One way to help a cause that is dear to your heart is to volunteer. Nonprofit organizations usually need volunteers to help them carry out the mission of their organization. There are many places to find volunteer opportunities. You can check the websites of your favorite charities or you look on volunteer comprehensive websites like VolunteerMatch and Idealist to find local and virtual volunteer opportunities.

Below are 5 ways volunteering contributes to your cause.

1) Save the organization money

By providing your service free of charge, you help save an organization money. This is money that could be spent on mission critical areas that cannot be exchanged for free service.

2) Able to be on the front lines of helping the cause

Depending on the cause, you have the opportunity to work directly with the population you want to help. You get first hand experience on what’s negatively affecting them and explore tangible solutions. This is probably one of the best results of volunteering. If you have the skills necessary to meet the needs, you can make a tremendous direct impact. When a dire situation presents itself, you may have an idea of how to solve it.  As a volunteer, you may be in the position to implement that idea and actually solve a problem. Though it may not be on a large scale, it will definitely make an impact.

3) Learn from training and experience how to better help your cause

Volunteering is on the job training. Many organizations provide orientation and training opportunities for their volunteers. So volunteers know how to engage with the organization’s population appropriately. Volunteers gain knowledge of local resources available to solve community needs as you are working on helping your cause. Some volunteers actually land jobs either where they volunteer or the training from volunteering equipped them for a job somewhere else.

4) Help fulfill the mission of the organization

Volunteering is mission critical. Nonprofits rely on the support provided by volunteers to fulfill their mission. Look on any charitable nonprofit website and you will usually find a request for volunteers. As a volunteer you are making an impact on the cause that is dear to your heart. Many organizations would not be able to carry out the work of their cause without volunteers. In fact, some organizations are completely volunteer operated – this includes some of the lead positions. Volunteering is extremely important to organizations. So when you sign up, know that the organization is counting on you to show up. It is mission critical.

5) Build a network of like-hearted people

You have the opportunity to meet with other people who care about the same issues you do. Together, using your various skills and talents, you can develop more ways to increase your impact on the effected community. This is a great way to make new friends and build both your personal and possibly your professional network. Working with other people who care about a similar issue as you do, you can brainstorm on ways to better help your cause.

Click here for an encouraging story about volunteering.