From LinkedIn. Note the end section, "Ever feel like you’ve applied to many assignments but never get selected?"

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Advice on How to Build an Outstanding Candidate Profile

Your UVP (Unified Volunteer Platform) profile is more than just an application form, it's a snapshot of your skills, experience, and potential. Whether you're applying for your first assignment or your fifth, a strong profile helps recruiters immediately understand who you are, and why you're a great match. 

Before you start working on your profile, make sure you are registered on app.unv.org. Once your account is created, you're ready to start building a profile that gets you noticed by recruiters. 

So, what makes an outstanding UVP profile? 

1. Tell your professional story clearly

This is your introduction as a candidate. Go beyond listing responsibilities, highlight what you've done, and the difference you've made. Show your experience in a way that reflects your personality and values. 

What to Do: 

• Describe your own experiences, contributions and achievements. Don't copy/paste the Description of Assignments (DoAs) tasks. 
• Use bullet points to ensure the information is clear and easy to read 
• When writing about your role, include examples of tasks, tools, or methods you've used 
• Spell out acronyms the first time you use them. For example, United Nations Volunteers (UNV) instead of only UNV.

  

2. Craft our Skills Pitch: Highlight What Fits the Assignment

Your qualifications, training, and skills help recruiters assess how well you fit the role. Make sure you emphasize everything directly aligned with the types of assignments you’re applying for.

What to Do: 

• Only include completed academic degrees under Qualifications, and make sure to upload the correct supporting documents. You should also add the essential professional certifications expected in your field.
• List relevant short courses, and ongoing studies under Other Qualifications. No need to upload certificates at an early stage, but have them ready in case you will be asked for evidence
• Add your IT/computer skills listing specific software or tools you are familiar with.
• Carefully select all languages you speak (including your mother tongue) and the most appropriate level based on the definitions shown in the platform .

3. Keep it honest and up to date

Recruiters and host entities rely on your profile to make decisions and may use tests or interviews to confirm you possess the skills and expertise described. It’s therefore essential to be accurate, transparent, and to keep your profile regularly refreshed. This shows professionalism and helps you stand out for the right reasons.

What to Do:

• Only include qualifications, skills, and achievements that you can back up with certificates or experience
• Review and update your profile regularly to reflect new roles, training, or experiences

Ever feel like you’ve applied to many assignments but never get selected?

Rejection can be disappointing and frustrating, but it does happen, even to strong candidates. UN Volunteer opportunities are often very competitive. Some roles receive hundreds of applications, especially in popular areas, while others, usually in more specialized fields, may attract just a few.

That’s why it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. Apply only to assignments where you fully meet all mandatory requirements, such as the number of years of relevant experience, skills, and areas of expertise. A well-matched application is much more likely to get noticed than several general ones.

Your profile is often the first impression you make—make sure it stands out. Showcasing your strengths and applying selectively to opportunities that truly fit.

From: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-build-outstanding-candidate-profile-united-nations-volunteers-ltcje/

• A tour operator in Oregon's Silver Falls State Park offers the only guided tree camping experience in the United States.
• Guests climb 200 to 300-foot old-growth trees and spend the night in a suspended hammock or hanging tree tent.
• The seasonal adventure runs from May through September and is open to visitors ages 7 and older with moderate fitness levels.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/tree-climbing-at-silver-falls-11990999

Anyone on this subreddit done this? How was your experience?

It's closed now, of course, but something to think about for next year.

About 80 miles from La Pine. Easy, straight dirt road from paved Silver Lake Road, which intersects with US Highway 97, but the turnoff for the campground is NOT well marked, not on Silver Lake Road and not at all on the dirt road, so if you can, get the GPS coordinates and mark it. Three (yes, THREE) pit toilets. No potable water. Tranquil and secluded, with 12 campsites scattered under a canopy of old-growth pines. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, but note that fires may not be allowed when you are there.

Never saw a pay station...

First come first serve. Popular with hunters. But we had it all to ourselves Wednesday night! Cold, quiet, so beautiful. Then breakfast at Sand Creek Station Gas, Mini Mart, Cafe & RV Park on 97.

Welp, I tried. I watched videos of people riding various parts of the Lost Coast BDR X, studied the online maps, practiced on gravel roads all around where I live in Oregon every week for a month, and thought I could do it. I was WRONG. I tried to do the Lost Coast BDR X and FAILED.

I don't know how many miles I did of the Lost Coast BDR X - it would just be in the double digits - but once I got to the upper Mattole section, traveling toward Honeydew, I knew I'd bit off way more than I could chew. I made it to Honeydew, but it was SO hard, and a sharp, uphill gravel turn almost did me in.

I'm surprised I didn't feel more defeated than I did when I knew I couldn't do it. But... there's more to motorcycle adventure touring than doing the absolute most difficult gravel roads you can find. I've ridden almost 70,000 miles (over 100,000 kilometers) on motorcycles in the 17 years I've been riding, and I've had some rather amazing journeys - and I'll keep having them. The BDR is not for me, and I am fine with that - plenty of easier back roads out there leading to spectacular places, and that is enough for me.

So, my husband and I pivoted, choosing different routes and ending up having an AWESOME time. Neither of us had ever ridden Highway 1 in Northern California, and that was SPECTACULAR - and not easy! I also made my third trip to Bodie, California, this time via my trusty KLR, and those washboards are... really something!

I also managed to ride down to Shelter Cove and back, and if you know that road... if you don't, here's a sample:

https://preview.redd.it/y26ifj9huith1.png?width=875&format=png&auto=webp&s=3ecb77c748de73faf60dd2518363b9bf36b10512

Anyway, my point, and I do have one, is to RIDE YOUR RIDE. And limitations are OKAY. Just keep riding and enjoying YOUR rides.

The travelogue is coming soon (route, where we camped, etc.) - the page already has a link to all photos.

Before you post to the r/UNV subreddit, please at least skim these previous posts to see if your question has already been answered. If you post something that has clearly been answered elsewhere, your post will be deleted.

• United Nations Volunteers Advice on How to Build an Outstanding Candidate Profile
• Video from UNV: a step-by-step video walkthrough that guides you through the profile creation process
• What makes an applicant's profile stand out to United Nations Volunteers? UNV answers
• 5 Things You Wanted to Know About UN Volunteers (But Didn’t Know Who to Ask) - a resource from United Nations Volunteers
• Rights and Benefits of UN Volunteers
• UN Path FAQs (from r/UNPath)
• Mastering the Competency-Based Interview for UN Jobs.
• You should know: Most people who work for the UN do NOT start their careers as a UN intern, JPO, or UN Volunteer (from r/UNPath)
• What people get wrong about connections in the UN
• How did you land ur 1st UN job?
• Is a UNV worth it? Looking back, has it been beneficial for you? - a conversation from another subreddit
• Are UN Internships really worth it?
• Language skills in the United Nations.
• Forget pursuing a magical number of years of experience: here are things that will distinguish you when applying for UN jobs.
• Something I am doing wrong. Not getting reply.
• Is getting a masters degree a requirement to getting an internship/job at the UN or other IO’s?
• Masters degree for UN career?
• What degree (and master’s) helped you get into international or UN work?

Also see:

• UNV official online resources: web site, social media accounts, etc.
• List of UN Funds, Programmes, and Specialized Agencies
• UN path after military, advice appreciated.
• Omitting jobs for older applicants?
• A guide to UN job grades and categories
• From recognition to recovery: a comprehensive guide on employment scams
• Should I resign before receiving offer of appointment?

The Harlan, Oregon Community Hall board (HCHB) is looking for a new volunteer caretaker for the Big Elk Campground in Lincoln County. Kathi and Rick Borrego, the long-time caretakers, are retiring from this role. If you are interested, want more info, etc., contact bigelkcampgroundharlan@gmail.com

Here's more about the campground from the Siuslaw National Forest office.

The campground is in the Marys Peak and Alsea Corridor. It’s used by people doing the C2C trail, as well as fisher folks. I was just there while out on a two-week motorcycle camping trip and it's a GEM of a campground: many water spigots, beautiful sites, fantastic vault toilets, remote, and right on the river.

The Mid Valley Bicycle Club helps support the park, as do the Boy Scouts and probably lots of other community groups in and around Corvalis (thank you to everyone who has volunteered there - it's magical!).

This is from the post pinned at the top of the r/Philanthropy subreddit. What would you add?

RESOURCES TO LEARN THE BASICS OF FUNDRAISING, GRANTS RESEARCH, ETC.

Fundraising in general:

Hands On Fundraising. A fundraising blog from someone who has been a VERY successful fundraiser for small and medium nonprofits in the USA. Focus is on building support for your organization using resources you already have, like how to leverage client stories.

Don't Just Ask for Money! A list of ways to cultivate financial support for your organization, often without ever asking for money.

Funding and Donor Development Strategies for Small Nonprofits. From the American Public Health Association. PDF. USA-specific and focused especially on nonprofits focused on public health, but some good, basic info here.

How to fundraise for a nonprofit: 10 steps to create a fundraising strategy [+ 28 ideas]. Very basic guide to fundraising, focused on nonprofits in North America. It's from a software company that is trying to sell you its software package, but this advice is all generic. Uses a lot of jargon, but still decent in explaining the basics of creating a fundraising plan.

How to research funders - grants reserach tools.

Foundation directory. From candid.

Grand Advisory. Reviews of Granters.

Grant Station. Access 150,000+ funding profiles, 15,000+ curated grants

Also visit your local library or your local university's library - they may subscribe to a grants research tool.

Specific to NGOs in the developing world:

Basic Fundraising for Small NGOs/Civil Society in the Developing World. This is a free guide, in PDF form, that goes through the basics of how to fundraise, written especially for small NGOs in countries where the United Nations or richer countries are focusing their efforts on development. Note that this has not been updated in years, and many of its links are expired. But the advice is still valid.

africanngos.org publishes a list on its web site of funding opportunities for African NGOs.

Camping out in remote Eastern Oregon, stopping at Rome Station on US Highway 95 in Malheur County was a must for us, and I think for most as well. Super friendly people and good food, a place to get gas and just take a break. I believe that you could tent camp there in a pinch as well. For nearly 35 years, the McElhannons ran Rome Station.

Joseph McElhannon died suddenly of a stroke at 49 in December. His father, who ran the business before, is too old to go back to it. So Rome Station is closed.

OPB did a really nice story about it here:

https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/14/rome-gas-station-southeastern-oregon-closure/

I believe it's still for sale? Any updates?

Kamy Twiggs-Taylor, director, Milestones Circle Program at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITwise: 2026 Educational Conference in Hollywood, Florida, March 24-26.

Twiggs-Taylor discussed how companies should reframe volunteerism as a structured leadership development tool rather than a “feel-good” activity. “Reframe volunteerism… as a professional development opportunity or a leadership development opportunity,” she said.

Full story here.

Most foundations don’t set out to break the rules. In fact, many self-dealing violations occur in situations that seem entirely reasonable: saving money, supporting a grantee, or simply making things easier to manage. But when it comes to private foundations, the rules around self-dealing are intentionally strict, and often counterintuitive. These rules exist to ensure that foundation assets are used exclusively for charitable purposes, not for private benefit.

An overview of five violations from Exponent Philanthropy.