Socially Responsible Volunteering
While volunteering our time and resources seems like an inherently good thing to do, sometimes our efforts can have unintended consequences. For example, a clothing drive intended to benefit populations overseas may burden the region’s local economy, hindering local merchants’ abilities to sell their goods for a living. This is not to scare you into thinking that all service opportunities have a hidden dark side, the vast majority do not! Nonetheless, it is always important to consider the impact of any volunteer project you are planning. We’ve compiled a few simple tips below to help ensure social responsibility in your service.
Think before you act – the simple adage is a powerful force. Before partaking in any volunteer service, strive to answer these questions?
Who will this service benefit?
Could be an individual, organization, or a specific population.
What are the possible consequences and impact of the service?
These could be good or bad, despite the best intentions.
When is the most appropriate time to provide this service?
Maybe your efforts in providing balance screenings at the local care facility could be better coordinated with the activities of its residents.
Where will the benefits of your service be recognized?
This is especially important in fundraising and goods donation campaigns.
Why have you chosen this service activity?
While volunteering can be fun and make us feel great, never forget to think deeply about the value of your project.
Consider your project’s feasibility - Based on current circumstances, there are ample opportunities for innovation and novel ways to keep safety in the forefront of your project.
Perform a “needs assessment” – This is a common practice in public health initiatives, and while you may not need a formal assessment for your PT Day of Service, this can be a useful way to find out what the community you want to help needs. A needs assessment compares where a community is to where they want to be, revealing what services may be needed to fill in the gap. Some easy ways to assess your community’s needs include: talking with local officials (city council, park board, etc.), visiting the facility you’d like to volunteer at, researching disparities in your area (a lot of information can be found online), and simply getting out and talking to community members!
Dig before you donate – There are a lot of fantastic charities raising money and resources for noble causes. Here is a great article about choosing charities. Charity Navigator is an easy to use online tool that provides independent assessments of thousands of charities.
Enlist local help – Finding ways to involve the community not just as recipients of your service, but as active participants in the planning and execution of your activities, empowers them with knowledge and skills for independent success in the future.
Always think long-term – Maybe cleaning up that trail will encourage more people to get outside and be active, leading to a healthier population and a lesser utilization of medical resources. Or does your project, while well intended, conflict with goals of other local organizations, thereby delaying progress? It’s easy to focus on the immediate benefits of a service activity, but always consider what you want the lasting effects of your efforts to be.
If you have any questions while planning your service initiative or need some help getting started, our Sustainability, Responsibility, and Support team is here to help! Just send an email to support@ptdayofservice.com and one of our team members will be happy to assist you.
Thank you for your commitment to making the world a better place through sustainable and responsible service!
Community ~ Collaboration ~ Compassion
