Thanks for deciding to Make a Difference!
You may already serve in your community, but if you’re looking for something new, check out the ideas below. You can find simple project ideas to Renew Our Planet, Revive Our Economy, or Recognize Our Youth. There are projects you can do with others and ones you can build into your everyday routine. Find one that interests you, and “get HandsOn!”
Also, don't forget to check out our project resources. These resources will help you organize and manage service projects in your community.
Plant a Tree
Contact your county and ask how you can add more trees to your community.
Identify the following:
a. the right time to plant a tree
b. the appropriate trees local to the region and environment,
c. local requirements regarding digging or planting trees
d. an appropriate location to support the growth and development.
Replace Your Bulbs
Replace your conventional bulbs with Energy Star bulbs. Take the Energy Star Pledge and get your neighbors and friends to do the same!
Change Your Air Filter
Change your air filters in your home’s cooling and heating system as well as in your car.
Seal and Insulate Your Home
Look in your basement, attic, and around your windows for leaks and seal those holes!
Embrace Public Transportation
Take public transportation and multiply your impact by teaching and/or encouraging someone else to do the same. Want to take the next step? Why not clean up bus stops and subway stations, and distribute transportation schedules at your school, work, and in your neighborhood to promote the use of transportation.
Walk and Ride
Dust off that bike, get out your walking shoes and get to it! Think about walking or riding your bike whenever possible.
- Learn how to ride safely
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Contact your local government and ask about recycling programs and helpful recycling tips and tricks. Create a space in your home for used batteries, computers, cell phones, and used products to recycle. Invite your friends to do the same.
Green Your Piggy Bank
Collect loose change and donate it to an environmental organization of choice or donate it to a local institution to support environmental efforts.
Push that Mower
Invest in a push mower that doesn’t require electricity or gasoline.
Start a Compost
To reduce landfill waste, start a backyard or community compost. Talk to your school officials and offer to build a school compost bin for lunchroom garbage.
This could be a good service learning project.
- Learn how to compost.
- Learn why composting matters.
- Learn more about service learning.
Green Your Fertilizer
Buy organic fertilizers.
- Learn more about ways to green your lawn.
Curl Up With a Green Read
Buy books that are printed on recycled paper. Contact your favorie publishing company and ask them to make a commitment to green their books.
Collect Your Rain Water
Make or buy a rain barrel and collect rain water to use for watering your outdoors.
- Learn more about rain barrels.
- Learn how to make your own rain barrel.
Reuse
Reuse plastic containers and plastic bags whenever possible.
Conserve Water
Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Only wash the dishes when your dishwasher is full and try to take shorter showers.
Inflate your tires.
Keeping your tires inflated will maximize fuel efficiency, reduce harmful emissions produced by your vehicle, and increase the life of your tire thereby decreasing the amount of tires in landfills.
- Learn how to inflate your tires.
Use Your Buying Power
Look for the recycled label when purchasing products. Buy locally and purchase produce and other products locally to reduce the amount of energy required to transport products to the store.
- Learn more about buying local.
- Ask vendors if they recycle and if they are purchasing green products.
- Purchase products with less packaging.
- Buy organic - purchase products made with organic materials (food, clothing, etc.)
- Learn more about buying organic.
Adjust your Thermostat
Don’t forget to adjust your thermostat for both winter and summer months and whenever possible turn it off.
Carpool
Going somewhere? Why not invite your neighbors family or friends to go with you? Use technology to post carpooling ads.
- Post your listing.
Change Laundry Habits
- Hang your clothes on the line to dry naturally.
- Wash your clothes in cold water.
Food Bank Fridays
Every Friday, pick at least five items in your pantry to give to a local food bank. Ask your neighbors to do the same, and then you can collect the items and deliver them to the pantry each week. Ask your place of worship, place of employment, and local sports teams to join your effort.
Organize a Food Drive
Organize a canned food drive at work, a community center or a local school to raise awareness and collect items for a local food bank or soup kitchen.
Invest Time in your Local Shelter
Volunteer at homeless shelters to cook for residents, clean neglected areas and collect supplies such as clothes, food and office materials.
Garden with a Cause
Start a community garden to supply local food banks and homeless shelters with fresh produce.
Donate your Eyeglasses
- Learn more about how to donate.
Teach Youth Good Financial Practices
Talk to your local school board about offering financial education courses in schools.
Support Local Free Clinics
Donate your time and money to help those in need of dental, eye and health care.
Teach Someone Interviewing Skills
Contact a local social service agency to see if you could volunteer your time to give tips to those seeking jobs.
Mentor
Mentor someone who is unemployed or recently gained a new job. Help him or her with writing a resume, developing interviewing skills and problem solving in the workplace.
Teach Your Kids
Teach your kids the value of money, work, credit and saving - values and skills that they will use every day of their lives.
Volunteer at a Local Tax Preparation Office
Join the effort to lift more than five million individuals, 2.6 million of which are children, out of poverty this year. Become a volunteer tax preparer, greeter, childcare provider, an outreach coordinator or a translator for your local tax coalition providers. Serving in these roles will make free tax preparation available to more individuals in or at the poverty level.
- Learn more about free tax preparation.
Host Informational Meetings
Host an informational session to educate yourself and your neighbors, friends or colleagues about the following topics:
a. Choosing a bank
b. Budgeting
c. Saving money
d. Credit and lending
e. Predatory lending
f. How to apply for scholarships
g. Credit score
h. EITC and Child credit tax
Fundraise
Organize a concert or other fundraising event to benefit local shelters and agencies that work with the underserved members of your community.
Design a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” Program
Make “New Kids on the Block” survival kits for new children that move to your neighborhood or local school. Include items such as a welcome card, school calendar and a list of places to visit in the community.
Assist in Job Placement
Offer to provide job searching skills to those who are unemployed. You can assist with researching opportunities, building resumes or writing cover letters.
Care for the Caregivers
Identify a caregiver you know and offer to lend a hand. You can make a big difference by giving that selfless caregiver time for self care.
- Learn more about care giving.
Advocate for the Homeless through Art
Design posters that raise awareness of the issues of homelessness and poverty.
Contact local businesses to seek permission to post artwork in strategic locations such as your local supermarket or shopping mall.
Collect In-Kind Donations for Shelters
Organize your neighborhood and collect toys, clothes and canned goods to give to homeless or women’s shelters.
Provide Child Care for a Shelter
Contact your local shelter and offer to provide child care for shelter residents. Play games, create crafts or read to the children. Make sure to respect privacy rights and ask for permission.
Create a Story Hour
Read to kids at a local library, food bank or homeless shelter.
Help with Homework
Be a homework helper in an after school program at a school, community center or homeless shelter.
Refurbish a playground
Organize a volunteer effort in your community to purchase and install new play equipment for local children.
Become a Foster Family
Consider inviting a child in your community who needs help into your home.
Organize a Service Learning Activity
Organize an activity for children or adults with disabilities. You could plan a craft party, swimming day or visit to a farm.
Musical Instrument Drive
Organize a musical instrument drive to donate instruments that are no longer used to local schools.
Teach a Child to Play an Instrument.
Volunteer an hour a week to help a child cultivate musical skills.
Attend a School Board Meeting
Demonstrate your commitment to education and the students in your community by getting involved in decisions made about the education system near you.
Design Murals and Mosaics
Brighten spaces utilized by students, faculty and staff with encouraging artwork and quotes.
Create Backpacks for Kids in Need
Fill new or donated backpacks with school supplies for low-income families.
Start a Book Club or Movie Night
Convene a regular gathering with underserved students in your community to read books or watch films with educational themes.
Tutor Children
Contact your local shelter and offer to tutor the resident children in reading, writing and math, or consider becoming an online tutor.
Start an Art Club
Ask the local library or coffee shop to host a local art show for students to showcase their work. See if your place of worship can host an art supply drive for the local school system. While you are purchasing art and craft supplies, double the materials and donate the extras to the local school.
Ask the Artists
Ask a local artist to host free art classes for kids on a semi-regular basis.
Donate Art Supplies to a Local School
Help supply an under-resourced art department with new materials.
Organize a Book Drive
Hold a book drive at your school and donate the books to a children’s shelter, local school or library.
Build a Playground
Volunteer to build playgrounds for schools and communities.
- Learn more about building playgrounds for kids.
Bridge the Digital Divide
Design a charitable “technology” day where computer savvy youth and adults can share their expertise with the elderly, children and those who are unfamiliar with computers. This event can be coupled with a “Computer Drive” in which old and used computers can be donated at a central location and distributed to local non-profit organizations or those unable to afford them.
Create Library Makeovers
Transform a school library into a vibrant, warm and welcoming place where students can get excited about reading and encounter new stories, ideas and people.
Provide College Preparation for Teens
Encourage high school seniors to mentor younger teens on how to prepare for college, such as selecting courses and making themselves good candidates for admission.
Project Development Guidebook
This guidebook provides you with activities and tools to help you identify community needs, narrow your project focus, and formulate a plan to achieve your goals.
- Download PDF here
On-site Project Management Guidebook
This guidebook provides you with a step by step plan for on site project management. It provides tips for effective volunteer communication, safety, financial planning, training and orientation as well as reflection and evaluation of your project.
- Download PDF here
Volunteer Management Guidebook
This guidebook explore the basics of volunteer management and identifies effective volunteer recruitment, retention, and recognition strategies.
- Download PDF here
