This document discusses the value of volunteering from a business perspective. It provides reasons to volunteer such as learning new skills, exploring career options, and networking. Different types of volunteers are described along with specific business skills that can be gained like responsibility, communication, and commitment. Potential volunteer opportunities are listed in areas like churches, schools, and political campaigns. The document concludes with tips on marketing volunteer experience on resumes and cover letters to help lead to employment.

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The Value of Volunteering
Gaining Business Experience
Through Volunteer Opportunities
Agenda
• Reasons to Volunteer
• Types of Volunteers
• Business Skills Gained Through Volunteering
• Opportunities
• Marketing Your Volunteer Experience
• Call to Action

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Reasons to Volunteer
Volunteers are seldom paid; not because they are worthless, but
because they are PRICELESS! --author unknown
Reasons to Volunteer – Discussion Notes
• Work Related
• Know what students / children are “up to”
• To expose myself
• To Help Others
• Networking
• Sharing Knowledge
• Learn about an organization or job
opportunity
• See if you like it – try before you buy
• Learn about other people; culture, personal,
ethnic, friendship
• Because it feels good
• Gain intra-spective – to get to know yourself

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Reasons to Volunteer
1. To learn something about yourself
2. To have fun
3. Because you’re passionate about a cause
4. To explore career possibilities
5. Be productive - It’s time to get off the
couch
6. Learn some new skills…and add them to
your resume
7. Make someone else’s day
8. Feel good about yourself
9. Required by your college/university or
employer
10. To be more involved in your community
What it Boils Down to…..
• Personal Health & Well Being – More and more,
a substantial body of research evidence is indicating that
there are very real personal, physical and emotional
benefits to helping others.
• Employment Skills - Across the nation, thousands of
volunteers have developed marketable skills and made
valuable job contacts through their volunteer efforts.
Some areas of frequent skill development are computer
skills, public speaking, project and program planning,
building/construction, and counseling to name a few.
• Growing A Better Community and Quality
of Life – A community can only be as healthy, vibrant
and active as its members are willing to make it. Making it
so involves time, energy, effort and commitment - from
every single member.1

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Types of Volunteers
"Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth
who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience,
and just plain love for one another.” -- Erma Brombeck
Types of Volunteers
• Boards of Directors
• Business and Corporate
• Children and Youth
• Family Volunteering
• Older Volunteers
• People with Disabilities
• Professions in Service/Pro Bono Volunteering
• Entrepreneurial and Self-directed Service
• Students in Service3

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Business Skills Gained
Through Volunteering
"Not everything that counts can be counted. And not
everything that can be counted, counts." -- Albert Einstein
Skills & Benefits Gained from Volunteering
• Learn technical skills
• Learn business world skills
• Learn how to work as a team
• Gain work experience
• Try something new
• Gain practical experience
• Build networks
• Gain inspiration and motivation
• Build a solid work ethic
• “Try before you buy”

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Core Skills Gained Through Volunteering
• Responsibility – being in a position of
authority with accountability for results
• Communication - with all levels of
management and different types of people
• Creativity – having to be resourceful and
find ways around problems
• Commitment – to projects and their work in
general.2
Opportunities
Paul Revere earned his living as a silversmith. But what do we
remember him for? His volunteer work. All activism is volunteering in
that it's done above and beyond earning a living and deals with what
people really care passionately about. Remember, no one gets paid to
rebel. All revolutions start with volunteers. -- Susan J. Ellis

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Opportunities
• Finding Them
• Making Your Own
• Be Creative
• It never hurts to ask…
Opportunities – Discussion Notes
• Churches
• Helping Friends and Family
• Nursing homes
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Clubs and Organizations (student and
professional)
• Shelters / Humane Societies / Rescue
• Political activism
• FUN – Independent radio, the arts, museums

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Marketing Your Volunteer
Experience
"The road to success is not crowded. Because while most are looking for ways
to take, the truly successful people are finding ways to give. With a giving
attitude, every situation is an opportunity for success.“ -- Unknown
Marketing Your Volunteer Experience
• Target your resume and cover letters to
specific positions or employers whenever
possible.
• List volunteer experience in your work
history, especially when there is a gap in
your employment.
– Include points of intersection
– Use the heading “Professional Experience”
instead of “Employment History”
– Ask your volunteer manager for a volunteer job
description.
• Always maintain two solid references from
volunteering.

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Resources
Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place
you are. -- Nkosi Johnson, a Zulu boy, born into dire poverty while
also being infected with AIDS, who died at the age of 12
Call to Action
• On-Line Resources
– American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/Involved/Volunteer/index
– Goodwill: http://www.goodwill.org/get-involved/volunteer/
– Non-profit Center of Milwaukee – Jobs that Serve:
http://epic.cuir.uwm.edu/entech/jobs/
– The Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee:
http://www.volunteermilwaukee.org/welcome.php
– AmericanTowns.com:
http://www.americantowns.com/wi/milwaukee-make-a-difference
– National & Community Service, Learn and Serve America:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/learnandserve.asp
– VolunteerMatch.org: http://www.volunteermatch.org
– Charity-charities.org: http://www.charity-charities.org
• Books
• Who do you know?
– Social Networking: Linked In, facebook, My Space, Yammer, etc.
– Neighbors
– Friends
– Colleagues
– Mentor

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©2009 American Cancer Society, Inc. No.0052.19
Foot Notes:
1. http://www.wcwc.org/volunteer.htm
2. http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/fileadmin/docdb/pdf/2006/Valuing_volunteering_Jan_06.pdf
3. http://www.energizeinc.com/art.html#types
Thank you.