General Volunteer Organizations

These are national organizations that provide a variety of volunteer opportunities in numerous locations or that have local offices across the nation that provide information about volunteer opportunities in the local area.

http://home.digitalcity.com/volunteers/
The Digital Cities Volunteer Web site (organized by major U.S. cities). Opportunities listed are limited, but there are a few organizations with volunteer opportunities that might be of interest.

http://www.volunteeramerica.com/
The Volunteer America Web site. VA is "dedicated to connecting individuals, families, and groups with volunteer opportunities on public lands all across America." The number of opportunities listed is great, but they all follow a similar bent, since they generally have something to do with preservations of or education about America's public lands.

http://www.volunteers.com/
The Landmark Volunteers Web site. Landmark is a volunteer program for high school students, consisting primarily of manual labor volunteer work at participating "important historical, cultural, environmental or social service institutions" across the U.S.

http://just.about.com/charity/index.htm?COB=home&PM=112_100_T
The Miningcompany.com (now About.com)'s Charity Web page. A broad diversity of opportunities listed, though it may take a little digging to find just what you're looking for.

http://www.unitedway.org/
The United Way's Web site. Among other functions, local United Way offices keep a list of a broad variety of volunteer opportunities available with many different organizations in their local area.

http://www.voa.org/
The Volunteers of America Web site. VOA is "...a national, nonprofit, spiritually-based organization ...[P]roviding local human service programs and the opportunity for individual and community involvement. {Note: A Christian-based group, I believe}

http://singlevolunteers.org/
The Single Volunteers of America Web site. Opportunities for single adults in cities with participating chapters to get involved in helping numerous non-profit organizations; "...projects can be anything from answering phones during a telethon, building houses, staffing blood drives, or stuffing envelopes..." or participating in events sponsored by non-profit organizations. SVA is also looking for volunteers bold enough to begin a new chapter in cities where there is no chapter established already. {Note: This organization offers a great way for single people to make friends and meet others--a nice bonus for lonely singles who have relocated to a new city, or those who just have trouble meeting people in general!}

http://www.volunteernow.com/
The SERVEnet Web site (Youth Service America is an affiliate of SERVEnet). SERVEnet is an organization established to help you find volunteer opportunities in your community. Many of the opportunities listed seem to have something to do with serving children or the elderly in some way. You can access the Youth Service America web site off of this main SERVEnet site. YSA helps find volunteer opportunities for America's youth.

Focused Volunteer Organizations

These organizations focus on addressing one particular problem in American (or international) society. There are many more organizations than these, but these are a few of the largest and best-known. (If you have a favorite cause that's well-known but not listed here, feel free to email it to me, and I'll add it to the list!)

http://www.literacyvolunteers.org
The Literacy Volunteers of America Web site.
LVA "provides tutoring services [for non-readers or poor readers] through a nationwide network of volunteers."

http://www.habitat.org/
The Habitat for Humanity International Web site.
"Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all walks of life to work together in partnership to help build houses with families in need. " Habitat "builds and rehabilitates... houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families."

http://www.redcross.org/
The American Red Cross Web site.
"The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ...endeavours, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being."

http://www.modimes.org/
The March of Dimes Web site.
The March of Dimes is a "nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of babies by reducing birth defects and infant mortality."