With the world now moving more online than ever before, many of the activities people do are also online. You can do almost everything online these days, from ordering your groceries to paying your bills.
However, what about trying to make a difference to the wider world? There are many ways in which you can use your time online to make a difference to others. Here are some of the best ways you can do so.
Sponsor an animal
Animal sanctuaries and other places that help rescue and treat animals are always looking for people who want to support them. Some such organisations take on people to help with cleaning out the enclosures or other work at the sanctuary. Others ask for donations and other sponsorship as a way of supporting their work.
The type of sponsorship you choose may depend on the sanctuary. Some people offer to sponsor a specific animal, while others offer support to the sanctuary as a whole. One of the best parts of being able to sponsor an animal sanctuary is that it can now all be done online.
There can be tiers of support that you can do depending on how much you want to donate on a regular basis. These tiers will typically come with perks such as photos of the animals, free gifts or perhaps a discount on the entry fee to the sanctuary.
Become a translator
There are many non-profit organisations online that need to have documents or other information translated. Much of this is to help those seeking humanitarian aid. If you can speak another language, then you could also be able to help.
Many of these organisations help with healthcare, education, and other basic needs that may not be able to be served otherwise. By helping them to communicate with others, you can spread the amount they can give to more people. You can find organisations online that are in need of help.
Help people in crisis
Many people around the world need help in a crisis, and there are organisations that are able to offer this help free of charge through volunteers. If you are the type of person that wants to help others with tough times in their lives, then this could be the ideal way to do it.
There are many organisations out there that offer this service, and by applying online, you can be considered by the organisation, which will be able to give you full training on how to deal with the people you interact with.
In the past, this would have been done through local call centres, but now people can help from their homes online,which is a lot easier for many people.
Do online research
If you love spending time looking into historic facts or finding information on artefacts, then volunteering for online research could be for you.
Organisations such as the Smithsonian are always looking for digital volunteers to help them. You could transcribe documents, conduct research, or add updates to their Wikipedia pages. You are able to commit any amount of time you can, so there is no obligation to help on set hours or days.
Write about something you are passionate about
If you have a passion and you want others to know about it, then why not start a blog or write for one of the many blogs online? Many websites take submissions from people on certain topics. While some only take free submissions, there are those that will pay if the article is published online.
Another alternative is to write for a site such as Medium, which allows people to set up a free profile and write articles. These are then read by others on the site, or they can be found by searching online.
If you get a lot of people reading your content, you might even be able to make a little money. However, for most people, this is used as an outlet for their creativity or to spread the word about something they feel passionately about.
While many might choose to write about their passions, there are other ways online that you can spread the word. Podcasting is now becoming a hugely popular medium for people that want to entertain or educate. YouTube is another avenue that you can try out if you have the time and confidence.
Conclusion
With so many online opportunities to make a difference, there will surely be an outlet for everyone. The best part about these ideas is that they are not going to commit you to a set period of time, so you can work them around work, family and other commitments.
