One of the criticisms of modern professional discourse is that there are too many opinions (including this one!).
Lists abound: “10 things to do.” “10 things not to do.” “10 things you thought were true but aren’t.” It’s endless advice in search of a verb.
The only advice that really matters, though, is simple: take action.
In basketball, I rephrase it as play better basketball.
“Coach, the ref didn’t give me that foul.” Then play better basketball!
“Why don’t I get more minutes?” Then play better basketball!
“No one passes to me.” Then play better basketball!
Every complaint has the same solution: TAKE ACTION!!!.
Translating that to the professional world is less obvious, especially when we’re between projects or positions. Yet the principle still holds — the best way to stay ready is to stay active.
For program and project professionals, that means volunteering. It’s how we continue to lead, collaborate, and deliver value when the scoreboard isn’t visible. It’s how we keep playing better basketball off the court.
Volunteering as Real-World Project Practice
Most volunteer initiatives—fundraisers, awareness campaigns, community tech setups—are temporary, goal-driven endeavours with defined stakeholders and deliverables.
… and that’s the textbook definition of a project.
Project Managers can therefore treat volunteering as:
- Hands-on labs for leadership: Managing timelines, scope, budgets, and diverse stakeholders without formal authority.
- Portfolio case studies: A beach clean-up, charity website build, or event rollout can each serve as evidence of scheduling, risk management, or stakeholder communication competence.
- Resource-constrained learning: Volunteers frequently work with minimal tools, unclear governance, and shifting requirements—mirroring the ambiguity of digital transformation projects.
But how many people volunteer?
The latest global synthesis from UN Volunteers estimates that ~15% of working-age adults volunteer in a given month—about 862 million people. However most of this is informal (person-to-person) rather than through organizations. UNV SWVR 2022
Across many developed economies, volunteering rates have generally declined over the last 10 years, hitting historic lows in some places; OECD calls for reinvigorating civic engagement. OECD
In the United States, participation rebounded in 2023 to 28.3% (up from 23.2% in 2021 as the pandemic trough eased) but remains below pre-pandemic levels. AP News
Several analyses point to secular headwinds—economic pressures, time scarcity, declining congregational participation, and institutional trust—reducing both giving and volunteering.
However, did you know that volunteering can …
- Slow biological ageing?
- Lower blood pressure?
- Improve mental and physical health?
For Project Managers:
Volunteering gives project managers a live environment to sharpen delivery skills—leading diverse teams, managing scope and risk, and achieving tangible outcomes with limited resources.
For Program Managers:
Volunteering enables program managers to practise coordinating interconnected projects toward shared social benefits, reinforcing benefits-realisation and dependency management in purpose-driven settings.
For Portfolio Managers:
Volunteering exposes portfolio managers to real-world prioritisation, helping them balance impact, risk, and resource allocation across competing initiatives with measurable social value.
For CIOs and Digital Leaders:
Volunteering provides CIOs an innovation sandbox to prototype emerging technologies, build digital capability, and demonstrate people-centred, ethical leadership beyond the enterprise.
Although, volunteering is project management without the pay slip it has the same deliverables: clarity of purpose, coordination of people, and measurable impact. .
So what are you waiting for?
Get on and volunteer!
In WA
- Volunteering WA. volunteeringwa.org.au
- WA Dept of Communities (State). Policy settings, partnerships, statewide enabling of volunteering. Western Australian Government
- St John WA. Volunteer ambulance officers, event health, community transport, first aid. St. John Volunteers
- Surf Life Saving WA. Beach patrols, aquatic rescue, youth pathways, public safety education. My Beach
- Foodbank WA. Large-scale food relief, nutrition education, mobile food services. Foodbank
- Lifeline WA. Crisis support & suicide prevention; accredited training for Crisis Supporters. Western Australia
- Australian Red Cross (WA). Emergency services, community programs, humanitarian support. Australian Red Cross
- OzHarvest Perth. Food rescue logistics, corporate “Cooking for a Cause” skills experiences. OzHarvest
- RSPCA WA. Animal welfare, shelter operations, foster care, community education. RSPCA WA
In Australia
• Volunteering Australia. National advocacy, policy, sector capability and research. volunteeringaustralia.org
• GoVolunteer. Online portal matching individuals with volunteer roles across Australia. govolunteer.com.au
• SEEK Volunteer. National platform connecting volunteers with opportunities by cause, skill and region. volunteer.com.au
• Australian Volunteers Program (DFAT). Government-funded international volunteering initiative supporting capacity-building in the Indo-Pacific. australianvolunteers.com
• Australian Red Cross. National humanitarian and disaster relief organisation powered by volunteers. redcross.org.au
• WIRES Wildlife Rescue. Australia’s largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation charity. wires.org.au
• Oaktree Foundation. Youth-led organisation focusing on social justice, leadership and advocacy. oaktree.org
• UN Youth Australia. National youth-led network empowering young Australians to engage in global citizenship and leadership. unyouth.org.au
• The Reach Foundation. Youth mentoring and personal development programs led by trained volunteers. reach.org.au
Or the rest of the world!!
- UN Volunteers (UNV). On-site & Online Volunteering across 150+ countries; professional profiles matched to UN projects. UN Volunteers
- Peace Corps / Peace Corps Response. 2-year immersive roles (health, education, community development) and 6–12-month skilled assignments. (Geared to U.S. citizens) Peace Corps
- VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). Skills-based placements for experienced professionals; focus on inclusive education, health, livelihoods. vsointernational.org
- Habitat for Humanity — Global Village. Short, team-based international builds supporting adequate housing. Habitat for Humanity
- WWOOF. Cultural/skills exchange on organic farms worldwide (room/board for work). wwoof.net+1
SquaringTheTriangle 
Join the conversation — how do you Square the Triangle?