I've volunteered at an organization for a year and a half now, providing my own research, doing research, and helping startup an educational program that is now successfully in it's second year.
It's a really cool opportunity to volunteer, and I do believe in the importance of volunteering, but as someone who wants to develop and grow, I had hoped it turned into something more.
I was one of only five people invited to an annual conference this Spring to speak on our program. It was three days, which for me would have been three days of unpaid work, as well as gas to get there (out of town about 3 hours), and a hotel room (cheapest was 169$ a night). I was offered a daily allowance to help offset some of the costs, but it didn't even cover the room per day, let alone all the work I would've missed. I had to bail because it wasn't financially feasible, while the salaried folks got to go and get paid for it.
A job listing opened up as well, for what I do now but basically more involved (and obviously paid). It paid only 38c over our states minimum wage and asked for a BA degree and experience (of which I have both, in fact, I have two relevant BA's). It also was capped at 25 hrs a week and 5 days a week, which meant more commuting for me (I live about 25 minutes from the main city). So more time commuting, more wear and tear on my car, less flexibility, all for significantly less pay than I make now at my locally-owned RETAIL JOB. In an area that has some of the highest housing costs and an increasing issue with houselessness. Additionally, nobody even reached out to me directly to apply for it, just some generic mass email. I kinda figure they already have someone lined up, they just had to post the job as a formality. But still.
I want to like volunteering and enjoy it for the cool experience it is. But this was such a slap in the face, I have become insanely bitter. I'm just going to finish out this season and then move on and save my time and mental energy for shit that will, you know, keep me alive.