Elahe Sharifpour-Hicks and her family

Decide on a cause. By choosing a cause to dedicate yourself to, you will be more likely to make a difference in your chosen area. This is because you will have more time and resources to dedicate to this particular cause, rather than spreading your time and resources too thin by being involved in several causes.

• You can visit VolunteerMatch.org to get matched to a cause based on your interests. This is a great resource because you can receive suggestions and information for nonprofit organizations in your area that need your help.