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 the UK. UK 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 rota 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. Doit Life

Doit Life, formerly Do-it.org, is the UK’s public volunteering database. The vendor’s own page describes it as the UK’s biggest database of volunteer opportunities and says it has helped over 1 million people find a way to volunteer. You can browse by cause, location, skill, or time commitment, and listings range from local one-off events to ongoing roles with national charities. If you’re based in the UK, this is the most comprehensive starting point. Listing is free for charities.

2. Reach Volunteering

Reach Volunteering is the UK skills-based volunteering charity. It matches professionals with charities that need expertise in marketing, finance, governance, technology, and similar areas, including trustee roles. Self-service volunteer recruitment is free; volunteers typically need three years’ professional experience in a listed skills area. Use this instead of US skills networks such as Catchafire or Taproot.

3. Volunteering Matters

Volunteering Matters (formerly Community Service Volunteers) runs national programmes for individuals and corporate volunteers across community, health, and youth projects. Registered as a charity in England and Wales and in Scotland. A useful next stop when you want a structured programme rather than a one-off listing.

4. Local volunteer centres (via NAVCA)

Your nearest volunteer centre or Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is often the fastest local match. NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) points people looking for support to a local member. NCVO remains the UK membership body for charities; it no longer hosts a standalone volunteer-centre finder URL, so start with NAVCA rather than an old NCVO path.

5. 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.

6. Globe Aware

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

7. Global Volunteers

Global Volunteers offers one-to-three week programmes 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.

8. GozAround

GozAround lets volunteers set up a profile that reflects their skills, interests, schedule, 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 400+ cities worldwide. Check whether your town actually has listings before treating it as a UK default.

9. 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 UK search — start with Doit Life.

10. 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 US-leaning. For UK skills-based and trustee roles, use Reach Volunteering instead.

11. 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.

12. 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 charity-shop rota.

13. 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 a UK directory. Skip it unless you are actually looking in those countries.

14. 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 Doit Life.

15. 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. UK equivalent: Reach Volunteering.

16. 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 UK recognition weeks, Volunteers’ Week (1–7 June) is the familiar domestic campaign, distinct from US National Volunteer Week in April.

17. 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 a UK option. UK conservation volunteering sits with the Wildlife Trusts, National Trust, and RSPB, usually listed on Doit Life or the organisation’s own site.

18. Create the Good by AARP

Create the Good is the volunteer database run by AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons). US-only. In the UK, retired and older volunteers typically start with Doit Life, a local volunteer centre, or organisations such as Age UK.

19. United Way

United Way is a long-running US community network with a volunteer search tool. For UK local matching, a volunteer centre or CVS via NAVCA is the closer equivalent. Don’t treat United Way as the UK default.

20. AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps is a US national service programme. There is no UK scheme of that name. Don’t treat it as a local volunteering route. For finding UK opportunities, stay with Doit Life, Reach, Volunteering Matters, and your local volunteer centre.

Volunteer platforms outside the UK

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

Australia

GoVolunteer is the national database run by Volunteering Australia, listing opportunities by location, cause, and skill. Seek Volunteer offers another searchable database with similar coverage. Most Australian state and territory volunteering peak bodies (Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering Queensland, and so on) also maintain their own opportunity listings.

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 rota, 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 programme, 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.