Charity work?

Razalgrim · July 2015

I'm thinking about joining Save the Children as a face-to-face fundraiser... which entails ringing a lot of doorbells, I think? Right? Anyway, I'm not too familiar with the organization OR with charity work in general. So I have two main questions.

1. Is Save the Children good? I mean, I know they're legit... but are they legit? Like, nothing shady?

2. ...does the job really involve ringing doorbells? Cause that's what "face-to-face" fundraiser says to me.

Aaaand 3. Can I expect compensation? As in cash. Even if it's a tiny amount.

I mean 2 and 3 will probably be addressesed during an open house but I really wanna make sure I'm not in over my head here. Still, alot of things are telling me I should go for it. Should I?

Thank you kindly, friends.

EDIT: three main questions. I meant three.

ceres · July 2015

If you are volunteering then you are very unlikely to be paid.

zepherin · July 2015

Razalgrim wrote: »

I'm thinking about joining Save the Children as a face-to-face fundraiser... which entails ringing a lot of doorbells, I think? Right? Anyway, I'm not too familiar with the organization OR with charity work in general. So I have two main questions.

1. Is Save the Children good? I mean, I know they're legit... but are they legit? Like, nothing shady?

2. ...does the job really involve ringing doorbells? Cause that's what "face-to-face" fundraiser says to me.

Aaaand 3. Can I expect compensation? As in cash. Even if it's a tiny amount.

I mean 2 and 3 will probably be addressesed during an open house but I really wanna make sure I'm not in over my head here. Still, alot of things are telling me I should go for it. Should I?

Thank you kindly, friends.

EDIT: three main questions. I meant three.

Do you need to be compensated? There are charities and causes that do compensate. Are you over 18?

If you are under 18 and just looking for something to kill time but be meaningful during the summer, you might want to do something more fun than face-to-face fundraising.

Razalgrim · July 2015

Over 18, yes. I just want something like an allowance for food and travel - no profit, but no expenses.

And I know face-to-face fundraising isn't a very inspiring prospect but it can't be much worse than my experiences in the customer service industry.

Thanks for the answers, guys. And just to throw it out there, the issues that the organization is looking to address do mean alot to me, so I am pretty serious about this. I just wanna know what I'm getting myself into.

Phasen · July 2015

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4438#.VbjkLLNVhBc

I generally trust charity navigator and the rest of your stuff you should ask the charity itself.

Djeet · July 2015

Are you a "volunteer" or are you an "employee"? Even non-profits employ (pay) people, but if you are a volunteer you won't get paid. Maybe lunch at group meetings or something; is there not a coordinator you can talk to so as to address your concerns?

From your description it sounds like you will very much be knocking on doors of strangers and asking for money. It's a tough job in my experience, tougher than tech/customer support. The dynamic is totally different when you are bugging them for money vs they are calling you for help. Not trying to dissuade you from this. If you can handle it then you will be developing very valuable skills.

Enc · July 2015

You want to go through a reputable volunteer program, such as with Volunteer Match or something similar. You also want to make sure they are a 501c3 nonprofit before going in.

No you will not be paid. Volunteer work is based on an economy where compensation is typically indirect (good feelings, organizational fervor, occasionally favors/cost cuts from the organization for things like pet care or legal services). If someone is asking for volunteer work they are not wanting to pay you and not wanting you to be listed as paid employee. Most volunteer work is direct service (front lines at food kitchens, canvassing door to door, or other low-training but high physical impact tasks). Some organizations that are more specialized, such as health care or legal services, will use volunteer clerical positions. None of these folk are paid.

At your age, you should really ask why you are wanting to go into volunteer work. Typically it is for:

free professional training (such as with internships)
meeting requirements for scholarship hours
wanting to develop a personal network

Or touchy feely reasons like actually loving and respecting the work.

I actually just finished a case study program for a series of nonprofits on this very subject, so I'm getting a kick out of this thread.

japan · July 2015

Is this in the UK? Because it sounds like chugging. I know save the children have done that where I am in the past.

They're usually paid, but it's pretty thankless. I'm in Birmingham and I know people here have got sufficiently exasperated by it that the people doing it get a fair amount of verbal.

zepherin · July 2015

Razalgrim wrote: »

Over 18, yes. I just want something like an allowance for food and travel - no profit, but no expenses.

And I know face-to-face fundraising isn't a very inspiring prospect but it can't be much worse than my experiences in the customer service industry.

Thanks for the answers, guys. And just to throw it out there, the issues that the organization is looking to address do mean a lot to me, so I am pretty serious about this. I just wanna know what I'm getting myself into.

You might want to check out Americorp. They pay a living allowance, plus if you want to try to get into the fed as an employee the vista program members are eligible for non competitive appointment, and if you are in college you can get them to pay down your student loans. It's a pretty good deal, and it is community service, win win, and since you don't mind not making much money you might want to consider it.
http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps

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