Be a good neighbor
Get Active in Your Community

Use the Web to learn about volunteer opportunities in your area.

REVIEWED BY KELLY QUIGLEY

Volunteering Roundup:

• VolunteerMatch.org
• Idealist.org
• VolunteerSolutions.org
  
  The winners of REALTOR® Magazine’s 2005 Good Neighbor Awards prove that when you volunteer in your community, the benefits go far beyond a warm and fuzzy feeling. You make a positive impact on peoples’ lives, find an increased sense of purpose, and often build lifelong friendships. There are business benefits, too. Many volunteers have uncovered a new niche and earned greater name recognition as a result of their work. Luckily, finding a place to volunteer in your community is as easy as surfing the Web. These sites will help you find an opportunity that meets your interests and schedule:
  
• VolunteerMatch.org. Use the simple Opportunity Search to find volunteer work in your area. Enter your zip code, distance you’re willing to travel, and your interests. If you’re looking for opportunities with a specific group, use the Organization Search and enter the group’s name. If you are interested in volunteering but can’t find the time to get away, check out the Virtual Volunteering section, which showcases opportunities that don’t require you to be physically present at a specific location. That usually means using a computer, the Internet, the phone, or fax. If you already work with a nonprofit group and need volunteers, post opportunities and increase the visibility of your group by visiting the Getting Started page. This site is funded by a variety of foundations and philanthropic Supporters.
  
• Idealist.org. The home page of this organization is filled with news stories about charities and volunteer work, but deeper into the site, you’ll find excellent tools for finding volunteer work and lots of helpful tips. Find Volunteer Opportunities by completing an online form that includes your location and interests. If you’d like to create a “My Idealist” profile to receive regular e-mails with opportunities and participate in online discussions, visit the What Is My Idealist? page and enter your contact information. Finally, read tips and articles in the Learning About Volunteering section. The Web site is run by Action Without Borders, an independent nonprofit group.
  
• VolunteerSolutions.org. Run by United Way of America, this site allows you to search through nearly 33,000 opportunities at the 49,000 agencies that receive support from United Way. Do a quick search right on the Home Page or use a more detailed form to Search for an Opportunity that’s catered to your personality and experience. View a complete list of all organizations included in the database by scrolling through the Browse Agencies page.

Recommend a Web Site for Review

Editors at REALTOR® Magazine Online surf the Web to find useful sites that can help you achieve greater success in your business and career. If you would like to recommend a Web site offering free, practical tools and resources to real estate professionals, please send your suggestion to mediatech@realtors.org.
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The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and REALTOR® Magazine Online are not responsible for any Web site, its content, products and services, or its provider. Nothing in the Web Reviews shall constitute NAR's or REALTOR® Magazine Online's endorsement of the Web sites or their content. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online believe the information contained in the Web Reviews were correct and accurate as of the time they were prepared, but do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information and are not responsible for changes in the Web sites after the review. Members should conduct their own independent review of the Web sites prior to any use of the Web sites, their content, products, or services to determine their suitability for the members’ intended purposes.

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