Most of us have volunteered at some time in our lives. Whether it is building a house via Habitat For Humanity, helping to babysit or lending your time at a soup kitchen – many make the effort to lend their time to a cause that they support.

For startups, especially social enterprise startups, volunteering can mean the world of difference. Entrepreneurs are quickly and often taught that it’s not what you know but who you know. On top of putting on different positional hats every day, entrepreneurs are consistently faced with the trade off of taking the time to research and learn a new skill or to put their effort towards what they already know.

Volunteers, too, tend to wear many hats along the way – but the most important asset they bring to the table is their energy. Rarely do you see volunteers who acting under duress. Volunteers act because they’re passionate.

Volunteers breathe life and energy into tasks that startupers WISH they had the time to tackle. From a content perspective, volunteers are incredibly valuable, yet from a morale, social, and energy perspective – the value they provide is immeasurable.

If you know or work work any volunteers, take a second to thank them! And if you are one yourself – keep up the great work!

- Chris