For Volunteers

Volunteer-Matching Website: www.capecodvolunteers.org

Open to everyone, the site allows people like you to search for volunteer opportunities and Board openings posted by local nonprofit agencies, making it easy to learn about and find volunteer opportunities and agencies that match your interests. You can create a “volunteer profile” to record your skills, interests, location, and availability, making it more convenient to search every time you sign on. You can also use our website to log your volunteer hours and set up automatic email notifications to alert you when an opportunity that might interest you is posted.

Cape Cod Volunteer Opportunity Centers:

Cape Cod Volunteers is happy to announce that our pilot Opportunity Center is NOW OPEN at the Harwich Community Center! Hours are Thursday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon. Harwich Community Center is located at 100 Oak Street, just south of Route 6.

Housed in locations such as libraries and community centers across the Cape, our Volunteer Opportunity Centers are staffed by volunteer consultants who can assist you in exploring your interests, skills, and experiences to help you find a volunteer opportunity which is meaningful to you. Stop by to talk to one of our volunteer consultants about finding a meaningful volunteer opportunity, to tell us what you think, or just to say hello – we would love to see you!

Educational Activities:

Join us soon for “What You Need to Know Before Joining a Board” training. This training will be re-scheduled soon. Please check our Training & Events page for updated information, or contact us to be put on a list for updates. 

From time to time, Cape Cod Volunteers will offer educational programs to help you and other Cape Codders learn more about the issues and opportunities for volunteering on Cape Cod. Sign up for email updates in the box to the right to get the latest news about upcoming Cape Cod Volunteers educational activities.

• I want to volunteer – how do I start?
  • There are a few options. Regardless of where you are in your search process, feel free to contact us with your questions, for some guidance, or even if you just want to talk something through: email us or call (508) 362-0242.
  • If you know what you want to do, but have no idea where to start, you can try searching the volunteer-matching part of our website for an organization or volunteer opportunity that is compatible with your interests. To narrow your results, try our advanced search feature. (Please note that, like Google, the more information you plug in, the narrower your search results will be.) If you see an organization that aligns with your interests, but their opportunities don’t sound like a good fit, try contacting them directly. Organizations often don’t have the time to post every need they have, so many of their needs go unmentioned. If you talk to an organization about what you can offer and how much of a commitment you’re looking for, they may be able to identify a place for you.
  • If you are not sure what you want to do, you can try perusing the volunteer opportunities that are posted and see if any of them spark your interest, or you can reach out to us by email or by phone (508-362-0242). Keep an eye out for our Volunteer Opportunity Centers – staffed by trained volunteer consultants, they will provide another way to explore your interests and find meaningful volunteer opportunities. We plan to have several locations across the Cape, but our pilot site will be at the Harwich Community Center. Stay in the loop about the progress of the Opportunity Centers by signing up for our email updates – just enter your email address in the box to the right and click “Join!”
• What if I get a position and find I don’t like it?
  • Although many matches end up being positive ones, not every match is a good one. Being aware of this upfront sometimes makes it easier when a volunteer opportunity isn’t the right one for you. We can walk you through leaving a position that doesn’t work for you without difficulty or embarrassment. We generally recommend volunteers and nonprofits establish a set period of time to try out the partnership from the very beginning. The trial period allows for both parties to test out the relationship without the obligation to commit.
  • Don’t let the idea of not finding the right match the first time stop you from getting involved! Get in touch with us- we’ll guide you through the sometimes-overwhelming process of finding a meaningful volunteer opportunity by:
    • helping you identify your skills and interests,
    • working with you to figure out the best way to put those skills and interests to use in the community, and
    • following up with you and the nonprofit to assess whether the match is a good fit.
• I don’t have a computer; what do I do?
  • A computer is not essential to our process. You can contact us by phone (508-362-0242) or by good old-fashioned USPS: P.O. Box 358, Yarmouthport, MA 02675. Look for our upcoming Volunteer Opportunity Centers where our volunteer staff will work with you to identify your skills and talents, and how you can put those skills to use in the community. We are working to open several sites across the Cape, but our pilot site will be at the Harwich Community Center. Enter your email address in the box to the right and click “Join” to receive email updates about the progress of the Volunteer Opportunity Centers. Additionally, local libraries, senior centers, and community centers often have computers open to the public.

Do you have a question about managing volunteers? Or maybe you have a question about your relationship with a specific volunteer? Whatever it is, send your question to our team of experts. You’ll receive an answer directly, and we’ll post an anonymous version of your question and our response to our website to help others with similar questions.

Check back soon to see our experts’ answers to your questions! To learn more or to submit a question to our team of experts, select the “Ask the Expert” tab above.