April marks National Volunteer Month: a month dedicated to volunteering in the community, building connections, and fostering an environment where everyone is welcome. It is a time to recognize the power of volunteering and service along with the vital role that it plays in strengthening the community and the lives of others. Volunteering not only provides an opportunity for individuals to give back to their community, but also to support local initiatives, build awareness on topics they are passionate about, and create positive change. Our way of celebrating this month includes sharing this list of nonprofit organizations, to help keep you involved all year long.
Nonprofits Seeking Volunteers
Welcome Baskets
Welcome Baskets, Inc. is a community-driven organization dedicated to welcoming and supporting new migrants in central Indiana. Providing essential household goods and fostering meaningful relationships, they help ease the transition for recently arrived refugees and migrants in Indianapolis. While resettlement agencies offer crucial initial support, they have limitations, and that’s where Welcome Baskets steps in: filling service gaps, offering friendship, and connecting people to vital resources. Through thoughtfully curated “Bedroom in a Basket,” “Bathroom in a Basket,” and “Cleaning Closet in a Basket” initiatives, they ensure that new arrivals feel not just equipped but embraced by their new community. Their vision is for every migrant to experience a warm welcome, with the challenges of relocation softened by support, connection, and care. Volunteers must be over 18 years old and help in a variety of ways including, but not limited to purchasing supplies for welcome baskets, assembling baskets, distributing baskets, helping run events, and organizing drives.
Harmony IN Horses
Harmony IN Horses is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting youth who have experienced trauma, foster care, or adoption through the transformative power of equine-assisted learning. The organization offers a combination of horse therapy, community mentorship, caregiver support, and immersive nature activities to help young individuals build critical life skills, including independence, responsibility, and self-esteem. One of its key initiatives, Horse PowHER, focuses specifically on young female survivors of sex trafficking, providing them with a safe space for recovery, empowerment, and growth. Located in Indianapolis, a major crossroads city for trafficking, Harmony IN Horses provides a vital path toward healing, ensuring that each participant has the opportunity to rebuild their confidence and find lasting support. Volunteers play an essential role in the organization, acting as youth mentors, assisting with fundraisers, and helping with the care of the barn and horses. Click here to join the volunteer team!
Indy Hygiene Hub
Indy Hygiene Hub, formerly known as Dotted Line Divas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides essential hygiene items to over 150 families in Central Indiana every month. With support from the community, volunteers, and partnerships, they can keep their pantry stocked to help restore dignity and hope for those in need. There are many ways you can help support Indy Hygiene Hub’s mission, including donating, becoming an event sponsor, hosting a supply drive, purchasing from their Amazon wishlist, fundraising on Facebook, and volunteering in the pantry.
Pretty Passionate Hands
Pretty Passionate Hands (PPH) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing support, mentorship, and guidance to teen mothers, fathers, and their families. The organization focuses on empowering youth and families by advocating for financial awareness through educational workshops, village support, and mentorship programs. Through these initiatives, PPH works to remove barriers that hinder personal growth, providing the tools and resources necessary for youth and families to achieve their life goals. The organization’s mission is to help teen parents become productive, successful, and responsible adults while fostering a community where every family is fully supported and equipped to thrive.
PPH believes in creating a supportive environment that offers access to essential life skills, childcare, and resources needed to build a brighter future. Volunteers can get involved in a variety of roles, including mentoring, tutoring, facilitating workshops, coordinating resources, and organizing community events. The organization also welcomes advocates to raise awareness about the challenges teen parents face, helping to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to succeed and contribute to the community.
Brightlane Learning
Brightlane Learning is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the devastating issue of child and family homelessness through the power of education. Students experiencing homelessness are 87% more likely to drop out of school than their housed peers. Brightlane Learning provides personalized academic support to help interrupt the cycle of homelessness. Through both school-based and community-based programs, the organization offers tutoring, advocacy, and guidance for students and their families, eliminating barriers and building bridges to educational success. Volunteers and donors are essential to the organization’s mission, helping to create a brighter future for those in need. Click here to learn more about how to get involved.
Little Timmy Project
The Little Timmy Project (TLTP) is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting birthing persons and advocating for improved maternal and infant health in Indiana. Founded by Katie Kirkhoff after the traumatic loss of her son to SIDS in 2018, TLTP strives to address the state’s maternal and infant health statistics. Indiana ranks 42nd in infant mortality and 47th in maternal mortality, making the need for supportive care and advocacy urgent. Through community-based projects, collaboration, and emotional support, TLTP works to provide birthing persons with quality healthcare and mental well-being during and after pregnancy. Funded entirely by donations and staffed by volunteers, the organization is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive environment and creating equity for birthing people in the community. There are lots of ways to volunteer and get involved, including something as simple as working in the shop and fundraising or as dedicated as helping with marketing or writing grants.
Hope Center Indy
Hope Center Indy is a nonprofit organization in Indianapolis dedicated to supporting women who have experienced trauma, including survivors of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and addiction. The organization offers a variety of comprehensive programs designed to address immediate needs and promote long-term healing. Services include residential care options such as Take Heart Residential, Grace House, and Hope Community, which provide therapeutic support, life skills training, and assistance with reintegration into society. Hope Center Indy also operates the David Nolen Pantry of Hope, offering food and supplies to the community, and collaborates on K-9 training for detecting evidence in human exploitation cases. With a focus on empowerment, Hope Center Indy helps women rebuild their lives and provides vital resources for survivors to regain independence and thrive. Their website lists an extensive list of how to get involved with the organization.
Survivor’s Companion
Survivor’s Companion is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing freedom and improving the quality of life for survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence through highly trained PTSD service dogs. As the first organization in the United States specializing in training service dogs specifically for abuse survivors, Survivor’s Companion also offers educational programs for survivors to train their service dogs. The organization works to raise awareness about PTSD, particularly the forms inflicted through domestic violence, while striving to expand its impact by eventually becoming a dog training school. Through this, they aim to increase access to PTSD service dogs nationwide. Volunteer opportunities include dog training, fundraising, and board membership.
Soul Food Project
Established in 2017, Soul Food Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Indianapolis, dedicated to creating a sustainable and equitable food system through community-centered, land-based programs. The organization brings together youth and adults from diverse backgrounds to work collaboratively in farming initiatives aimed at increasing access to fresh, affordable food. Key programs include The Farm, Veggie Box, Seeds to Leaders, Roots to Leaders Apprenticeship, and Community Education. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in Community Volunteer Days, helping with farm tasks such as composting, weeding, and harvesting while also providing youth with opportunities to practice leadership and public speaking skills. Soul Food Project operates farms on the eastside of Indianapolis, partnering with local organizations like Edna Martin Christian Center and KIPP Academy to serve the community and support ongoing sustainability projects.
Dream Center Indianapolis
Dream Center Indianapolis is a nonprofit organization focused on disrupting and reversing the cycle of poverty in Central Indiana. Through collaborative efforts with experts and over 2,000 individuals from various sectors, the Dream Center has developed a roadmap to help people break free from poverty. By leveraging community resources, the center empowers individuals to take meaningful action and make lasting changes. They also offer a platform for people to find their role in this transformative mission. You can help support this organization by serving at various events, becoming a partner, or becoming a life coach.
Indiana Diaper Bank
Indiana Diaper Bank is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating diaper needs across Indiana. By providing diapers and wipes to families in need, the organization helps alleviate the financial burden that many parents face. Through partnerships with over 70 local agencies, the bank distributes essential supplies to ensure babies and toddlers receive the care they need. Indiana Diaper Bank also encourages community involvement through diaper drives, volunteering, and donations. With just $6, the organization can provide an emergency supply of diapers for one baby. You can get involved with the Indiana Diaper Bank by donating, starting a drop-off location, volunteering, or becoming a sponsor.
Hope Anchor and Crew
Hope Anchor & Crew is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering women to lead balanced lives while creating philanthropic jewelry that gives back to local and global causes. Through community and residential fellowships, the organization helps women serve others, while 15% of proceeds from their handmade jewelry support various causes. What started as a family craft initiative has grown into a flourishing studio and global jewelry brand, supporting the belief that hope anchors communities and individuals. Click here to explore volunteer options.
I Support The Girls
Periods don’t stop for homelessness… domestic violence, natural disasters, poverty, or pandemics, and neither does I Support the Girls. I Support the Girls (ISTG) is an organization that focuses on supporting women in numerous ways, primarily through donating bras and menstrual products in hopes of relinquishing the financial burden of being a woman. Their mission is to help make dignity the norm because every person should have dignity every day of the month. Following this, their main message to women around the world is we see you, and we care. 78% of ISTG’s financial support comes from individuals and they rely on volunteers to help sort donations. People can get involved by donating, volunteering, or advocating for equal access to menstrual products.
Nonprofits Seeking Donations
Inner Beauty Program, Inc.
Inner Beauty Program, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, dedicated to empowering young women aged 6 to 18 through comprehensive mentoring and character-building initiatives. Over the years, Inner Beauty has expanded its offerings to include year-round programs focusing on self-awareness, and empowerment, and instills the virtues of living as a principled young woman like motivation, passion, and education.
In addition to its programs for young women, Inner Beauty Program, Inc. has extended its reach to support young men through the New Breed of Youth (New B.O.Y.) initiative. This program offers activities such as sports, martial arts, literacy programs, and community service projects, all designed to foster personal accountability and community engagement among male participants.
Together, these programs cultivate environments where youth are empowered to embrace their unique qualities and become advocates for themselves and their communities.
Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. is a leading nonprofit organization focused on empowering girls to become strong, smart, and bold leaders. With a long history of inspiring and educating girls, Girls Inc. provides essential programs that promote confidence, physical activity, and academic achievement. The organization aims to eliminate barriers that hinder girls’ success and ensure they have the skills and resources to create positive change in their communities. Girls Inc. operates in over 350 cities across the U.S. and Canada, advocating for girls’ rights and leadership opportunities.
Heart Rock Recovery
Heart Rock Recovery Center, based in Indianapolis, offers holistic, family-centered recovery services for pregnant women and mothers ages 18+ who are recovering from substance use disorder. The center provides evidence-based therapy, trauma care, and job skills training while allowing mothers to keep their children under the age of 2 with them during recovery. Through a whole-person approach, Heart Rock empowers women to maintain sobriety and build long-term stability. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.
Dove Recovery House
Dove Recovery House for Women, located in Marion and Dubois counties, is the largest recovery residence for women in the area. Since its founding in 2000, thousands of women have sought recovery from substance use disorder at Dove House, with nearly 80% of residents completing the program. The organization offers safe housing, quality programming, and opportunities for women to become substance-free, self-sufficient, and healthy. There are various ways to get involved, such as volunteering, donating, or attending events.
Nonprofits For Personal Development
Women’s Workshop Richmond
Women’s Workshop Richmond (WWR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Richmond, Indiana, dedicated to empowering women through hands-on training with power tools. Founded by Shana Nissenbaum—a certified Level 2 carpenter and experienced educator—the organization provides a safe and supportive environment where women can learn practical skills and create projects.
WWR offers a variety of workshops tailored to different skill levels and interests. These sessions cover projects such as building pallet pumpkins, blanket ladders, and step stools, allowing participants to gain experience with tools like miter saws, drills, and routers. Special “Mommy and Me” workshops are also available, encouraging collaborative learning between women and their children.
By fostering a community where women can develop independence and confidence in using power tools, Women’s Workshop Richmond aims to challenge traditional gender roles and inspire participants to take on DIY projects and pursue interests in fields where women have been historically underrepresented.
For more information on upcoming workshops or to support their mission, visit their website at womensworkshoprichmond.blogspot.com or follow them on Instagram at @womensworkshoprichmond.
The Indianapolis Propylaeum
The Indianapolis Propylaeum is a historic and cultural institution dedicated to connecting and celebrating women through leadership, arts, and preservation. Established in 1888, the Propylaeum has served as a gathering place for women to use their voices, inspire leadership, and uphold a legacy of mutual support. Since 1923, it has been housed in a beautifully preserved mansion and carriage house from the 1890s that now serves as both a community hub and an event venue.
The Propylaeum offers diverse programs that foster learning, connection, and personal growth. Membership at the Propylaeum provides opportunities for engagement in exclusive groups, programs, and volunteer initiatives, all while supporting the organization’s ongoing commitment to empowering women and enriching the Indianapolis community. *Bonus – Indy Maven members can enjoy free Member Mondays at the Propylaeum every Monday!
Indy Women Hoop
Indy Women Hoop is an informal community in Indianapolis dedicated to organizing women’s pickup basketball games. Their mission is to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for women to engage in basketball, regardless of skill level. The group coordinates regular pickup games, fostering both athletic participation and social connection among women in the area. They maintain an active presence on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to share updates, game schedules, and community highlights.
Create. Connect. Collab. Foundation
Create. Connect. Collab. is a hybrid community for women entrepreneurs, offering support through professional development, accountability, and networking. This nonprofit provides resources such as monthly masterminds, masterclasses, check-ins, and a private online community. The group fosters collaboration and empowerment, encouraging members to grow both personally and professionally. They offer various benefits for members, including discounted event tickets and exclusive access to resources aimed at helping women achieve their business goals.
As National Volunteer Month draws to a close, the importance of continuing to support your community remains. Volunteering offers countless benefits, not only by making a tangible difference in the lives of others but also by strengthening the bonds within your community. The nonprofit organizations listed here are just a few of the many that rely on passionate individuals to help them fulfill their missions. Keep the spirit of service alive year-round and continue to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.
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