Giving Compass' Take:

• Finding quality volunteers can be challenging.  The article below provides a list of websites that help match volunteers to projects so that volunteers can really utilize their skill sets for specific projects. 

• Volunteering is a great way to better understand the facets of your community and gain new experiences. How do you choose where you volunteer?

• Besides these websites, there are also apps that help match volunteers with organizations and projects around them. 

It’s no secret that volunteers make the do-gooder world go ‘round. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that volunteers performed 7.9 billion hours of service in 2015, saving $184 billion for the organizations they served.

But how do you find volunteers – especially when you need someone with a particular set of skills? That’s where volunteer matchmaking comes in. Check out these five volunteer matchmaking sites. They were all designed to take the time and guesswork out of finding the people you need to get the job done.

  • GreatNonprofits
    Whether you’re buying a car or looking for a place to grab a bite, word of mouth is powerful. This holds true for nonprofits, too. GreatNonprofits allows your organization to use the power of recommendations to find volunteers.
  • Taproot
    Taproot pairs organizations with skilled volunteers to provide professional-level services pro bono.
  • Catchafire
    You can post a project, find a project, and create an account for your organization or your services. Need a large group for a specific project? Catchafire offers programs for employee volunteer groups.
  • VolunteerMatch
    On this site, volunteers can choose virtual projects or search by ZIP code. They can also choose from 29 causes or sort by age group served, keyword, or skill needed.
  • Idealist
    While the site does charge a fee for listing jobs and internships, you can post your organization’s volunteer opportunities and events for free.

Read the full article about how to finding quality volunteers by Grace Kennedy at GreatNonprofits.