It was a snowy November night that brought in the 6th annual Edmonton Timeraiser, however Boyle Street Plaza was filled with art lovers who had come to bid their volunteer hours in a silent auction for a variety of artwork. The average piece was auctioned off for 100 volunteer hours, and altogether the event raised 4,000 hours to be contributed to Edmonton non-profits and volunteer organizations.

Timeraiser is a Canada-wide initiative that aims to enrich communities through volunteer time contributions, support local artists, and create non-monetary access to artwork . The 2015 Edmonton Timeraiser may be far in the future, but you should mark your calendars as it is a lot of fun for some great causes.

However, you don’t need to wait until next year to volunteer! NextGen had the chance to speak with several non-profit organizations at Edmonton Timeraiser who will need volunteers with all kinds of skill sets. Find out below if there is anything for which you can offer your time!

CASA is a major community-focused provider of mental health services for infants, children, adolescents and their families, located in Edmonton and serving central and northern Alberta. Volunteers are needed to work the Casa Gala on May 1, 2015 and the Family Bike Ride. No prior commitment is needed, and registration is not skill specific. For further information click here.

Dogs With Wings is an organization that trains qualified assistance dogs for Albertans with disabilities. It has been active since 1996 and has provided access to 105 service dogs. Dogs With Wings needs volunteers with graphic design experience to create brochures and posters, as well as foster families for the dogs. Fostering is a two year commitment, and more information can be found here.

Freewill Shakespeare Festival is a non-profit theatre company that stages two plays by William Shakespeare each summer. Interested in volunteering? There are administrative, graphic design, photography, and fundraising positions available. Volunteer roles to work the festival as ushers, ticket takers, concession stand handlers and more. Further information to be found here.

Futurpreneur is a non-profit organization that provides financing, support, training and mentorship to young entrepreneurs throughout Canada. Their target demographic is 18-39 so is a perfect match for the interested NextGen-er. Futurpreneur is always looking for mentors to provide lessons from their own experience in business. If this sounds interesting to you, click here.

The Pride Centre of Edmonton is an organization that has provided services and support to the LGBTQ community in Edmonton for the past 40 years and is completely volunteer run. There are available roles for all skill sets, including positions to plan events, conferences, Pride month, as well as administrative volunteers and Drop-In hosts to greet people during the Drop-in hours at the centre. There is also a specific need for musicians to instruct a youth music and songwriting class. Find out more here.

There are many more non-profits in Edmonton which need volunteers. Timeraiser is one way to support these organizations, create widespread awareness and actively increase volunteering in the community. NextGen encourages all interested Edmontonians to use their skills to contribute to these worthy causes in our city.