Volunteering in Maryland

Are you looking for local volunteer opportunities?

Volunteer Centers operate around Maryland and serve as matchmakers for citizens who want to serve and nonprofits and communities who need help.

Click here to find your closest volunteer center.

Are you a new Volunteer Manager?

Click here to find and join your closest network of fellow volunteer management professionals.

Volunteer Manager Networking Groups meet across the state; they are local informal networks of professionals who provide important training, resource sharing, networking, and support for nonprofit staff members who regularly recruit and manage volunteers.

There is also a state-wide network of volunteer management professionals called the Maryland Council of Directors of Volunteer Services (MCDVS). Find it at www.mcdvs.org.

Volunteering in Maryland

Volunteering is a Maryland tradition, reaching as far back as 1633 when the Maryland Charter established its first militia. The state's first volunteer fire company, the Independent Hose Company of Frederick, was established in 1818. Throughout Maryland's history, volunteers have been dedicated to protecting and preserving Maryland's natural environment, mentoring and tutoring young people, feeding the hungry and homeless, donating time and money to nonprofits, serving in local civic organizations, and countless other services to communities.

Today, Maryland citizens continue to dedicate themselves to helping each other and preserving the state's natural resources.

According to a 2009 report on volunteering in the United States released by the Corporation for National and Community Service,

  • 1.3 million Maryland citizens, or 28.8 percent of the population, volunteer each year;
  • Maryland volunteers serve 44.1 hours per person - ranking Maryland 10th among the 50 states and Washington DC; and
  • The value of Marylanders' service is $3.9 billion to local citizens and communities.

(Data above are averages, based on 2006 - 2008 data.)

For more information on volunteering in Maryland, visit http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/MD.