Get Involved

Learn more about City of Palo Alto Partner Organizations and find opportunities to support them below.

Friends of the Palo Alto Library: A member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Palo Alto Public Library and its users through volunteerism, book sales, and advocacy

Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo: A non-profit organization that works to support the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo (JMZ), a beloved early-education science institute founded in 1934.

Friends of Palo Alto Parks: Works with the city of Palo Alto, private groups, other nonprofits, and citizen organizations to preserve, maintain, and beautify our parks and open spaces.

Friends of the Palo Alto Children's Theatre: A non-profit volunteer organization that partners with the City of Palo Alto to financially support the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre by providing advocacy, volunteer help, and funds for equipment and educational programs not included in the City Budget.

MidPeninsula Regional Open Space: Helps plants, animals, & people thrive by preserving a connected greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region.

Pets in Need: Their mission is to provide animals with loving care and lasting homes, to partner with communities striving to do the same, and to advance their no-kill legacy.  

LifeMoves: An organization dedicated to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness to return to stable housing and self-sufficiency.

MoveMV: An organization that provides a pathway to housing through Safe Parking and Intensive Case Management for individuals experiencing homelessness. Volunteer opportunities include working with children and families.

Acterra: A San Francisco Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Palo Alto that brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet.

Thank you for your interest to support the community. Volunteer needs are changing quickly. We recommend you to check the following resources often to find current local and virtual volunteer opportunities: 

VolunteerMatch.org: Many local organizations, including the Palo Alto City Library, post volunteer opportunities to VolunteerMatch.org

Idealist.org: Local organizations, including the Friends of Palo Alto Library (FOPAL), post volunteer opportunities on Idealist.org

California Volunteers: California Volunteers is the state office tasked with engaging Californians in service, volunteering and civic action to tackle our State’s most pressing challenges while mobilizing all Californians to volunteer and serve in their communities. The #CaliforniansForAll service initiative was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to build on the efforts of California Volunteers to establish a statewide volunteer corps to help with the state’s response to emergencies and disasters. California Volunteers also administers the AmeriCorps programs in California with over 80 programs providing critical services to more than 160,000 Californians annually. 

HandsOn Tomorrow: HandsOn Tomorrow is a 2-week summer leadership and volunteering program for Bay Area high school students. Participants are given tools to become better community leaders while generating valuable volunteer hours for college and beyond!