20 websites for finding volunteer opportunities in 2026

The internet makes it genuinely easy to find volunteer work that fits your life, whether that’s helping at a local animal shelter or joining a project on the other side of the world. The sites below cover a wide range of causes, locations, and commitment levels, with something for students, retirees, families, professionals, and everyone in between. This list is written for readers in Australia. Australian directories come first; international volunteer-abroad boards sit in the middle; US-headquartered platforms are labelled so you can skip them when they have no local coverage.

How to find volunteer opportunities online

Before you start submitting applications, read through opportunity descriptions carefully. It’s tempting to apply the moment something catches your eye, but understanding what an organisation is actually looking for will save you time and help you focus on roles that fit your roster and interests.

When you’re ready to apply, treat it like a conversation rather than a formal submission. Organisations want to get a sense of who you are. Share honest thoughts and real experiences. They’re looking for people who genuinely care about their cause.

20 websites for finding volunteer opportunities

1. GoVolunteer

GoVolunteer is the national volunteer opportunity directory, an initiative of Volunteering Australia. You can browse by location, cause, and skill. Listings come from volunteer-involving organisations and state volunteer resource centres. If you’re based in Australia, this is the place to start.

2. Seek Volunteer

Seek Volunteer is the SEEK-branded companion board, drawing from the same national database. Search by cause, location, and time commitment. Use it alongside GoVolunteer rather than instead of it.

3. State and territory volunteering peak bodies

Most Australian states and territories have a volunteering peak body with its own opportunity listings, often stronger for neighbourhood roles than a national search. Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering Queensland, The Centre for Volunteering (NSW), and Volunteering WA are the ones named most often; other jurisdictions have equivalents. Volunteering Australia is the national peak and leads National Volunteer Week every May.

4. International Volunteer HQ

International Volunteer HQ connects people with opportunities abroad across 40 countries. Project areas include sea turtle and marine conservation, teaching, arts and music, sports, and women’s empowerment, with destinations spanning Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific.

5. Globe Aware

Globe Aware helps travellers make a meaningful contribution in destinations like Thailand, Costa Rica, and Peru. They offer programs tailored for families, retirees, solo travellers, and university groups, combining travel with volunteer work.

6. Global Volunteers

Global Volunteers offers one-to-three week programs for students, families, individuals, professionals, and retirees. Projects include teaching English, supporting women’s craft cooperatives, improving computer literacy, and nutrition education, with destinations ranging from Cuba to China.

7. GozAround

GozAround lets volunteers set up a profile that reflects their skills, interests, roster, and location. The platform adds a light gamification element, letting you set hour goals and track your progress. It’s headquartered in Canada and active in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check whether your town actually has listings before treating it as an Australian default.

8. Idealist (including VolunteerMatch)

Idealist and VolunteerMatch merged in January 2025; the two sites became one platform on Idealist.org in September 2025. The volunteermatch.org URL still works as an entry point. The combined board is one of the largest US-leaning places to find volunteer roles, internships, and charity jobs. Useful if you’re looking internationally or at US-based remote roles. Don’t lead with it for a local Australian search — start with GoVolunteer.

9. Catchafire

Catchafire matches professional skills with organisations that need them. Accounting, branding, engineering, web design, marketing, writing, and social media are all in demand. Most opportunities are remote. It is a US skills-based network, not the Australian default. For skilled roles here, start with GoVolunteer, Seek Volunteer, LinkedIn, and your state volunteer resource centre.

10. JustServe

JustServe helps people find volunteer opportunities close to where they live. You can search by project or organisation. The site also features past success stories. It is US-origin; search your postcode before assuming there is local coverage.

11. DoSomething

DoSomething.org focuses on engaging young people and helping them take action on causes they care about. It covers social issues including environmental sustainability, social justice, mental health, and education. The campaigns use creative approaches that make volunteering feel accessible for younger people. US-leaning; useful for campaign-style actions rather than a local op-shop roster.

12. Point

The Point App lists volunteer opportunities across a range of causes. Coverage is the US and Ukraine only, with 501(c)(3) verification. It is not an Australian directory. Skip it unless you are actually looking in those countries.

13. GivePulse

GivePulse helps both volunteers and organisations find what they’re looking for. Organisations can list volunteer calls with location, dates, and role details. Volunteers can track their hours on the platform, which organisations can then verify. US-leaning; not a substitute for GoVolunteer.

14. Taproot Foundation

Taproot Foundation focuses on matching skilled professionals with organisations that need specific help. Social media strategy, employee handbook development, business planning, and technology assessments are commonly requested. US-based. For Australian skills-based roles, use GoVolunteer, Seek Volunteer, and professional networks rather than Taproot as the default.

15. Points of Light Engage

Points of Light Engage is the volunteer opportunity database run by Points of Light. It absorbed and replaced the older All for Good platform. US-based. For Australian recognition weeks, National Volunteer Week in May (led by Volunteering Australia) is the familiar domestic campaign, distinct from US National Volunteer Week in April.

16. Volunteer.gov

Volunteer.gov is for people in the US who want nature, conservation, and animal-protection roles with federal land agencies. Search by state, project, or date. Not an Australian option. Conservation volunteering here sits with Landcare, Bushcare, and state national parks, usually listed on GoVolunteer or the organisation’s own site.

17. Create the Good by AARP

Create the Good is the volunteer database run by AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons). US-only. In Australia, retired and older volunteers typically start with GoVolunteer, Seek Volunteer, or a state volunteering peak body.

18. United Way

United Way is a long-running US community network with a volunteer search tool. For Australian local matching, GoVolunteer, Seek Volunteer, or your state volunteering peak is the closer starting point. Don’t treat the US United Way board as the Australian default.

19. AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is a US national service program. There is no Australian scheme of that name. Don’t treat it as a local volunteering route. For finding Australian opportunities, stay with GoVolunteer, Seek Volunteer, and your state volunteering peak body.

20. Doit.life

Doit.life, formerly Do-it.org, is the UK’s public volunteering database. You can browse by cause, location, skill, or time commitment. If you’re looking in Britain, this is the most comprehensive starting point. Limited relevance for an Australian local search.

Volunteer platforms outside Australia

If you’re looking beyond Australia, the platforms above will sometimes work but often won’t have much local coverage. The options below are more useful starting points by country.

United Kingdom

Doit.life is the largest UK volunteering database (also listed at #20 above). For skills-based and trustee opportunities, Reach Volunteering connects professionals with charities that need expertise in marketing, finance, governance, technology, and similar areas. Volunteering Matters runs national programs for individuals and corporate volunteers across community, health, and youth projects.

Canada

CharityVillage is a long-running Canadian platform with volunteer roles alongside paid charity jobs. Volunteer Connector brings together listings from local volunteer centres across the country, and Volunteer Canada is the national umbrella organisation with regional links and resources.

Ireland

Volunteer Ireland runs the I-VOL database, the national volunteering register for Ireland, with opportunities across the country and a network of local volunteer centres in each county.

New Zealand

Volunteering New Zealand is the national peak body, and the Seek Volunteer platform also covers Aotearoa New Zealand alongside Australia. Most regional Volunteer Centres maintain their own local listings as well.

Finding the right volunteer opportunity for you

The best volunteer opportunity is one that fits your roster, plays to your strengths, and connects you with a cause you actually care about. Start by browsing a few of these sites with those filters in mind. And don’t be afraid to get in touch with organisations directly if something looks like a good match but doesn’t quite fit the listed role.

If you’re a volunteer manager looking to upgrade your program, take a look at our list of volunteer management software. Zelos is a task and shift signup app with built-in messaging. Volunteers claim open roles from a board rather than emailing you for a slot, and the conversation stays on the shift. Start at the volunteer management app page.