Giving Compass' Take:

• VolunteerMatch discusses the importance of people with design and other advanced skills to lend their expertise to nonprofit organizations: It's a win-win for both sides.

• Are tech professionals and other highly skilled individuals giving enough time? What are we doing to encourage them? Greater awareness on how volunteering can lead to more career opportunities is one method.

• Once you get those skilled volunteers, here's how to make sure they land with impact.

Design is a resource that makes products more engaging to interact with and easier to use. In 2018, when most companies must consider their digital presence, the demand for design is only growing. While technology companies may have the resources to hire a team dedicated to design and user experience, there’s still a large segment of organizations that don’t have ready access to design resources.

One group that’s especially afflicted by this scarcity is the nonprofit sector. Regrettably, organizations dedicated to tackling some of our world’s most challenging issues are often the most underserved. For many nonprofits, high-quality design work is simply unaffordable.

The proposition is a win-win: bringing together worthy organizations and private-sector professionals opportunities to further their own skills and career via philanthropic outlets.

Those who are fortunate enough to possess both in-demand skills and the privilege of disposable time (I’m looking at you, Silicon Valley) ought to consider volunteering your skills towards pro-bono work. The proposition is a win-win: bringing together worthy organizations and private-sector professionals looking for opportunities to further their own skills and career. While there are innumerable ways to give  —  donating money, volunteering your time, tutoring, recruiting, or coaching  —  skills-based volunteering is an especially impactful way to give back.

Read the full article about skills-based volunteering by Natalie Schoch at VolunteerMatch.