- 1). Research what kind of event you are looking to help out with. Do you want to want to get involved in some community-based, non-profit volunteer work? Or are you looking to get your foot in the door of a specific industry? For New Yorkers looking for more traditional volunteer work, a website such as New York Cares provides information on a variety of projects and events that you can get involved with. For someone who has an interest in art and wants to learn more about the museum industry, many museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offer volunteer opportunities to those that are interested.
- 2). Contact the organizers of the event. Many event web pages will have a page with an e-mail, a phone number or a contact form. Let the organizers know that you are interested in volunteering.
- 3). Use your contacts. If the event you are trying to volunteer for is well-known, there may be many others scrambling to help out as well. If you have a friend or an acquaintance who is involved with the organizing or who knows the organizers, ask if it's okay for you to mention their name when contacting the organizers. This may give you the extra edge you need to stand out in the organizers' eyes.
- 4). Be persistent. Organizing an event is hard work; if you don't hear back from the organizers after a week or two, do not hesitate to try contacting them again.
- 5). Nail down the time and place. Once you have the go ahead as a volunteer, set up your first meeting with the organizers. Reiterate how much time you will be able to give to the event planning---if you can work for a few hours daily in the week before the event, let them know. If a more slow-paced plan works better for you, offer to come by once a week for a couple of hours to do some outreach or help with other logistical planning. More than likely, you will need to commit to helping out on the night of. In each of these circumstances, be sure to confirm the meeting place for volunteers and get directions.
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