From translating documents to walking dogs, microvolunteering is an easy and fast way to do good for Nevada charities.
When it comes to volunteering in Nevada, size doesn’t matter. Even small acts of service can make a big difference.
Microvolunteering, the act of performing short-term, bite-sized, or quick virtual tasks for charities and nonprofits, is gaining steam among volunteers worldwide, growing 25 percent since 2019, according to independent market researcher WifiTalents.
Microvolunteering tasks vary widely across organizations and may include unskilled tasks such as signing petitions, tagging photos, walking shelter dogs, planting a tree, completing a survey, or posting on social media. The tasks take a few seconds to a few hours, don’t require intensive training or commitment, and can sometimes be done from the comfort of home.
Microvolunteering is a win-win for busy volunteers who don’t have much free time and for charities that need support.
History of microvolunteering
Volunteerism has existed in some form since the beginning of time, but the term “microvolunteering” is relatively new. It is believed that it first appeared online in a UK blog post in 2006. In 2008, a Spanish website launched the first publicly accessible micro-volunteering online platform. The US followed soon after.
The first International Microvolunteering Day took place in 2014, raising global awareness for the practice. It is celebrated by performing small acts of volunteerism and encouraging others to do the same. Volunteers and charities who participate in the day often use the hashtag #MicroVolunteeringDay on social media.
Though some are concerned that microvolunteerism is impersonal and encourages a lack of commitment, even going so far as to label it “slacktivism,” others argue that it’s a beneficial way to engage volunteers and may ultimately turn them into donors.
How to find microvolunteering opportunities
If you’re looking for a microgig, but you’re not familiar with Nevada’s charities, you can search a full database of nonprofits on the GreatNonprofits website. The site lets you filter by city, state, and type, so it’s easy to find a cause that’s important to you.
Nevada Volunteers is another prolific registry of local charities. There are several ways to search, including by cause, age range, type, and frequency. A recent search revealed 273 one-time tasks, 85 virtual tasks, and 21 one-time and virtual tasks for nonprofits throughout Nevada.
Still not sure where to start? Check out JustServe, a free online platform that connects people with volunteer opportunities. A quick search for Nevada opportunities revealed several noncommittal opportunities:
- Volunteer as a Bingo caller on a Saturday at an assisted living facility in Las Vegas
- Donate non-perishable food items to a food program in Las Vegas
- Deliver aid bags to unhoused people living in underground flood channels in Southern Nevada for Shine A Light
- Donate pet supplies at the Pennington Life Center to help seniors care for their pets through the ElderPaws Project in Fallon
- Donate items from an Amazon wishlist to Fallon Daily Bread
- Break down and organize donated food into boxes for St. Paul’s Food Distribution in Henderson
- Make cards for kids in the hospital for the Ronald McDonald House
- Collect new and gently used book donations for children in Sparks and Reno through Spread the Word Nevada
- Donate books to the Frank Fort Library in Caliente
- Donate new or homemade teddy bears and kids’ blankets to the Highway Patrol in Battle Mountain and Winnemucca
A quick search for remote volunteer opportunities also revealed 124 remote projects throughout the US.
In Southern Nevada, the United Way has an online Volunteer Connect platform that connects volunteers with more than 250 local nonprofits. Volunteer opportunities are also available in Northern Nevada.
Create your own microvolunteering opportunities
You can also create your own DIY microvolunteering opportunities to support your community at large, doing lots of good in just a few minutes, including:
- Organize a Facebook fundraiser for your favorite charity
- Create a social media campaign for your favorite charity
- Make cards or write letters to seniors in nursing homes or sick children in hospitals
- Knit blankets for the unhoused
- Pick up trash and clean signs at a local park
- Set up a little free library in your front yard with a “take a book, leave a book” honor system
- Sign online petitions for causes you want to support
7 places to microvolunteer in Nevada
Nevada is home to nearly 15,000 nonprofits that serve people, animals, and specific causes. Microvolunteering opportunities are available with many of these organizations, so if there’s a cause that’s close to your heart, there’s probably a volunteer task for you.
Here are 7 Nevada nonprofits in need of volunteers for microtasks, though most of the opportunities below are not virtual. According to an article about International Microvolunteering Day on the National Today website, nonprofits are likely to begin promoting their microtask needs more in the future.
Project 150
Las Vegas nonprofit Project 150, which supports homeless youth, for instance, offers short-term volunteer opportunities such as packing family meal bags and sorting through donations.
Just One Project
At the nonprofit Just One Project, volunteers help food-insecure Nevadans by unloading pallets and handing out food at pop-up mobile markets, delivering groceries, and packaging surplus food.
Catholic Charities
Volunteers for Catholic Charities help a variety of at-risk communities remotely by purchasing needed items and assembling them into kits.
Project Marilyn
Attend a period kit-packing event with Project Marilyn, a nonprofit that ensures women have period supplies.
Eddy House
Volunteer opportunities at Eddy House, a Northern Nevada nonprofit serving homeless, runaway, foster, and at-risk youth, include organizing and shopping for the clothing closet, cleaning the facility’s yard, and preparing food.
Lasagna Love
Global nonprofit and grassroots movement Lasagna Love recruits volunteers to cook homemade lasagnas for local families in need. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers for the organization have made and delivered 600,000 lasagnas to families, including many in Nevada.
Opportunity Village
Spread the message of Opportunity Village, which helps adults with disabilities in Southern Nevada, by hosting an online fundraiser on Facebook or donating needed supplies from the organization’s Amazon wishlist.
