10 unique Nevada nonprofits in need of volunteers

Volunteer your time to one of these 10 Nevada nonprofits this holiday season and all year-round to help make a difference in your community.

Nevada is home to nearly 15,000 nonprofits that address the population’s critical needs, providing social, educational, artistic, cultural, and health services for residents from all economic and cultural backgrounds.

These nonprofit organizations are almost always seeking volunteers to help fill gaps, reduce costs, contribute specialized skills, and expand outreach. It’s a great way to make a difference, support a cause you care about, and contribute to your community.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps, over 75.7 million people–especially Baby Boomers and GenXers–formally volunteered for nonprofit organizations in the United States between 2022 and 2023.

From women-focused nonprofits to environmental stewards, here are 10 Nevada nonprofits worth volunteering your time to this holiday season, and all year round. To find other volunteer opportunities or a nonprofit aligned with your specific interests, check out Nevada Volunteers, a statewide resource for national service and volunteerism.

Project Marilyn

Las Vegas

In the United States, women comprise more than half the population. That means plenty of visits from Aunt Flow, an expensive and potentially embarrassing monthly guest. In the U.S., one in four teens and one in three adults struggle to afford period products, sometimes causing them to miss school and work, according to the U.N. Nonprofit Project Marilyn ensures that period supplies are available to women who need them, assembling and distributing period kits throughout Nevada.

How to volunteer

The best way to volunteer your time to the organization is by organizing or attending a period kit packing event. You just need a minimum of five people, making it a good group volunteer opportunity for offices, clubs, teams, church groups, friends, or family. For more information on volunteering, sign up on the website.

The Center

Las Vegas

An inclusive hub for the Southern Nevada LGBTQ community, The Center celebrates a diversity of bodies, genders, and relationships, empowering individuals to live authentic lives. This community center and resource serves nearly 200,000 clients, offering 40 programs and services, including education, peer support groups, healthcare, and recovery.

How to volunteer

The Center offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals over the age of 18, from welcoming guests and maintaining the library to planning and setting up events. Volunteers are required to pass a criminal background check. Visit the website to sign up to volunteer.

Eddy House

Reno

According to the Nevada Current, national data shows that 10 percent of young adults and 3 percent of adolescents are unhoused over the course of a year. The only nonprofit in Northern Nevada serving homeless, runaway, foster, and at-risk youth of all backgrounds, Eddy House is a daytime drop-in center and overnight shelter. Along with providing youth with a safe place to go, the organization collaborates with the community to provide outreach, aftercare, healthcare assistance, counseling, life and job skills, and other services.

How to volunteer

Those over the age of 18 (or accompanied by an adult if under 18) will find many hands-on volunteer opportunities at the 24-hour Eddy House facility, from organizing and shopping for the clothing closet to cleaning the facility’s yard. Eddy House often needs help organizing and sorting through donations. Other volunteer opportunities include food preparation, mentorships, and event organizing. Sign up to volunteer on the Eddy House website.

Project 150

Las Vegas

Approximately 550 young people in Southern Nevada have no home to sleep in at night, according to an 8 News Now report from earlier this year. Born out of the community’s desire to help unhoused teens stay in school, survive, and thrive, Project 150 provides homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students with free support so they don’t have to worry about necessities like food, clothing, and school supplies.

How to Volunteer

Volunteer for Project 150, age 15 or older (unless accompanied by an adult), help make family meal bags, sort donations, and assist during special events such as serving holiday meals to unhoused families. Opportunities are available for individuals and groups. For more information, visit the website.

Pets of the Homeless

Carson City

Between 5-10 percent—and sometimes as high as 25 percent—of the 3.5 million unhoused people in America have dogs or cats, according to Pets of the Homeless. These pets provide comfort, protection, and warmth to those living on the streets. They are also often an obstacle to the unhoused when seeking shelter. Pets of the Homeless helps the unhoused to keep their pets fed and healthy, allowing them to focus on getting back on their feet.

How to volunteer

Volunteers are needed to collect pet food at community events, donation sites, food drives, wellness clinics, and more. Visit the website for information on volunteer opportunities.

Safe Nest

Clark County

Nearly 62 percent of women in Nevada have experienced some form of domestic violence, according to the World Population Review. With 10 locations throughout Clark County, SafeNest provides a discreet, safe shelter for victims of domestic and sexual abuse while also providing resources to help batterers end the cycle of abuse. The nonprofit has been dedicated to addressing the entire continuum of violence from prevention to empowerment since 1977. Services include a 24/7 crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, court support, and advocacy.

How to volunteer

From working behind the scenes to providing direct services, you will find plenty of ways to lend a hand at SafeNest. Volunteers answer phones, help organize donations, perform administrative tasks, plan events, and may even help survivors at the scene of domestic violence incidents. To learn more about the five-step process for volunteering at Safe Nest, visit the website.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness

Southern and Northern Nevada

Friends of Nevada Wilderness is dedicated to preserving Nevada’s public lands (at least 5,000 acres) as wilderness for future generations through education and advocacy. This includes protecting wilderness and wildlife from ongoing threats, raising public awareness, managing lands, and restoring these lands.

How to volunteer

From the Clark County Wetlands in Las Vegas to the Rancho San Rafael Regional Park in Reno, Friends of the Wilderness has an action-packed calendar of events in Southern and Northern Nevada. Check it out for volunteer opportunities.

Urban Roots

Reno

Gardens and gardening provide multiple benefits to children, teens, and adults. Urban Roots is a year-round, non-profit regenerative farm that uses gardening as a vehicle for S.T.E.A.M. education, environmental stewardship, and nutritional awareness. Through a partnership with Renown Hospital in 2017, Urban Roots created their Urban Teaching Farm located at 1700 E. Second St. 

How to volunteer

There are many ways to volunteer at Urban Roots, including weeding, picking, washing vegetables, forking, shoveling, sorting, and bunching. Currently, volunteer hours are scheduled for every second Saturday of the month.

The Cupcake Girls

Las Vegas

KSNV reports that Nevada ranks second in the nation for human trafficking rates. The Cupcake Girls provides trauma-informed outreach, advocacy, holistic resources, and referral services for prevention and aftercare for survivors of sex trafficking and those in the sex industry. This confidential resource empowers its clients to reach their goals by offering respect, care, and connection through referrals, medical and mental health care, career support, educational resources, safe housing options, and support groups.

How to volunteer

The Cupcake Girls has volunteer opportunities from baking cupcakes and catering events to writing “thank you” notes and cleaning the office. Volunteers usually work for five hours per month. Learn more about volunteer requirements, opportunities, and orientations on the website.

Opportunity Village

With four campuses in Las Vegas, Opportunity Village has served people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1954. This organization provides workforce development, community employment, day services, inclusive housing, arts, and social recreation. There is a thrift store and a neighborhood club, plus the nonprofit puts on popular community events and fundraisers, including the Magical Forest, HallOVeen, and the Las Vegas Great Santa Run.

How to volunteer

Volunteers are needed to work at events and at the Opportunity Village Thrift Store. They also assist in other areas. Visit the website to learn about volunteer opportunities at Opportunity Village.