There are a gazillion ways for people to engage with organizations that serve our communities.  The challenge can be finding and connecting with an organization that can benefit from your time and talent – and aligns with your interests and schedule.  In the Seattle area, a number of “connector” organizations make it easier for individuals or groups to locate great volunteer opportunities.

United Way’s Volunteer Center recently brought together some of the other organizations that work locally to mobilize volunteers.   It provided a great opportunity for us all to learn about each other, who we serve, and challenges we face.  It also is the start of a conversation about ways we can collaborate and support each other’s work. The group included:

• Seattle Works
• Bean Seattle
• The World is Fun
• One Brick
• I Care, We Care
• Flash Volunteer
• Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

You may already know about United Way of King County’s Volunteer Center and our comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities.  In fact several of the organizations below also recruit from our site.  United Way also hosts day of service events (Day of Caring, MLK Day of Service), supports volunteering in the business community, and builds the capacity of nonprofit and public organizations to engage volunteers (including board members) effectively.

We’d like to take this opportunity to tell you more about our volunteer mobilizing allies:

Seattle Works connects volunteers, develops emerging leaders and inspires dialogue. Focusing on young adults in their 20s and 30s, they’re best known for: delivering accessible volunteer opportunities that help people get going; preparing people to join nonprofit boards and public commissions; hosting fun, informal, non-partisan events that connect people with candidates and issues on their ballot; and being a valued, trusted and knowledgeable partner to great causes seeking to connect with new audiences!

Seattle BEAN, founded in 2003, focuses on buildingfriendships around charitable causes. They bring young people together—young people who care about making a positive difference in the world. Then they give them easy and fun ways to enact positive change through local volunteering and global charity initiatives. They motivate, encourage and have fun in the process!  The big picture goal is for members to gain rewarding experiences and close friends while the community receives a tight-knit group of volunteers and global collaboration.

The World is Fun – call them TWIF –  with a mission to be the catalyst to connect volunteers, corporations and charities in need  - and do things a little differently. By cultivating Seattle’s most dedicated (and most fun!) group of volunteers and seeding Seattle’s most socially responsible businesses with the charitable giving bug, TWIF will create a community with the resources to fill the urgent needs of nonprofits.

One Brick provides support to local non-profit and community organizations by creating a unique, social and flexible volunteer environment for those interested in making a concrete difference in the community. They enable people to get involved, have an impact and have fun, without the requirements of individual long-term commitments.

I Care, We Care was started by University Prep student Priyanka Jain, and is a student-run nonprofit that leverages the power of social media for social good. They help high school and college students connect with friends who CARE about the same causes, provide them with meaningful opportunities in their local community, and make social change a social effort.

Flash Volunteer seeks to build community and increase volunteerism in Seattle through the creation of a sustainable, user-friendly online platform to connect, inspire and mobilize volunteers to effect meaningful change on a neighborhood level.  Flash Volunteer is all about increasing volunteerism: through partnerships, cross-promotion, and smart use of technology.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) meets community needs in King County by encouraging and supporting volunteering for people 55 and older. Currently 2,000 volunteers work at hundreds of nonprofits in King County. RSVP can help you find the right volunteer opportunity in your area that best suits your time and interests.

If you’re looking to volunteer and want somewhere to start, try checking in with one of these organizations.  And remember to search United Way of King County’s listings for one-time and ongoing opportunities to serve in your community.
Do you know of any other “connector” organizations we missed?  How are you connecting with volunteer opportunities?