{"id":6378,"date":"2026-02-06T23:45:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/cfd\/?p=6378"},"modified":"2026-02-06T23:45:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:45:26","slug":"do-a-world-of-good-volunteering-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hr.uw.edu\/cfd\/2026\/02\/06\/do-a-world-of-good-volunteering-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Do a world of good volunteering in 2026!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Volunteering is a fun way to support your favorite nonprofit organization \u2013 plus, research demonstrates that it\u2019s good for you.\u00a0<\/strong>Whether you are able to volunteer on a regular basis, or just have the occasional hour or two to spare, you can support a cause you are passionate about.<\/p>\n

Why volunteer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Volunteering is good for you.<\/strong>\u00a0In\u00a0study after study<\/a>, researchers have found that people who volunteer lead longer, healthier, happier lives. Volunteerism correlates positively to stronger self-confidence, better quality of friendships and improved job prospects.<\/p>\n

Volunteering connects you with others<\/strong>\u00a0and builds more robust social networks. Feeling lonely? Volunteer! Want to\u00a0make some new friends<\/a>? Commit to a shared activity with someone, and watch your friendship blossom. Bonus: because volunteering often helps people discover their passions, it also helps develop the ability to tell one\u2019s own story.<\/p>\n

Volunteering fosters a sense of purpose.<\/strong>\u00a0Giving your time and energy with no expectation of compensation \u2013 that is, being\u00a0altruistic<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 gives meaning to one\u2019s life. Particularly for those undergoing a life change such as retirement, empty nest or the death of a loved one, volunteering can help relieve stress, improve self-esteem and promote emotional stability.<\/p>\n

Volunteering is good for your career.<\/strong>\u00a0Volunteer experience on your resume<\/a> demonstrates to potential employers that you can take initiative, overcome challenges and learn new skills. Significantly, volunteering can grow your professional network and may even lead to your next job.<\/p>\n

Volunteering financially supports organizations.<\/strong> In Washington state, each hour you volunteer saves a nonprofit an average of $40.00 an hour.<\/p>\n

Volunteering can build teams<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Volunteering with work colleagues is a great way to bond over a shared experience. This is especially valuable in the era of hybrid work.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite things about being a volunteer coordinator for the Combined Fund Drive is having the opportunity to interact with members of our large department that I otherwise would not meet in my daily work,\u201d says Brooke Emrich, program operations specialist in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. \u201cWhether they are asking me a question about how the CFD works, participating in a fundraiser or dropping off items for a drive that I am organizing, I love meeting people and also seeing the generosity of our department.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emrich enjoys highlighting the work of nonprofits, especially the ones she is passionate about supporting, like PAWS and Solid Ground. She organized a group of departmental faculty and staff to volunteer for a 3-4 hour shift at Solid Ground\u2019s Marra Farm<\/a> as part of their annual celebration of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week.<\/p>\n

More than just a \u201ccool opportunity to spend time outside and learn a bit about growing food and farming while helping them keep the farm running,\u201d she says she\u2019s really \u201clooking forward to the opportunity to get to know some of my fellow DLMP members.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready to get working?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Below are a wide variety of local volunteer opportunities, put together in partnership with the UWCFD, that you can participate in on your own, with your family or with a group of coworkers.<\/p>\n

Get outside<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Washington Trails Association<\/a>\u00a0offers a variety of opportunities, from local one-day work parties to multi-day volunteer vacations, working to restore and maintain our state\u2019s public lands.<\/p>\n

In an effort to make all 2,500 acres of Seattle\u2019s parkland\u00a0healthy and accessible to all,\u00a0Green Seattle Partnership<\/a> offers a variety of local restoration, reforestation and work parties every week at 155 area parks.<\/p>\n

Want to plant trees?\u00a0Seattle\u2019s Tree Ambassador program<\/a>\u00a0engages volunteers in leading educational tree walks, hosting tree stewardship events and\u00a0planting trees with the Trees for Neighborhoods program.<\/p>\n

Shark Garden<\/a>: Located in White Center, this garden provides learning opportunities for students in the Highline School District and provided more that 2,500 pounds of food to the White Center Food Bank annually. Volunteer to help with garden maintenance, harvesting food for the food bank, construction projects, teaching classes, and more.<\/p>\n

Outdoors For All<\/a>\u00a0is a national leader in delivering adaptive and therapeutic recreation for children and adults with disabilities. Programming includes snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, youth and adult day camps, yoga and weekend excursions.<\/p>\n

City Fruit<\/a>\u00a0volunteers give their time in many ways to help support the mission of promoting the cultivation of urban fruit in order to nourish people, prevent food waste, and build community. Group and individual volunteer opportunities are available. Volunteer shifts are often on a Saturday for 2-4 hours and include training. volunteer<\/p>\n

Puget SoundKeeper Alliance<\/a>\u00a0has weekly kayak cleanup patrols on Wednesdays from 11 am \u2013 1 pm on Lake Union.<\/p>\n

For animal lovers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Seattle Humane<\/a>,\u00a0PAWS<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Homeward Pet<\/a>\u00a0are great organizations that offer plenty of\u00a0in-shelter\u00a0volunteer opportunities\u00a0such as clinic assistants and\u00a0animal socializers.\u00a0Seattle Animal Shelter<\/a>\u00a0particularly\u00a0needs foster\u00a0homes\u00a0for dogs,\u00a0cats\u00a0and critters.<\/p>\n

Seattle Veterinary Outreach<\/a>, which provides free care for\u00a0the pets of homeless people, has\u00a0immediate\u00a0need of\u00a0medical staff and clinic support staff.<\/p>\n

Want to be a puppy sitter<\/a>?\u00a0Summit Assistance Dogs\u2019 single greatest volunteer need is for loving\u00a0and devoted foster homes and sitter for their puppies and adolescent dogs training to become service pets.<\/p>\n

Pasado\u2019s\u00a0Safe Haven<\/a>\u00a0needs volunteers for a variety of roles, including\u00a0collecting and\u00a0distributing\u00a0donations at their pet food bank.<\/p>\n

Little Bit Therapeutic Riding<\/a>: Take care of the horses used for the therapeutic riding by grooming and tacking horses before class, supporting riders while in class, leading horses, and putting away horses after class. We encourage a weekly placement and ask for a commitment of at least six months.<\/p>\n

Pet Partners<\/a>\u00a0is always looking for\u00a0 people to register with their animal to become a therapy animal team and volunteer within your community visiting people in need at hospitals, retirement centers, schools, libraries, etc. Pet Partners registers dogs, cats, equine, llamas and alpacas, pigs, birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, and rats as therapy animals.<\/p>\n

Have an adorable animal? Nominate them to become\u00a0Pet Partners Pet of the Year<\/a>! Your pet doesn\u2019t need to be a registered therapy animal to \u201cvolunteer\u201d and fundraise.<\/p>\n

Use your skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Create fun DIY displays at a local\u00a0Habitat for Humanity<\/a>\u00a0store \u2013\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not all hammers and nails.\u00a0Want to build?\u00a0Project sites are now accepting volunteers\u00a0in Delridge and\u00a0South Park for individuals and groups.<\/p>\n

Cookies baked with love<\/a>\u00a0is a\u00a0program for volunteers to bake cookies\u00a0at their home\u00a0for\u00a0Recovery Caf\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0members attending a monthly resource connection\u00a0day\u00a0at the new South Lake Union caf\u00e9.\u00a0This monthly event offers a variety of other opportunities as well.<\/p>\n

Bake bread\u00a0at home for\u00a0Community Loaves<\/a>, a grassroots community bread brigade supporting local food banks\u00a0with fresh and nutritious home-baked bread.<\/p>\n

Do you enjoy cooking? Use your skills to provide healthy, delicious dinner for young people in need at\u00a0YouthCare<\/a>. Cook at home and drop off the food so youth can get the nutrition they need before they go to work or school the next day. This can be a one-time opportunity, or you can deliver food on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Seattle World School<\/a>\u00a0is looking for volunteers to tutor immigrant and refugee students during and after school. Students range from K-12 and subjects tutored include English, math, science, social studies, etc. SWS also needs volunteer field trip chaperones and gym and sports safety assistants.<\/p>\n

Seattle Recreative<\/a>\u00a0collects donations of used materials that can be used for crafting and art that would otherwise end up in a landfill from local businesses and individuals to redistribute to our community through a retail store and classes. Volunteers help sorted donated crafting supplies, prep supplies for classes, and other projects needed that day.<\/p>\n

Bike Works<\/a>\u00a0needs volunteers to refurbish donated bicycles by fixing flat tires, replacing broken parts and fine-tuning components like brakes, gears and bearing systems. A staff member will help you choose a project that matches your skill level. We work with all levels of experience!<\/p>\n

Seattle\/King County Clinic<\/a>\u00a0brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, non-profits, private businesses and volunteers from across the State of Washington to produce a giant free health clinic at Seattle Center. Volunteers are needed April 23 – 26, 2026 for a variety of roles.<\/p>\n

Volunteer from home<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Amn\"\"esty International\u2019s\u00a0Amnesty Decoders network of digital volunteers<\/a>\u00a0helps conduct research into global human rights violations.<\/p>\n

Help make\u00a0the\u00a0Smithsonian Institution\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0collections more accessible by volunteering online to transcribe historical documents or edit Wikipedia articles related to their artifacts and research.<\/p>\n

For those fluent in more than one language,\u00a0Translators Without Borders<\/a>\u00a0combines language skills with humanitarian aid. Volunteers provide translations (10 million words a year!) to international organizations that focus on crisis relief,\u00a0health\u00a0and education.<\/p>\n

Neighborhood House<\/a>\u00a0needs volunteers to record themselves\u00a0reading children\u2019s stories<\/a>, physical and voice actors for home visit practice scenarios, and bilingual translators for program fliers. High-needs languages include Arabic, Farsi, Tigrinya, Oromo, Amharic, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.<\/p>\n

Human services<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Family Law CASA of King County<\/a>\u00a0needs\u00a0volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates\u00a0(CASAs) for children in court during custody situations. Training is provided.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ElderFriends<\/a>\u00a0program\u00a0connects volunteers with isolated\u00a0adults\u00a0for\u00a0regular one-on-one visits\u00a0(currently by phone) in Puget Sound.<\/p>\n

ROOTS Young Adult Shelter<\/a>\u00a0relies on\u00a0volunteers\u00a0to\u00a0set up and clean up shelter areas, prepare and serve meals, hand out supplies, build positive relationships with guests,\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n

Food Lifeline<\/a>\u00a0offers teams, families and individuals 2.5 hour windows to help repackage food for delivery to more than 275 food banks, shelters and meal programs. There are a variety of opportunities for food resource-related volunteering at Northwest Harvest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WestSide Baby<\/a>: lend a hand in the warehouse and help sort donations of gently used children\u2019s items and prepare them for distribution to local social service agencies that support families in need.<\/p>\n

Path With Art<\/a>\u00a0provides art classes and a caring community to adults who have experienced trauma. Volunteer to support class teachers and provide a supportive and welcoming presence, connect with and assist participants, take photographs, take attendance, and generally model good behavior.<\/p>\n

Chicken Soup Brigade<\/a>\u00a0needs volunteer drivers to deliver groceries and fresh meals to clients throughout King and Snohomish counties.<\/p>\n

Phinney Neighborhood Association\u2019s Hot Meals Program<\/a>\u00a0volunteers\u00a0help by picking up food donations, hosting food drives\u00a0and preparing, cooking,\u00a0serving\u00a0and cleaning\u00a0up weekly meals.<\/p>\n

Need more ideas?<\/strong><\/h2>\n