Are you looking for a way to help your community live well? Volunteer your time and talents to help all San Diegans be healthy, safe and thriving.

Volunteer Opportunities

San Diego County Region

• American Heart Association - Advocate, teach, walk, host, and learn!
• American Red Cross - San Diego/Imperial Valley - Daily, weekly, monthly volunteer opportunities for adults and teens
• Arc of San Diego - Volunteer to empower individuals and support them as they achieve their life goals.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County - Become a "Big" and get matched with a youth in San Diego County to mentor them!
• Braille Institute - Range from short-term to long-term assignments in education, communications, technology, research and administrative work.
• City of San Diego - Volunteer opportunities with the City of San Diego departments
• County of San Diego - Discover volunteer opportunities in your area of interest with the County of San Diego
• Del Mar Community Connections - Drivers, bus hosts, community outreach, administrative work, teach a class or join a committee.
• ElderHelp of San Diego - Individual opportunities to become volunteer drivers, pantry deliverers, grocery shoppers, friendly visitors, home safety volunteers, and more.
• Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation - Opportunities open for general/non-medical volunteers.
• Escondido Education Compact - Volunteer or internship opportunities available.
• Episcopal Community Services - Administrative support help for ECS offices, contact Deann at drios@ecscalifornia.org or 619-228-2840 to learn more.
• Equation Collaborative - Volunteer for the +BOX program to support children and families with fresh, healthy food.
• Father Joe's Villages - Volunteers will assist in different programs catering to a variety of interests and skills.
• Feeding San Diego - Individual and group volunteer opportunities in food distribution, produce sorting and packing, and more.
• George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers - Offering opportunities to volunteer in residential care communities and skilled nursing facilities throughout San Diego.
• Girls Rising San Diego - Become a mentor for girls ages 8-17 and provide support for their goals.
• HandsOn San Diego - Volunteer project calendar; Team Leader training and placement
• I Love a Clean SD - Volunteer opportunities centering around community cleanup events.
• Jewish Family Service -Volunteer to deliver meals, keep older adults company, or help refugees feel more at home.
• Junior Achievement of San Diego County - Opportunities to volunteer in schools, teaching lessons about business to kids.
• Just in Time for Foster Youth - Volunteer with foster youth through mentorships, event support, workshop facilitation, and advocacy.
• Living Coast Discovery Center - Volunteer for various exhibits, community programs, animal care, and special events!
• Mama's Kitchen - Volunteer with meal delivery, kitchen and staging, and phone/office support.
• Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center - Volunteer opportunities for those interested in environmental education and community engagement!
• One Safe Place - Volunteer to organize donations, greet clients, or read stories to children.
• Path - Group and individual volunteer opportunities to help those experiencing homelessness.
• Produce Good - Volunteers work to alleviate hunger and waste for San Diegans.
• Project New Village - On the third Saturday of the month join Project New Village from 9-11am for their Community Work Day at Mt Hope Community Garden.
• Retired & Senior Volunteer Program - Volunteer opportunities for older adults
• Safe Harbor Coronado - Volunteer for different projects and services.
• San Diego Blood Bank - Volunteer to be a greeter, donor center host, or other special projects.
• San Diego Food Bank - Volunteer for various projects to help San Diegans facing food insecurity.
• San Diego LGBT Community Center - Support the LGBT Center with creating a safe space for the community through different projects and programs.
• San Diego Oasis - Intergenerational tutoring or center volunteers, instructors, or ambassadors
• San Diego Padres Volunteer Team
• San Diego River Park Foundation - Garden, restoration, clean-ups, water quality monitoring, and more!
• San Dieguito River Park - Trail maintenance, restoration, trail patrols, and more!
• Solana Center - Volunteer for different events and programs!
• Tree San Diego - Register for community tree-planting events through the event calendar.
• United Way of San Diego County - Education, income, homelessness, health, and internal United Way volunteer opportunity database.
• Urban Street Angels - Several opportunities to support with ending youth homelessness.
• Uplift - Work with students as a tutor or mentor or be a homeless advocate.
• Voices for Children - Court Appointed Special Advocates make a commitment to advocate for the needs of the child or sibling group with whom they are matched.
• YMCA of San Diego County - Assist with events, coach youth sports, serve on committees, and provide support to community projects.
• Words Alive - Volunteer to read for children, lead workshops, and sort and deliver books.

National Databases that Can Be Searched for Local Opportunities

• AllforGood.org - Volunteer database
• BoardSource - Nonprofit board database
• Catchafire - Skill-based volunteer database
• Corporation for National and Community Service - Volunteer database
• Create the good/AARP - Volunteer database
• Idealist.org - Volunteer and intern database
• JustServe - Volunteer database
• Taproot+.org - Skill-based volunteer database
• Volunteer.gov - Public service and volunteer database
• VolunteerMatch - Volunteer database

Professional Development and Capacity Building

San Diego Region

• AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Program (VIP) - One-year service from an AmeriCorps member to support volunteer engagement capacity building; hosted by Jewish Family Services
• Nonprofit Management Solutions - Learning Circles for volunteer administrators
• Right Hand Events - For-profit that manages group volunteer projects for corporate clients
• USD Nonprofit Institute - Nonprofit Governance Symposium, City of San Diego Nonprofit Academy, Lean Six Sigma for Social Impact, Nonprofit Governance and Community Leadership Programs, San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, and Leaders for Outdoor Equity.
• Volunteer Administrators Network (VAN) - Monthly roundtable discussions and networking

National Resources

• BoardSource - Training and resources for boards and committees
• Points of Light - Resources for nonprofits, companies and volunteers to take action on causes they care about in celebration of a culture of service
• Learn How To Become - Tips for turning life's passions into a rewarding career.