volunteer, volunteering

- engaging in service or work without pay through a community organization such as a school, hospital, museum, environmental group, social service or recreational agency, food bank, faith-based organization, or any nonprofit organization.

informal volunteering - helping one's neighbor.
SOURCE: Corporation for National and Community Service to describe service that is not supervised by an organization.


cyber-volunteer - someone who serves by consulting online.
SOURCE: In an interview at the National Conference of Volunteering and Service, First Lady of California Maria Shriver said she learned the term from colleagues at Kiva.org, which has cyper-volunteers working in the field of micro-financing.