Time commitment
We work best with volunteers who can commit to three to six months — long enough to build something real and see it through. That said, we understand life doesn’t always fit a neat timeline.
If you have less time to give, reach out anyway. Every conversation is worth having.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Reach us at shalini@udayancareusa.org
Volunteer/Intern Opportunities
There are two ways to get involved. Both matter.
Direct Program Support
Some volunteers work alongside our children and Shalini Fellows — tutoring, mentoring, teaching a skill, or just being a consistent presence in a young person’s life. For children who have experienced instability, a reliable adult who shows up week after week is not a small thing. It is often the thing.
We match you based on what you bring — a subject you know well, a skill worth teaching, or just the capacity to listen and engage. You don’t need a background in education or social work. You need to be dependable and genuinely interested.
Organizational & Operations Support
Others contribute behind the scenes — in research, data, communications, nonprofit operations, and fundraising. These roles are ideally suited for college interns or early-career professionals who want hands-on nonprofit experience while building something real.
This isn’t busywork. We’re a small team, which means your contributions have a direct impact on how the organization runs and grows.
How it works
We build your role with intention. You tell us what you have. We tell you where it fits. Then we get to work.
Getting started is straightforward. Here’s what to expect from the moment you reach out to the moment you wrap up.
- Start the conversation early: Email us at shalini@udayancareusa.org to express your interest. If you’re planning an in-person placement in India, reach out at least six months in advance — this gives us the time to design something purposeful rather than just find you something to do. Remote volunteers can typically get started sooner.
- Define your role together: You’ll connect with our team to identify where your skills are most needed and what you want to get out of the experience. If your placement involves working directly with Udayan Care India, you’ll also coordinate with their staff to set clear, shared goals from the start.
- Stay in touch as you go: We ask all volunteers to submit brief weekly updates to their on-site or remote contact. This keeps everyone aligned and makes sure you have the support you need in real time — not after the fact.
- Document what you built: Before you finish, you’ll submit a short final report: what you worked on, what changed, and what you’d tell the next person stepping into your role. This isn’t paperwork — it’s how we make sure your work outlasts your time with us.
- Tell us how we did: We’ll send you a brief evaluation to complete after your placement. Your honest feedback shapes how we work with every volunteer who comes after you.
