Understanding How Volunteerism Works

Today, volunteerism is seen as a thing to engage in. It has in many ways helped expand the horizon of many and served as a platform of an internship, where they are able to hone their leadership and other soft skills. Every day, we find more people eagerly willing to join the social development space but many still join not getting the basic understanding of how volunteerism works.

Here are some of the common mistakes people make when they join nonprofit organizations:

i. They see it as a place to make money

ii. They find NGOs as a place to get a scholarship and other international opportunities

iii. Some believe volunteerism will make them popular

As much as volunteering will help you with one or all of these, the core of volunteerism is not found on any of them. Volunteerism is the act to selflessly offer service without having any form of direct or indirect reward. Volunteerism should be based on:

i. Building a power network

ii. Working towards making the lives of others better

iii. Finding a platform to stand up for what you believe is right

iv. Networking and making lifelong meaningful connections

When you are able to embrace the core tenets of volunteerism, you find volunteering more enjoyable and fulfilling. Also, you find it easy to build a personal/professional brand for yourself. Rather than volunteer for what you stand to gain, decide to volunteer for what value you can add unto others.