Want to volunteer?

Mountain View loves start-ups! GoVoluntr is a new start-up that connects people in the community with non-profits that need volunteers. It’s an online social network that you and your friends can use to find places to volunteer. It’s always more fun to get involved in the community when you do it with your friends. You can share your activities on other social networking sites. Find a worthy cause on GoVoluntr and tell your Facebook friends so everyone can get involved. The website tracks your volunteer hours and you can earn VPINs (volunteer pins) and prizes from local merchants.

I’ve had people ask me how they could get more involved in Mountain View or how to find local organizations that need volunteers. This is the answer. GoVoluntr is also looking for more non-profits in the area to connect with them. They support all local non-profits, anything from hospitals, libraries and police activities departments, to Art & Wine, Red Cross and animal shelters. They’re website is still in beta-phase so feel free to contact them and let them know what you like about it and what you want to see more of—they love talking directly to other do-gooders.

I really like the way they’re using the term “do-gooder” to describe the people that volunteer. That expression has, in the past, been used with a slightly sarcastic tone to it, but GoVoluntr co-founder, Young Han, told me “We don’t care—we want to change people’s perception about what it means to be a do-gooder. We’re doing amazing things in the community and we want to call ourselves do-gooders.”  I totally agree with him and I have to admit that since I’ve been talking with Young Han and MJ Fogelstrom from GoVoluntr, I’ve been hearing myself think of the expression “do-gooder” instead of the word “volunteer.” Their plan worked. They even wrote it on the business cards—very cool.

You can visit GoVoluntr for do-gooder opportunities, including the upcoming Art & Wine Festival. The festival is Sept 10 and 11 in downtown Mountain View. I just love Mountain View and all the do-gooders that help make this community the amazing place that it is…

Reader's Comments

1. 

   Yeah for GoVoluntr!!!
2. Jenn on 26 Aug 2011 2:42 pm
3. 

   very cool – excited to see opportunities made readily available to those that want to help out all over the bay area!
4. Jaclyn on 26 Aug 2011 12:07 pm
5. 

   Thanks for the post! Very cool, and so excited to see GoVoluntr on ilovemv’s blog!
6. Young on 24 Aug 2011 5:39 pm