Skills-based volunteering on Catchafire 

Skills-based volunteering (SBV) is a type of volunteering where individuals use their professional skills, expertise, and experience to support nonprofit organizations. Unlike traditional volunteering, which may involve tasks like event setup or general assistance, SBV focuses on specific skills such as marketing, IT, finance, legal, or strategic planning, allowing volunteers to contribute in areas where they have specialized knowledge.

Skills-based volunteering offers numerous benefits for both the volunteer and the organization. For volunteers, it provides an opportunity to apply their professional skills in a new context, develop new competencies, and gain experience in different sectors. It can also be a rewarding way to give back to the community and make a meaningful impact. For organizations, skills-based volunteering provides access to specialized expertise that they might not otherwise afford, helping them improve operations, solve specific challenges, and advance their missions more effectively.

Projects range in length, and the time commitments stated on project pages are meant to be read as averages. You know yourself better than we do, and it's very possible you're able to complete projects faster than what is stated in the project description!

Tip: Our skills-based volunteer program offers 1-hour phone calls where you only commit to spending one hour on the phone with a nonprofit to discuss a particular question or challenge they have. We also have Quick Advise–all you need to do is take 15 minutes to answer a written question by a nonprofit. These are open to all volunteers and are a great starting point!

Skills-based volunteering can include a variety of activities, such as developing a marketing strategy, designing promotional materials, or managing social media campaigns for marketing and communications. It can also involve building or updating a website, setting up a donor database, or improving cybersecurity measures. Legal services might include providing legal advice, drafting contracts, or assisting with compliance issues. Financial consulting can encompass offering budgeting advice, conducting financial audits, or helping with grant writing. Additionally, strategic planning might involve facilitating planning sessions, conducting market research, or advising on organizational growth. These examples illustrate how volunteers can leverage their professional skills to significantly impact nonprofit organizations.

Of course! Many marketing and design volunteers include completed projects in their creative portfolio or their resumes. Learn more about project deliverable ownership here.

Yes! As long as you meet the prerequisites and/or other experience necessary for the project you're applying to, there's no need for specific expertise in the nonprofit sector.