With Christmas and New Year being the traditional season for goodwill and the making of resolutions, it's no surprise that not-for-profit organisations have reported higher levels of interest in volunteering at this time of year.

One organisation that we know of - Victoria's Sacred Heart Mission - filled their quota of dining hall volunteers for Christmas and New Year's Day months ago, but until this week was desperate to find volunteers to help deliver services to the homeless in the New Year.

Some timely media coverage has helped to fill the January roster for many activities but volunteers are still needed for the humble op shops that help to bring in the funds.

While many well-known NGOs started as entirely voluntary organisations and continue to rely on volunteers to supplement and support the work of paid staff today, so too do many hundred of community-based organisations staffed by a handful - if any - paid employees.

Some other organisations looking to fill specific volunteer roles in the New Year include the ALSO Foundation, the Asylum Seeker Centre NSW and the Fiji SPCA. The work on offer ranges from veterinary work to photography and PR.

People have a variety of motivations to volunteer - while altruism or passion for cause may be uppermost, volunteering can also be an opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills or (and perhaps most importantly if you're also looking for paid work) gain recognition of existing experience and skills.

Volunteering is not only a way to support organisations that are working for a better world, but it can also be a key step on the career path for many people looking to make a transition into an ethical sector.

We're constantly speaking to people who work for great, ethical organisations who started out in a volunteering role. UK research suggests that as many as two-thirds of graduates working in charities had been volunteers before getting a job with the charity.

So if you're looking to take another step along the pathway to a more ethical career, why not check out the opportunities for (unpaid) work for a better world in the New Year?