Volunteering is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Whether you are helping people in your own neighborhood or making an impact halfway across the globe, serving has a profound and lasting effect on your own life, and the lives you touch.

But what if you don't have the time or resources to volunteer in person? Virtual volunteer opportunities allow you to make a difference from anywhere - your own home, office, or even while you're traveling. It's also a great way to develop your skills, make connections around the world, or even gain experience in a field you may be interested in pursuing.

We have scoured the internet and accumulated 12 great virtual volunteering opportunities. Most you can even do right from your phone. We distinguished the time commitment and skills required for each opportunity so that you can easily decide which ones will be best for you!

 

1. Send a card to a child with cancer

Time Commitment: Low

Skills: Writing & connecting with kids

Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

You can send an encouraging and beautiful digital note to a struggling child at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

 

 

 

2. Take a quiz to combat world hunger

Time Commitment: Low

Skills: Reading and learning

Source: Hunger Notes

If you take a quiz, Hunger Notes makes a donation on your behalf to help end world hunger. You simply read a short article and answer a few questions. This is a very eye-opening and educational experience. 

 

 

 

3. Re-share a local non-profit's social media post 

Time Commitment: Low

Skills: Social media presence

Increase the reach of your favorite non-profit by re-sharing their social media posts with your followers too. 

 

 

 

4. Do conservation work from your phone

Time Commitment: Medium

Skills: Identifying animals

Source: Instant Wild

Watch live videos here and tag animals you see- your involvement will contribute to conservation, and you will also get a window into some of the world's wildest places.

 

 

 

5. Offer visual assistance to blind and low-vision individuals

Time Commitment: High

Skills: Reading and communication

Source: Be My Eyes

Connects with people who are visually impaired via video call so you can assist them with reading their food labels, identifying colors, etc. 

 

 

 

6. Sew a pillowcase

Time Commitment: High

Skills: Sewing

Source: Enchanted Makeovers

Enchanted Makeovers is an organization that transforms the environment of women's shelters. Their mission is to inspire and empower women and children who are rebuilding their lives in shelters. You can get involved today by sewing pillowcases for their cause.

 

 

 

7. Help the Smithsonian Musem

Time Commitment: Medium

Skills: Reading & writing, mystery solving, organization

Source: Smithsonian

The Smithsonian has several opportunites for people who believe in their mission to make significant contributions online:

• Transcribe historic documents including diaries and working papers of prominent Americans.
• Help conduct sleuthing in order to identify gardens across America.
• Track changes across fouling communities and look for new occurrences of invasive species. 
• Assist in contributing content to Wikipedia related to collections and areas of expertise. 

 

 

 

8. Expose human rights violations with Amnesty Decoders

Time Commitment: Medium

Skills: Technology

Source: Amnesty Decoders

Sift through pictures, information, and documents to research global human rights violations. Volunteers have used their phones to verify the locations of oil spills, track drone strikes, and more. Right now they are decoding surveillance in NYC. 

 

 

 

9. Provide language support to local and global organizations

Time Commitment: High

Skills: Must be bilingual

Source: Translators Without Borders

Help bridge communication gaps and make information accessible, inclusive, and useful to people who need that information in their language. 

 

 

 

10. Become a crisis counselor

Time Commitment: High

Skills: Communication and empathy

Source: Crisis Text Line

Answer texts from people in crisis, bringing them from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening, problem-solving, and safety planning.

 

 

11. Take part in cutting-edge research across the sciences, humanities, and more.

Time Commitment: Medium

Skills: Research

Source: Zooniverse

Conduct research and contribute to real discoveries. Help save burrowing owls, communicate with whales, interpret the stars, and more. 

 

 

 

12. Contribute to the largest digital library

Time Commitment: Medium

Skills: Reading, writing, and proofing

Source: Project Gutenberg

You can volunteer by donating eligible materials to Project Gutenberg, transcribing books into digital forms, and proofreading work.