Give Back with These Volunteering Opportunities You Can Do From Anywhere

If you want to volunteer, but you feel like it might be too far for you to get where you want to help, another option is to join an organization as a remote volunteer.

There are a surprising number of jobs that need to be done online, from social media management to emailing the mailing list with updates about a big project.

Whether you want to work with children, the elderly, nature, or communities, there may be the perfect remote volunteer job waiting for you on this list.

Volunteer for Animals

Volunteer for Animals

You can make a difference when you volunteer with animals.

Zooniverse is an online nature volunteering organization. It is a platform where researchers put out requests for help and support from the community. You might get to track manatees or work with other data patterns in this role.

What they’re looking for
Exactly what researchers are looking for will depend on the project. Click on any project you’re interested in to get more information.

More info: For more information, visit Zooniverse.org.

GivingWay is a platform that connects volunteers to wildlife volunteering opportunities. Many are one-off volunteer tasks, and some can be done completely remotely. For example, if a charity in Africa needs a website update, you could volunteer your design skills.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers of all kinds who are willing to lend their skills to unique projects from around the world.

More info: Visit GivingWay to learn more about the volunteering opportunities available now.

Togean Conservation Foundation focuses on the conservation of the Togean Islands. They offer online opportunities to volunteer, such as handling translation or communications.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers with translation skills, campaigning backgrounds, and a real interest in helping these Indonesian islands.

More info: For more information, contact the Togean Conservation Foundation.

Idealist hosts many online wildlife volunteering opportunities for organizations like Aeon for Ocean and Monkeys.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, such as curriculum developers for educational programs or illustrators to handle updated graphics on websites.

More info: To find out more or connect with an opportunity you’d like to participate in, contact Idealist.

UN Volunteers is run by the United Nations. There are a variety of online roles that cover the gambit, from helping with online support to helping save endangered animals.

What they’re looking for
The United Nations is looking for volunteers of all kinds, ranging from teens interested in spreading the word about environmental crises to website and social media assistance.

More info: Volunteer with the United Nations from wherever you are in the world.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds offers at-home volunteering opportunities for people who want to help save endangered birds, track migratory patterns, and more.

What they’re looking for
Anyone who loves birds and who would like to support the protection of these amazing species.

More info: Contact the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for more information.

Volunteer for the Government, Politics, and Human Rights

Work with the government, politics, or human rights in your spare time.

Amnesty Decoders is a volunteer platform where volunteers work with Amnesty International to expose human rights violations. You use your phone or computer to go through images and documents to identify abuse, oil spills, and other serious violations.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers with access to the internet and a few minutes a day. No specific obligations are required.

More info: Find out more about how you can help Amnesty International.

AmeriCorps is a large volunteering service that helps strengthen communities around the country through service activities.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who are willing to join for 10 to 12 months, though some opportunities are shorter. You can also select opportunities within your community or go remote.

More info: To find out more about AmeriCorps, visit this website.

Volunteer.gov helps you discover all the best volunteer activities based on what you want to do to help. From volunteering at a national park to working in interpretation, there are many opportunities.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers of all kinds. There are numerous programs, so the exact requirements will vary.

More info: Go to www.volunteer.gov to learn more.

The American Red Cross focuses on blood donation, blood transportation, disaster response, shelter services, and disaster health services.

What they’re looking for
Over 90% of the American Red Cross is made up of volunteers. There is a 45-minute orientation you should review to determine if this is the right opportunity for you.

More info: Volunteer with the American Red Cross.

Rebuilding Together is a volunteering organization that helps neighbors stay in their homes. The group’s mission is to repair and revitalize homes and communities.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who can help with consumer outreach and community impact.

More info: For more information on joining Rebuilding Together, visit this page.

Volunteer for People’s Health and Wellness

Help with crises and mental health, supporting people from anywhere.

Crisis Text Line hires volunteers to talk to people who are struggling with their own circumstances or other issues. There are all kinds of problems that volunteers can discuss, like depression and anxiety, eating disorders, abuse, and others.

What they’re looking for
Crisis Text Line is looking for volunteers willing to put in the time for training. You will need at least 30 hours of web-based training before you can start. Then, you will need to provide at least four hours of service each week after joining the crisis management team. The positions are open at all times, day or night.

More info: Contact Crisis Text Line

If you want to work with the elderly, Caring Calls may be a good choice for your remote work as a volunteer. Caring Calls provides services supporting the elderly, like having conversations or building friendships.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who can work at least 30 minutes a week are welcome to join the team. You will need to agree to meet with a specific senior contact once a week for at least four weeks.

More info: Find out more by contacting Dorot.

Lifetime Connections Without Walls is an organization created to help seniors stay connected to volunteers. It provides classes and activities for older people, and it can all be done virtually.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who are able to help expand the courses and offerings available now. Volunteers aren’t obligated to any specific timeline, so they can volunteer when they want to.

More info: Contact Lifetime Connections Without Walls at Family Eldercare.

15. IMAlive

IMAlive is a program offered by the Kristin Brooks Hope Center. It focuses on suicide prevention and crisis management. Volunteers use chats and phone calls to help those who are dealing with crises.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers need to have training, which costs $250 for a 20-hour class. Once you finish this class, you need to commit to at least four hours of work per week for the next 12 months.

More info: Contact the Kristin Books Hope Center for more information on how you can help.

16. Sidelines

Sidelines is a volunteer group designed to help pregnant women. These women are in high-risk pregnancies and may need special support as they go through the pregnancy.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who previously went through a high-risk pregnancy, because first-hand experience is a must. You also have to take an online training course to become a support person.

More info: Find out more about volunteering at Sidelines.

17. RAINN

RAINN is a crisis-counseling hotline for victims of sexual assault. It is a web-based opportunity that requires a 20-hour training course, live learning sessions, and debriefings because of the nature of the work.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who are willing to work at least 10 hours a month for a minimum of 18 months. Volunteers work as online counselors during this time.

More info: Find out more about RAINN here.

18. UPchieve

UPchieve connects a coach to high school students in low-income areas to help them with math, science, or general life advice.

What they’re looking for
Adults who are experienced with math and science (or who would otherwise be a good coach). UPchieve offers training, and you can work on your own schedule.

More info: For more information about helping low-income youth, connect with UPchive.

The Kids Circle Foundation was created to enrich the lives of kids who are going through struggles in their lives.

What they’re looking for
Web development support, a research and outreach team, an academic team, blog and writing teams, graphic design teams, and social media teams. They offer service hours but have an expectation of one to three hours a week for volunteers. Heads should spend four or more hours with the program weekly.

More info: Find out more about The Kids Circle Foundation online.

Save the Children is an organization that has been helping children in need for over 100 years. Volunteers can access one-off opportunities or long-term partnerships with the organization.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers of many types, from those who want to help advocate for children politically to those who are great at running fundraising campaigns.

More info: Visit Save the Children to learn more about the current available volunteering opportunities.

Volunteer with the Blind or Disabled

Make someone’s day easier with a few hours of your time.

Be My Eyes is an app that connects sighted volunteers with those who have low vision or who are blind and need visual assistance with their tasks. All volunteers need to do is sign up for the app and be willing to take a video call.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who are willing to help virtually at the push of a button. You will need to be able to make video calls.

More info: Visit Be My Eyes to learn more.

Helper Helper puts a focus on real-world support from your own home. It collects donations, delivers goods to people in need, has volunteers read to others, and more.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers with a variety of backgrounds can work with Helper Helper. Virtual volunteers may connect to chat with the elderly or teens who feel isolated, for example, or they may read to those who need literacy support.

More info: Find out more about Helper Helper here.

Points of Light offers virtual volunteering opportunities, including short- and long-term tasks like helping others read or putting together virtual activities. There are dozens of volunteering opportunities for people of all backgrounds.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers from all over the world who can support others from home, a local coffee shop, or anywhere else where you have an internet connection.

More info: Find out more about virtual volunteering opportunities with Points of Light.

Best Buddies is a volunteering opportunity that connects volunteers with “E-buddies” who have developmental or intellectual disabilities.

What they’re looking for
People who are willing to connect regularly with their buddies to form friendships with their peers with disabilities. There are no specific guidelines, but you should expect to speak with or video chat with your buddy regularly once you’re connected.

More info: Find out more about volunteering and become the next Best Buddy at Best Buddies.

Volunteer and Share Your Skills

Become a teacher for a community of people who can learn from you.

At Career Village, you can help others learn what they want to do when they grow up or start their next careers. Share your advice and guidance with others as a remote volunteer.

What they’re looking for
Remote volunteers, retired or not, who have career expertise of some kind.

More info: For more information about sharing details about your career path, visit Career Village.

Project Gutenberg is designed to help edit eBooks, so others can enjoy them online. There are over 60,000 titles in the free, online library.

What they’re looking for
People who know how to edit and work on eBooks. If you like to read and want to edit new books coming to the market, this could be a great job for you.

More info: For more information on getting started with Project Gutenberg, contact the organization here.

27. Tarjimly

Tarjimly connects volunteers with refugees, asylees, and immigrants to help them become better at using a new language.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who are multilingual and able to help immigrants and others learn a new language. Translators go through training, so you need to be willing to complete it.

More info: Find out more about Tarjimly’s programs here.

Teach others how to speak English more fluently and use your English skills at Table Wisdom. It connects English-speaking people with students who need support.

What they’re looking for
Native English speakers (fluent speakers may apply) who can provide both personal and professional advice to speakers of another language.

More info: To help out with ESL students, contact Table Wisdom.

TED Translators converts recorded TED Talks into many different languages. While most TED Talks take place in English, volunteers work with the original videos to add subtitles for dozens of other languages.

What they’re looking for
Translators speaking almost any language. Right now, there are over 35,000 translators, and the TED Talks are being translated into over 100 languages at a time.

More info: To start translating TED Talks, contact TED Translators.

30. LibriVox

LibriVox provides audiobooks of public domain titles.

What they’re looking for
Volunteers who would be happy to read books, poems, or short stories, so they can expand the collection of books available. You don’t need to have any special equipment, though it is helpful if you have a desktop microphone and can download the software the program uses.

More info: To add your voice to the LibriVox collection, visit LibriVox here.

Find the Perfect Opportunity to Volunteer for an Organization You Believe In

A good volunteer can help organizations reach others who need help, gather an income to help them help more people or animals, record history, or do other things that are necessary but unaffordable if using employees.

You can make a real difference by volunteering just a few hours of your time each week. Whether you want to be a full-time volunteer in retirement or need to volunteer a few hours a week to feel like you’re making a difference, there are options out there for you to try.

This list of 30 opportunities is one that can help you get started on your search for a remote volunteering role, but it’s not all-encompassing. There are thousands of opportunities available to help locally, within your state, in the country, or beyond the country’s borders.

Whether you’re interested in working with animals, want to work with the government, need to do volunteering work for school, or have a specific interest, you will find many different ideas on this list.