In 2023, nearly 28.3% of Americans reported volunteering, contributing over 4.99 billion hours of service, which had an economic value of $167.2 billion.

Which begs the question: why? What drives individuals, even after a long workweek, to dedicate their time and energy without expecting anything in return?

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First, volunteering is a great way for morally ambitious individuals to make an impact. In the NGO space, many organizations rely on volunteers to achieve their mission, and because of limited funds, these roles often go unfilled without them. Volunteering can offer significant value, especially in areas where paid positions don’t exist.

Read: No, You Don’t Have to Quit Your Job. Here Are 5 Ways You Can Have an Impact.

Volunteering benefits volunteers too. A 2020 Harvard study found that those who volunteered over 100 hours per year had a 44% lower risk of mortality, 17% lower risk of physical limitations, and reported better overall health compared to non-volunteers. In short, volunteering will make you happier and healthier for a long time.

Lastly, volunteering is a great way to explore career paths. At The School, we help people find careers with positive impact, but we understand that a full career switch may not be the right move for everyone immediately. Volunteering offers a powerful way to contribute while working toward a more impactful future role.

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Whether you’re a recent graduate seeking experience, a busy professional seeking purpose, or a retiree looking for meaningful connection, volunteering offers a rewarding way for people in all stages of life to combine impact with personal fulfillment.

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Explore our list of volunteer opportunities below, or keep reading to hear about the experiences our volunteers have had at The School.
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Our volunteer opportunities

Here is a list of the volunteer roles we are currently seeking to fill. To apply, simply use the link provided with each role description, or submit our general volunteer application form, specifying the role you’re interested in.
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Events Volunteer

Our events bring community members together — whether it’s informal Community Drinks or a large-scale Summit or Conference. As an events volunteer, you’ll be added to a group chat where we share requests for help for upcoming events. 
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Commitment: Flexible

Experience: None needed

Apply: Learn more here
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Circle Starter

As a Circle Starter, you'll play a crucial role in fostering new groups of morally ambitious individuals, guiding them through our structured program to help them discover their personal path to greater impact. You’ll be the one who sparks meaningful conversations and ensures the success of each group’s journey.

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Commitment: Flexible, 2 hours/week

Experience: Facilitation experience preferred but not required

Apply: Learn more here

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Would you like to contribute in another way? Fill out our general application form.

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Meet our volunteers

At The School, we’re fortunate to have volunteers with varying time commitments, experience, and areas of expertise. What they all share is a drive to create a better world and help our movement grow.

Without their dedication, none of this would be possible. Meet three of our volunteers and read their stories here.
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Adil Laouaji, Finance Team

For some volunteers, the skills they bring are exactly what The School needs to move to the next level. This was certainly the case for Adil Laouaji, who joined us just as we were starting out.

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Adil says: “I saw a post on LinkedIn about The School for Moral Ambition looking for volunteers. After learning about the mission and how I could contribute, I was sold.”

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“The job was challenging, but I enjoyed that.”

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As a finance expert, Adil brought a crucial skillset, one often lacking in new non-profit organizations.

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“It grew so fast, faster than I could imagine”, Adil describes. “That made the job challenging, but I enjoy a good challenge. The best part was the people — listening and learning about their expertise and how to use it for the right cause.”

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For Adil, volunteering was not just about a challenge, but about gaining valuable new perspectives.

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“What was important to me was the scientific nature of The School”, he shares. “The fellowships showcased change based on tackling real-world issues. Additionally, the experience of colleagues in their fields was eye-opening. I enjoy being the least knowledgeable person in the room with new subjects, because that’s how we learn and evolve.”

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Lucie Spek, Events Team

For Lucie Spek, volunteering was an opportunity to immerse herself in the Moral Ambition community and help it grow.

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Lucie: “When I joined the first official event in September, I heard Marijn thanking all the volunteers, and that’s when I discovered the possibility of volunteering at The School. The thought of helping organize such inspiring events for this amazing organization really excited me! My Circle program had finished, and I wanted to stay involved with The School and all the morally ambitious people, to keep getting inspired.”

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“I felt instantly welcomed.”

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Lucie is part of our flexible pool of event volunteers, helping our community manager, Marijn Scheltens, host events and ensure everyone feels welcome.

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“I felt instantly welcomed, even though I didn’t know anyone”, she shares. “The other volunteers are motivated, friendly, and hands-on, which creates a great environment.”

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Volunteering in this way not only helps grow our movement, but can also be personally rewarding.

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Lucie describes: “Being a volunteer at The School has expanded my network of morally ambitious people, and keeps me surrounded by individuals who inspire me. You might think that you can find those people without volunteering, but for me, being a volunteer helps me feel more included and step out of my comfort zone. I really enjoy the feeling of being able to contribute to something so cool!”

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Auke Lamers, Tax Fairness Research Team

Another way volunteers support The School is by contributing their expertise to pressing challenges we focus on.

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Auke Lamers, with his extensive experience as a former tax partner at PWC and his current role as a lecturer at Tilburg University, knew immediately that he had to get involved when The School began researching a fellowship to reform the tax system.

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Auke describes the moment: “When I read the job vacancy, I thought, ‘THIS IS ME.’ Moral ambition, collaborating with like-minded people, and using my expertise as a tax professional — it all came together perfectly.”

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Read: ‘Tax the Rich’ Sounds Simple. Here’s How We Actually Get It Done. 

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Auke was selected for the role and tasked with researching the potential impact of a tax fairness fellowship and what the program could look like. He was given the freedom to shape the research project as he saw fit.

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Auke: “The School gave me full freedom to organize and manage the feasibility study in my own way while facilitating knowledge sharing from previous fellowship projects. I also recruited two other tax researchers, Josephine van der Have and Kees Arjen Heineken, to help with the study.”

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“Volunteering at The School has opened a broader mindset.”

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Volunteering at The School and being involved in the Fellowships has provided Auke with a wealth of experiences.

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“I met new people with true moral ambition and a genuine interest in real societal issues”, he shares. “The onboarding process was professional (thank you, Catarina!) and I felt like part of The School for Moral Ambition from day one. Volunteering at The School has opened up a new network, new ways of working, and a broader mindset. I am grateful to be part of The School and intend on doing this for the long term.”

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