Micro-volunteering is small, quick, low commitment actions that benefit a good cause. It might be a task that one person completes from start to finish, or it might be broken down into small parts, where an individual is just one of many people performing the same task to achieve the end result.
10 seconds to 30 minutes is all you need to help!
Micro-volunteering opportunities are:
- Convenient - It's volunteering that fits into your schedule when you have time - usually, but not always, completed online. In practice, to achieve this level of convenience, there is often no training or lengthy recruitment process.
- Bite-sized - Volunteer tasks are broken into small(ish) pieces, so that you can complete a task in the time that you have available.
If you have a micro-volunteering opportunity we can promote it on our website and also on our Facebook page. Please contact us if you need support in identifying microvolunteering opportunities for your organisation.
Micro-volunteering opportunities might include:
- Produce leaflets
- Designing logos
- Setting up Facebook / Twitter accounts
- Managing website content
- Filing / archiving / odd jobs (office-based micro-volunteering opportunities)
- Share a post on social media to raise awareness or ask for donations.
- Sign a petition.
- Donate supplies or collect donations.
- Fill out a survey.
- Translate a document.
- Donate your skills, such as graphic design.
- Tend a community garden or litter pick.
In order to set up and be successful in recruiting volunteers for micro-volunteering opportunities, organisations should try to follow the steps below.
- Plan – what it is, who will manage process
- Advertise – various websites, Volunteer Centre Salford
- Recruit / Manage - volunteer enquiries
- Feedback - to those offered their services
- Recognition – letter of thanks, references (more volunteer recognition ideas here)
If you have a micro-volunteering opportunity within your organisation, that you would like us to advertise for you, then please contact us (0161 787 7795 or volunteer@default).
Useful resources:
- Skills for Change - operates worldwide with lots of the micro-volunteering opportunities that benefit organisations within the USA
- NCVO - have further guidance regarding micro-volunteering