This week is National Volunteer Week across Australia. #NVW is an initiative held by Volunteering Australia designed to honour the six million volunteers who selflessly donate their time to help good causes across Australia.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most, if not all, charitable organisations. As the Founder of a busy not-for-profit myself I know just how much a valuable part they play in day-to-day operations.

If you don’t currently volunteer, but you’ve been thinking about helping out a local charity close to your heart, here are nine benefits of volunteering for a non-profit.

1) You’re helping an awesome cause.
Number one speaks for itself. Most charity budgets are stretched to capacity with every cent being sunk into helping the organisation achieve its mission. This can often leave organisations under-staffed and over capacity.

Volunteers ease that pressure and help charities survive so they can continue to do their work within the immediate or wider community. Most non-profits that I’ve come across simply wouldn’t survive without volunteer support. Volunteers are THAT important!

2) It will enhance your resume.
Volunteering looks excellent on your resume as it shows you can put the needs of others before yourself which is a highly desirable personality trait. In some cases, application forms for university courses or traineeships mark volunteering experience as essential. Increase your employment opportunities by helping a local organisation in need.

3) It will improve your health.
It is proven that helping others has a directly positive impact on your health. When you show kindness to others, endorphins are released which make you feel happier. Feeling happy contributes to reducing inflammation levels within the body which is one of the key indicators for illness.

Volunteering will also keep you active which is another important factor that contributes to good health.

4) You’ll learn new skills.
Many volunteer positions don’t come with a formal job description, and it’s often a case of just getting stuck in! This is a great way to learn new skills ‘on the job’ as you’ll often be faced with tasks that you may not have had previous exposure to.

5) You’ll meet new people.
Volunteering is an easy way to meet new people. Not just those who are volunteering but other stakeholders for the charity such as staff members and supporters of the cause. If you volunteer to help your charity of choice run fundraising events, this will put you right in the middle of your bustling local community.

6) You’ll change your perspective.
Volunteering is a great way to see things from a new perspective. You’ll learn more about the plight of your favoured charity which will expose you to areas that you may never have known about in the past. Understanding the way others live can often change people’s views on their own situations and help give them a sense of clarity around what’s really important.

7) Get involved in local community.
Getting involved in the local community has many benefits (article here) and there’s no better way to get out amongst it than by volunteering for a community organisation. You’ll meet like-minded individuals, and you might even strike up some long-lasting friendships in the process.

8) It’s rewarding.
When you volunteer, you can go to bed at night knowing that you’ve spent your day helping those less fortunate than you. If that through doesn’t help you sleep well at night, then what will?

9) It’s fun!
Last but by no means least, volunteering is fun!! While it can be hard work, there’s also a lot of laughs and fun to be had too!

If you’re in the Lennox Head area and you want to volunteer to a local organisation that’s making a difference, send an email to [email protected],au and I’ll personally get back to you to discuss any volunteer vacancies.

You’re all legends, and we couldn’t help the families of Australia facing medical crisis stay together, without you.

THANK YOU!