Charities Rely On Volunteers – Another reason why volunteer work is important is that charities and nonprofit organizations rely on it. The importance of volunteers goes beyond helping those in need, as you are also helping charities and nonprofit organizations continue to carry out their crucial missions. So even if you are only volunteering a little bit of your time, you are aiding the specific charity you are working with and allowing them to provide further assistance going forward.

Without volunteers, charities would have to pay individuals in order to carry out their work, and the money to hire the number of people needed and pay them would come directly from the charity. Currently, the average value of a volunteer hour of work is $29.95, and Americans contribute around $200 billion of their time through volunteering. This illustrates the true importance of volunteers in nonprofit organizations.

If charitable organizations ended up hiring additional staff members and paying them that rate, then they would have very little money left to carry out their mission. This would take away from the funds the charity has to maximize its impact, and would reduce the assistance they are capable of providing. Many charities already operate on shoe-string budgets and have limited staff members that cover multiple roles. Volunteers provide these organizations the opportunity to get the help they require without sacrificing what they can provide to those in need.

• New Skills – Volunteering also provides you with opportunities to learn new skills. Depending on what the specific organization needs, you may find yourself doing something that you’ve never done before. Maybe you’re tasked with building furniture or fixing something, but you’re not very handy. This opportunity gives you the time and space to work on those skills. In this way, you can develop skills that you’ve never worked on or needed before, which can help you become more knowledgeable and helpful.
• Sense of Purpose – Volunteering is also beneficial because it can provide you with a sense of purpose. When you help those in need, it improves your self-esteem and allows you to feel that you’ve made a positive difference in the world. Instead of sitting on the couch, you got up and got out into the world and worked to make it better, and that makes you feel good about yourself.

So, it’s clear that volunteering benefits everyone involved, even those dedicating their time to help out. While you shouldn’t volunteer just for the benefits to yourself, if you are looking to make a difference and help others in your community, it can also have a positive impact on you personally.