Your Volunteer Roadmap: Turn your passions into action

Last Updated: March 11, 2026

The new era of volunteering is here. DoSomething knows a little something about reimagining impact. We were founded in 1993 with the mission to make volunteering as school as sports. From the beginning, DoSomething dreamt of making volunteering as cool as sports instead of being something young people did out of a sense of obligation or to fill a school requirement. Instead, we want to highlight how volunteering impacts us on a personal level by igniting our passion for making the world a better place for all.

There are endless ways that we can take action on the issues that matter most to us, but sometimes it can be overwhelming to know how to get started. To help you make the leap from “I’m so concerned about this” to “Let’s do this!,” here’s your ultimate go-to guide for starting your volunteer journey.

First, what lights your fire? 🔥

The awesome thing about volunteering is that it’s an accessible and fun way to turn passion into action. But what if you don’t know what lights your fire yet? That’s ok! Finding your spark starts with identifying what motivates and activates you. What issues are you most excited to talk to your friends about? What things happening in the world do you find yourself researching or reading about for fun?

One way to do that is to assess which issues hit home the most. That means taking a look at what’s happening in your community or considering what you’ve experienced firsthand. A lot of incredible volunteers are motivated to give back to their communities because of their own personal experiences with hunger, housing insecurity, education, etc.

Another idea is to consider connecting your area of expertise with your volunteer work. For example, if you’re passionate about pursuing a STEM career, perhaps volunteering at an after-school program to help kids with their math homework is a powerful way to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals (like you!).