About WomenOnCall.Org

WomenOnCall.Org is a unique online network that connects women with specific volunteer opportunities that allow them to share their professional skills and expertise with nonprofits.

Through on-site and virtual volunteer opportunities, WomenOnCall.org members provide short, high-impact, skills-based service, making giving back realistic and efficient.

History

After volunteering for decades, working with a wide variety of non-profits and sharing her talents on a number of boards, Margot Pritzker became aware that while many non-profits were easily able to recruit volunteers to staff an event or perform traditional volunteering tasks, they had low budgets and were unable to afford the kind of outside professional expertise they lacked, but perhaps only needed for short-term assignments. In Margot’s estimation, non-profits were in desperate need of high-caliber volunteers with professional skills. However, when balancing a career and family life, it can be difficult for women to carve out time to volunteer, despite wanting to give back to their communities and causes they care about.

Thinking about this challenge in 2005, Margot developed the idea for a web-based organization that eased the difficulty of matching the right volunteer with professional skills with the right non-profit that needed them. In addition, the organization had to emphasize how much could be done in one hour – maximizing both the non-profit’s and volunteer’s valuable time. Thus, WomenOnCall.org was born.

Unique Perspective on Volunteering

While there are many volunteer match sites, none focus specifically on the high-impact method of utilizing professional skills and short-term commitments that WomenOnCall.org emphasizes. In addition, many of the volunteer opportunities can be completed virtually–during a busy woman’s lunch hour or in the evening. 

For example, through WomenOnCall.org, a lawyer could review and provide feedback for a memorandum of understanding for a women’s shelter, a graphic designer could develop a brochure for an elderly home or a writer could edit a monthly newsletter. The win-win experience allows non-profits to gain outside assistance from professionals they may otherwise not have the chance to work with, especially when the economy is tough.

And women (whether working, laid off, stay-at-home moms or retired) can keep their skills sharp, adding a substantive line to their resume while networking with wonderful organizations and their dedicated and passionate staff.