Volunteer your skills online

www.sparked.com is based on a brilliantly straightforward idea: connect charities looking for help on specific projects with volunteers who possess the skills needed. The website calls this microvolunteering, and the beauty of it is that you can help a charity on the other side of the world while in your pajamas. 


The site connects you to charities in your areas of interest, such as education or youth, using your skills, such as design or research. (And given the unrelated example to the right, there's a gaping need for good graphic designers.) The volunteering projects can be as simple as answering a question posed by a charity, such as 'What would be an interesting newsletter topic for us?' This could also be a good resume boost if you find a project that matches up well with your skills and interests.


Effort involved: only a minute to sign up, then as much or as little as you want to expend.


Image from http://www.bearotic.com/category/media/film/page/2/.