Volunteering properly

In Chapter 3 volunteering is listed as one of the twelve important niche’ topics. Assuming volunteer writers, well volunteer — Jade Keller of the Matador Network advices the aspiring volunteer on how to be a helper any NGO wants. First, Keller breaks a few assumptions. Take a look at an excerpt of her article,

I’ll start by dispelling the myth that nonprofits should bend over backwards in gratitude for your offered time. Most people, for valid reasons like they need money to eat, cannot afford to donate much of their time. So they can only put in a few hours a month, or, if they want to work in developing regions like South East Asia, Africa, or Latin America, they will come out for a few weeks or a few months, ready to go pedal to the metal…and then leave.

There are some organizations that have short-term volunteering programs, but they are few and far between. Consider this from an organization’s perspective: What business do you know would accept an untrained employee who comes and goes as he pleases?