JVN Blog

Volunteering is part of daily life. It appeals to all ages, genders, ethnicities and religious groups. There are many reasons why we take our time out to participate. For students and graduates, it’s part of building our CV into a tree of success. It appeals to those who have retired and want to spend their free time doing something rewarding. Volunteering is also appealing to stay-at-home parents who may have the time to fundraise, complete some admin work or host a coffee morning. It’s a way of taking advantage of our current skills and building new ones. And it’s about giving back to the community. Volunteer work has gone through multiple transformations, in keeping with an ever-evolving society. But a new type of volunteering, only a few years old, has become a massive phenomenon.

Microvolunteering Day, currently in its 3^rd year, is a type of volunteering where volunteers complete tasks over the internet to benefit non-profit organisations. Micro-volunteering Day is a superb way of encouraging people of all ages, particularly the younger generation with their savvy technological intellectualism, to use their computers, laptops and mobile phones to help charities. An idea originally set-up by promoter Help from Home (where its popular causes revolve around poverty, research and environmentalism), it has four key aims:

1. To inspire organisations to embrace the concept of Microvolunteering;
2. To engage people in microvolunteering tasks;
3. To engage microvolunteers in discussions;
4. To encourage people to share photos and stories about micro-volunteering.

With its universal appeal, its popularity has made a lasting impact globally, from the USA and Brazil to Germany and Australia. Worldwide organisations based in other locations such as Costa Rica and Kenya have promoted Microvolunteering Day this year. The 2015 event was their biggest yet, where we noticed the topic trending on Twitter, UN volunteers discussing microvolunteering events and the world’s southernmost school taking part.

Microvolunteering is perhaps the most diverse form of volunteering due to its technological advantages. If you follow this link you will see a variety of activities, suiting all needs and skills. They are separated into different categories:

1. Play games and learn – for example, play Science at Home, an activity where you can learn about physics and build future computer quantum;
2. Donate your brain – for example, access Mark2cure, to help contribute to biomedical literature to improve the speed of research on diseases;
3. Smartphone volunteering – for example, access Fireballs in the Sky and gain knowledge of the origins of the solar system;
4. Citizens science – for example, access SENSR, an app directory to help grass-root projects;
5. Offline action – for example, access Chemo Angels to help cancer patients through their enduring treatment.

What makes microvolunteering even more appealing is its laid-back commitment style. You could spend 10, 20 or 30 minutes every day, either at home, whilst travelling, or even on holiday. You are certainly spoilt for choice with over 800 opportunities available at the touch of a button.

Microvolunteering has become an innovative strategy for charities to promote their activities and events. It makes volunteering fun and educational; it enhances your skills and helps you to develop new ones. Be part of this wonderful event on April 15^th. For more information about micro-volunteering, click here. For further volunteering opportunities through JVN all year round click here for the usual place.