NIU Volunteer Opportunities
Many of the volunteer opportunities to get involved with NIU are featured below. Simply click on each category to learn more about them.
If you'd like to receive information about new volunteer opportunities, and opportunities geared toward your specific interests, please remember to complete your NIU Nexus Volunteer Profile.
On Campus Volunteer Opportunities >
NIU Cares Day (April 13, 2019)
NIU Cares Day is a campus-wide day of service that brings NIU students, faculty, staff, friends of NIU and alumni together to thank the community for their support of the institution and its mission. Alumni are needed for leadership roles as they volunteer alongside students on campus. Click here to register!
If you're not in the area, don't worry. You can volunteer to host a service project in your home community. Navigate to our off campus volunteer opportunities sections on this page to learn more.
NIU Commencement Cap and Gown Pickup (May 9 - 10, 2019)
Help celebrate graduating Huskies and welcome them to the alumni community by volunteering at Cap and Gown pickup.
Volunteers will help NIU Alumni Association staff congratulate our new graduates with a both a free license plate frame and year-long membership to the Alumni Association. Volunteers will also share information about how to stay connected with NIU through alumni association activities and communications. Participants will be trained and accompanied by staff, but will definitely be the stars of the show as they share their stories and inspire the next generation of alumni! Volunteers can sign up for one or more two-hour shifts here.
Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (April 17, 2019)
NIU’s annual Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (April 17) delivers a rare opportunity for close to 200 NIU students to showcase their research, putting their presentation skills to the test in a competitive public setting. Evaluating students’ presentation skills is a wonderful opportunity to support NIU students and their research. Click here to register!
NIU Esports: Volunteer Coaches and Content Experts Needed (Ongoing)
Get involved in esports at NIU! Our fast-growing esports club program needs knowledgeable volunteers to support coaching students, presenting in esports classes, and organizing esports tournaments. There are so many opportunities for students, alumni and community members to have fun, play video games and help build our exciting esports program. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Jeannine East or Aline Click at esports@niu.edu.
Department of Accountancy "Helping Huskies" Mentor Program (Ongoing)
"Helping Huskies" connects accountancy alumni with students for one-on-one conversations about careers, academics, business and start-ups. Set your availability and choose the areas you’d like to mentor in. Then you'll be matched with students looking for assistance in those areas. Matches don't always occur instantaneously, but your participation in the mentoring network will greatly enhance the department's ability to provide accountancy students with strong mentors. Click here to join.
Communiversity Gardens (Ongoing)
The NIU Communiversity Gardens are part of a community-wide approach to end food insecurity in DeKalb County by providing access to fresh organic vegetables that are locally grown for anyone in need. Volunteers have the opportunity to plant, weed and harvest for this cause while improving their gardening skills. Volunteers are typically needed for shifts a few days per week. Click here and sign up to volunteer for hours that fit your schedule.
Huskie Food Pantry (Ongoing)
The Huskie Food Pantry is an amazing NIU program that serves students who lack access to adequate food sources. The pantry is a nonprofit organization that relies on the support of generous donors, volunteers, interns and university partners to maintain the program. During the summer months, the pantry is in great need of volunteers to fill the roles left vacant by dedicated student volunteers who have gone home for the summer. Alumni volunteers can help by donating food, stocking shelves or serving on a pantry night. Click here and sign up to volunteer.
Off Campus Volunteer Opportunities >
Volunteer for Admissions (March - April, 2019)
Help NIU staff encourage prospective students in your community to take the next step in the Admissions process. Volunteers share their "NIU story" with students and their families at pre-selected NIU Admissions recruitment events.Training is provided to volunteers after they sign-up for an upcoming event!
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NIU Alumni Asociation Advocacy Day (April 30, 2019)Your voice is important to NIU's conversation with state legislators! NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman and the NIU Alumni Association invite you to share your NIU story and NIU's legislative priorities with current legislators during the inaugural NIU Advocacy Day. Register today.
NIU President Dr. Lisa C. Freeman and the NIU Alumni Association invite you to share your NIU story and NIU's legislative priorities with current legislators during the inaugural NIU Advocacy Day. -
National NIU Cares Day (April 13, 2019)
NIU Cares Day is a nation-wide day of service that brings NIU students, faculty, staff, friends of NIU and alumni together to show what it means to have Huskie Spirit. Volunteer as a Team Leader and coordinate a project in your community. Team Leader registration closes on March 3, 2019. Looking to sign-up for a project you know is happening in your area? Click here! Team Member registration closes on March 29, 2019.
Please note that, if you live near campus, our greatest need is for alumni to volunteer alongside students on campus. 
Become a volunteer advocate for NIU! (Ongoing)
Add your voice to the conversation and share NIU's legislative priorities with legislators in your district. Click here to learn more, or register for our advocacy platform and become an advocate!
Online Volunteer Opportunities >
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Become a volunteer advocate for NIU! (Ongoing)
Add your voice to the conversation and share NIU's legislative priorities with legislators in your district. Click here to register for our advocacy platform and to become an advocate!
Graduate Career and Professional Development Connections (Ongoing)
The NIU Graduate School Career and Professional Development Portal provides professional development programming through use of educational strategies that engage graduate students in job discovery and diverse career opportunities. Alumni are key in helping students gain insight on what their field is demanding and how the job market is changing. To develop connections with alumni, workshops through the program show graduate students how to use LinkedIn as a networking tool to find alumni who have jobs of interest to them. Graduate students are then encouraged to conduct 15- to 20-minute online interviews with these alumni. Program staff seek alumni who are interested in participating in these interviews. Alumni can sign-up here to participate.
NIUniverse: A Social Media Ambassador Program (Ongoing)
Join the NIUniverse to share your Huskie pride through your social networks! NIU social media ambassadors have first-look access to exciting content, can share and recommend stories on behalf of the NIU Alumni Association and can win Huskie swag by participating in contests and challenges. All you have to do is join, take a few moments each week to share our stories with your networks and participate in our contests! The more you participate, the better your chances at winning awesome NIU swag. Sign up here.
Department of Communication Alumni: Share your Success Story! (Ongoing)
The Department of Communication, which includes Communication Studies and Journalism, seeks to celebrate their graduates' career accomplishments by featuring their success stories online. If you are an alumnus of the program who is interested in sharing their story, contact Laura Vazquez at lvazquez@niu.edu to have your profile added to the Department of Communication webpage.
Refer a Huskie (Ongoing)
Remember, you can always use the NIU Alumni Association's online form to refer a student that would make a great Huskie. Students referred this way receive a promotional code, which covers the application cost.