Why Volunteering in NYC Builds Culture and Community
Volunteering connects New York companies with causes like food insecurity, education equity, and immigrant support—while also boosting morale, retention, and brand purpose.
Percent Pledge makes it easy by curating opportunities and offering planning help when needed, so your team can focus on impact.
Learn more about Percent Pledge full-service volunteer opportunities.
Best Group and Employee Volunteer Opportunities in NYC
Explore a curated list of group volunteer opportunities in NYC—ideal for employee engagement and building social impact across boroughs.
Serve Warm Meals to Those in Need This Holiday Season
Help prepare and serve meals to homeless and low-income individuals at a critical time of year.
- Nonprofit mission: The Bowery Mission supports homeless and low-income New Yorkers with meals, shelter, and support services.
- Volunteer activities: Prepare meals, serve meals, organize donations.
- Location: 227 Bowery, New York, NY
- Group size: Small (up to 20 people)
- Causes: Hunger & Homelessness
Deliver Meals and Smiles to Seniors
Brighten the day of homebound seniors by delivering meals and providing companionship.
- Nonprofit mission: Vision Urbana delivers nutritious meals to the elderly and those unable to cook for themselves, helping them maintain independence.
- Volunteer activities: Deliver meals to seniors, provide friendly conversation.
- Location: 64-66 Essex St., New York, NY
- Group size: Small (up to 20 people)
- Causes: Senior Services, Hunger
Pack Food for NYC Families in Need
Sort and pack food items to create meal boxes for low-income families during the busy holiday season.
- Nonprofit mission: Food Bank NYC provides food and support to those in need across the five boroughs.
- Volunteer activities: Sort food items, pack meal boxes.
- Location: 355 Food Center Dr, Bronx NY
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Hunger & Homelessness
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Repack Food for NYC Families
Repack bulk food items into smaller packages for distribution to local food programs.
- Nonprofit mission: City Harvest is dedicated to feeding New Yorkers in need by rescuing and distributing food across the city.
- Volunteer activities: Repack bulk food into smaller packages, prepare items for distribution.
- Location: Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Hunger, Food Insecurity
Virtual Hunger Simulation: Understand Food Insecurity
Take part in a virtual simulation to understand the challenges of food insecurity and discuss how to help.
- Nonprofit mission: Food Bank NYC works to end hunger by providing food, information, and support for community survival and dignity.
- Volunteer activities: Participate in a hunger simulation, engage in group discussions.
- Location: Virtual
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Hunger & Homelessness
Serve and Support NYC’s Homeless Population
Assist with meal prep, serving, and organizing donations to support NYC’s homeless community.
- Nonprofit mission: The Bowery Mission provides services and resources to homeless and low-income New Yorkers, including meals, shelter, and support.
- Volunteer activities: Prepare and serve meals, organize donations.
- Location: 227 Bowery, New York, NY
- Group size: Small (up to 20 people)
- Causes: Hunger & Homelessness
Distribute Fresh Produce in NYC
Distribute fresh produce to residents in food-insecure neighborhoods through City Harvest’s Mobile Market program.
- Nonprofit mission: City Harvest rescues surplus food and delivers it to hundreds of community programs across New York City.
- Volunteer activities: Distribute fresh produce, set up and manage the market.
- Location: Various locations throughout NYC
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Hunger, Food Insecurity
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Restore and Beautify NYC’s Randall’s Island
Participate in tree planting, shoreline clean-up, and urban farming to help restore and beautify Randall’s Island.
- Nonprofit mission: Randall’s Island Park Alliance develops and maintains the park to support recreational and environmental programs for New Yorkers.
- Volunteer activities: Plant trees, clean shorelines, maintain urban farm.
- Location: Randall’s Island, New York, NY
- Group size: Large (up to 100 people)
- Causes: Environment
Help Keep Central Park Beautiful
Join the “Day in the Dirt” program to plant, mulch, and paint in Central Park, contributing to the park’s maintenance and beauty.
- Nonprofit mission: Central Park Conservancy preserves and maintains Central Park, enhancing the park’s accessibility and enjoyment for all visitors.
- Volunteer activities: Plant, mulch, and paint, support park maintenance.
- Location: Central Park, New York, NY
- Group size: Large (up to 100 people)
- Causes: Environment
Garden and Green Governors Island
Support the horticulture team in gardening tasks to keep Governors Island green and thriving.
- Nonprofit mission: Friends of Governors Island works to enhance the public accessibility and enjoyment of Governors Island.
- Volunteer activities: Garden and maintain green spaces, assist horticulture team.
- Location: Governors Island, New York, NY
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Environment
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Beautify Madison Square Park
Take part in planting, painting, and general garden maintenance to help beautify Madison Square Park.
- Nonprofit mission: Madison Square Park Conservancy maintains and enhances the park as a public space for recreation and reflection.
- Volunteer activities: Plant, paint, and maintain gardens, support park beautification.
- Location: Madison Square Park, New York, NY
- Group size: Medium (up to 50 people)
- Causes: Environment
Top Virtual, Remote, and Online Volunteer Opportunities
Looking to engage your remote or hybrid workforce? Our virtual volunteer opportunities let teams across locations give back together—no travel needed.
Percent Pledge hosts monthly virtual Community Volunteer Events and offers custom a global Volunteering Platform with a database of 100,000+ volunteer opportunities for your teams to explore.
From Zoom-based mentoring to remote kits and donation drives, our team handles the logistics so yours can focus on creating real impact.
👉 View Virtual Community Volunteer Events
👉 Learn About Virtual Volunteer Planning Services
Best Places to Work in NYC: Social Impact Report
How does your company’s social impact program compare?
Download the 2025 Best Places to Work in NYC: Social Impact Report to see how top employers use volunteering and giving to boost retention, employee happiness, and brand reputation.
This free report includes benchmarks from local companies across industries and sizes—perfect for teams building or improving their social impact programs.