Volunteer Resume Examples for 2025
Get inspired to write a great resume with our volunteer resume examples. We’ll show you how to personalize your resume to find the perfect volunteer opportunity!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Volunteer resume
summary examples
The resume summary is one of the first parts of your volunteer resume a recruiter reads, so make it count by quickly grabbing their attention and explaining why you’re an excellent fit for the open job.
It sits right beneath your contact information and resume headline and functions like a sales pitch to highlight your essential qualifications for a job. Your summary statement for a volunteer role should include a few sentences highlighting your interpersonal skills, communication skills and achievements.
By adding your most relevant resume skills and experiences, you convey to hiring managers the value you’d bring if hired.
Volunteers with over three years of work experience should use a resume summary. If you are a newer volunteer or a recent college grad with less than three years of experience, it is recommended that you write an objective statement instead.
Next, we will look at examples of professional summaries for volunteers — one good and one poor — to guide writing your own.
Good example:
“Highly motivated and dedicated volunteer with over 5 years of experience in community outreach and service. Demonstrated ability to organize and execute successful events, resulting in a 30% increase in volunteer participation and a 20% rise in funds raised for charitable causes. Passionate about making a positive impact and fostering meaningful connections within the community.”
Why this example passes:
- Communicates the candidate’s experience, specifying over 5 years of volunteer work.
- Includes quantifiable metrics such as a 30% increase in volunteer participation and a 20% rise in funds raised.
Bad example:
“Eager volunteer looking to help out in any way possible. Possesses great interpersonal skills and a willingness to learn. Ready to take on any task given.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify volunteer’s performance.
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of volunteer experience.
The fastest way to write your
professional summary
Try LiveCareer’s Resume Builder for expert guidance in writing a compelling professional summary for a volunteer resume. It’s an automated tool that can help you complete a resume in 15 minutes!
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested content written by certified professional resume writers (CPRW).
- 2
The builder features professionally written content and resume keywords that you can select!
- 3
All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
You’ll find the best resume content suggestions in our Resume Builder and can get professional resume-writing help. Get ready for the job search by taking advantage of these resume-writing tools!
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See what they’re saying about us on Trustpilot.
Volunteer resume work
experience examples
The most important part of a volunteer resume is the work experience section. To list volunteer work on your resume, it’s essential to get this section right. Bring your accomplishments to life by using resume action verbs to describe them. Here are a couple of resume examples for volunteers:
Good example:
SPCA I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current
- Volunteered at the local animal shelter, providing care and comfort to homeless animals.
- Assisted in organizing and executing successful fundraising events for a non-profit organization
- Collaborated with a team of volunteers to build a playground for a disadvantaged community
- Mentored high school students in various subjects, helping them develop their academic and professional skills.
Why this example passes:
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- Demonstrated compassion and dedication by volunteering at a local animal shelter.
- Exhibited strong organizational and leadership skills by contributing to the planning and executing successful fundraising events for a non-profit organization.
Bad example:
St. Vincent de Paul I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present
- Volunteered at a local soup kitchen.
- Assisted with fundraising events.
- Helped organize donations.
- Attended weekly meetings.
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not volunteer achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.
Volunteer resume skills examples
Here are 18 sample skills for volunteer:
- Donor Relations
- Fundraising
- Research
- Building cleaning
- Public Relations
- Data Entry
- Administrative Support
- Event Planning
- Team Collaboration
- Document Management
- Clerical Support
- Computer Skills
- Social Media Management
- Operations Support
- Event Setup
- Resource Coordination
- Supply Coordination
- Project Oversight
You should add hard skills, soft skills and technical skills to your volunteer resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience and dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
A resume has five main sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and the education section. However, you can add different sections to your volunteer resume to show more achievements.
Here are some examples of optional volunteer resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- Volunteer work
- Skills summary
- Community involvement
- Awards and achievements
- Hobbies and interests
- Languages
Examples of resume formats
The way you organize your resume is called a resume format. There are three resume formats: chronological resume, functional resume and combination resume.
The difference between resume formats is whether they emphasize your work history or skills section more prominently. The choice of format should be determined by your years of work experience as a volunteer.
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time volunteer who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career volunteer.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for volunteer with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Choosing a volunteer resume template is easy once you determine the best layout. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks great!
Don’t forget your volunteer cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
Solid communication and transferable skills are necessary for anyone applying to a volunteer role. That’s why ensuring your cover letter is compelling and showcases some of these essential skills is crucial.
Your volunteer cover letter should explain how you heard about the role and why it appeals to you. It should do more than repeat the details of your resume; it should bring them to life with a story.
If you want help in that challenge, check out our Cover Letter Generator! It’s a fully automated tool that will walk you through the writing process step-by-step and even suggest text you can use!
Otherwise, use our cover letter examples if you’re still brainstorming what to write. They can inspire you!
For design help, check out our cover letter templates library. We’ve got 15+ preformatted cover letter designs you can use for your document!
To create a great document from scratch, see our complete guide on How to Write a Cover Letter. Learn how to write a resume that passes applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to scan resumes by accessing our ATS resume templates.
You will find all the information you need to write an impactful cover letter in our How to Write a Cover Letter article.
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