportunities and find practical tools to help you take action to build a better world. They list both national and international opportunities, with varying levels of commitment. You can also search for nonprofit jobs, internships, events, and more.

I Can Volunteer : For a more comprehensive list of organizations, definitely check out this site. It’s an easy-to-read, straightforward listing of places in NYC you can volunteer with, including contact information for most, as well as the type of commitment you’ll be expected to make.