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You have decided to pay it forward.

Maybe you felt a void in your life after retiring and need a sense of purpose. Maybe you want to make your community a better place to live, work or play.

Whatever your reason, volunteering your time can be a personally fulfilling experience.

We need a sense of belonging. Joining a nonprofit organization gives us a sense of purpose, support and satisfaction.

Becoming a member serves our needs, promotes our communities and helps advance great causes.

There are various ways to serve a nonprofit. You can volunteer your time – helping with projects, speaking to groups or working on administrative tasks. You also can support one through donations or other gifts – providing the financial resources they need to serve their cause.

When choosing an organization to join, though, you should carefully review its purpose and mission. After all, you are giving yourself to help make it successful.

So why become a member of a nonprofit group? Here are some reasons why.

The mission of nonprofits is to serve. Whether its changing public policy, supporting medical research or helping people in need, nonprofits play a critical role in advancing our society.

More than 1.6 million tax-exempt organizations operate in the United States, providing more than $390 billion in support of great causes.

Beyond the dollars, though, another crucial component of a successful nonprofit is advocacy. Telling the story, educating the public and changing minds are necessary to advance their goals.

Nonprofit organizations need volunteers – even more than money.

More than 62.6 million Americans volunteer for great causes, which is about 24 percent of our country’s population. Though we still are -- as Arthur Schlesinger once wrote -- a “nation of joiners”, the number of people who give of their time has been declining.

Volunteers collective provide more than $175 billion worth of services. Getting them involved, however, is becoming more challenging. People are working longer hours and retirees – a great source of volunteers – often have to work part time to make ends meet.

If you find yourself in charge of recruiting volunteers, as a board member or organization leader, there are proven ways to get people into the fold. Here are some:

Many people want high-quality public education for all, but don't know how to support and advocate for it. Educators, parents, and community members must be empowered to act and speak out for public education.

If you are a school administrator or educator, feel free to share this list on your website, in your classroom newsletters, and on your school's website. By giving specific steps to those who want to help, you can empower others to become advocates of public education.

Here are 10 ways to become an advocate for public education:

When you volunteer, you help drive the social well-being of our country.

More than 62.6 million Americans volunteer approximately 8 billion hours of work for good causes. That’s an economic impact of more than $162 billion dollars.

Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding opportunities in your life.

Volunteers are passionate about their causes. They feel a calling to help other people or their community. They also gain a personal fulfillment from this experience.