How to Add Volunteer Experience on LinkedIn (and What Counts)

Volunteering says a lot about you: the causes you care about, skills you use outside your day job and the communities you're part of. For small business owners, it can also be where clients first meet you. LinkedIn lets you show it on your profile, and its help centre is specific about what counts. Here's how to add it, how to describe it, and the rule to follow so it stays credible.

Add volunteer experience on a computer

1. Click the Me icon, then View Profile.
2. Click Add profile section in your introduction section.
3. Open the Additional category and choose Volunteer experience.
4. In the pop-up window, enter your role, the organisation and the dates.
5. Describe what you did and what came of it.
6. Click Save.

Add it from your phone

1. Tap your profile picture, then tap it again to open your profile.
2. Tap Add section.
3. Tap Additional, then Volunteer experience.
4. Enter your details and tap Save.

What counts, according to LinkedIn

Counts as experience	Doesn't count
Volunteer roles with an organisation	Being a customer of an organisation
Board or trustee service	Using a company's products
Employment, contract work and official internships	Informal or loose associations

LinkedIn says any organisation you list must be labelled accurately and reflect real experience with that organisation. Volunteering and board service are on its list of what qualifies. Following a charity on social media or donating once doesn't make you a volunteer there, so keep it to roles you've held and could talk about in an interview.

How to describe your volunteering

• Use a clear role title, such as 'Volunteer mentor' or 'Trustee', so people know what you did.
• Mention the organisation by name so people can see exactly who you volunteered with.
• Write two or three lines about what you did and any results, like events organised, people helped or projects delivered for the organisation.
• Keep the dates accurate, including an end date for roles you've finished.

If the volunteering was a big part of your working life, such as a long trustee role, consider adding it as a position under Core instead. LinkedIn lets you attach skills to each entry in your Experience section, so if you've been running the social media for a local charity, that becomes visible evidence of a skill you might sell.

Should volunteering go on a business profile?

Usually, yes. Volunteering humanises your profile and gives people something to talk to you about. It can show leadership, community ties and skills you don't get to show in your day job. The exception is anything you'd rather keep private, such as a cause linked to your health or beliefs. That's your call; there's no obligation to list everything.

Ideas for volunteering worth listing

• Mentoring for a business support programme or a school.
• Organising events for a local business network or charity.
• Running social media, a newsletter or a website for a community group.
• Serving as a trustee, governor or committee member.
• Speaking or teaching for free at a community or industry event.

Each of these shows something clients and partners care about: leadership, organisation, communication or specialist skills. If you've done something similar for years without mentioning it anywhere, it's well worth adding.

Volunteering as a conversation starter

People connect over shared causes. A potential client who also supports a local food bank, or mentors young entrepreneurs, has an easy reason to start a conversation with you. Listing your volunteering gives those moments a chance to happen, and it often comes up naturally on calls once people have seen it on your profile.

Avoid surprising your network

When you add or change experience, LinkedIn may tell your network if Notify Network is switched on. If you're adding several past roles at once, consider turning that off, so your connections aren't sent a string of updates about volunteering you did years ago.

Editing or removing it later

To change an entry, go to your profile, find Experience, click Show all experiences, then the Edit icon next to the role. To remove it, choose Delete experience. If you keep a profile in a second language, LinkedIn says you'll need to update positions there separately.

Make the rest of your profile match

Volunteering works best when it fits your story. If your volunteering shows skills you want to be hired for, mention them in your About section too. My personal brand positioning prompts help you pull those threads together, and this guide to resume formats covers how to present experience on a CV as well.

My verdict

Add volunteering through Add profile section, Additional, Volunteer experience. If the role was substantial, such as a trustee post, you can also add it as a position under Core. Give it a clear title, name the organisation, and describe what you did. Keep it to real roles, as LinkedIn asks, and turn off network notifications if you're adding a batch of old ones. Done well, it's one of the most human parts of your profile.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add volunteer experience on LinkedIn?

Go to your profile, click Add profile section, then Additional, Volunteer experience. Enter the role, organisation and dates and click Save.

Does volunteer work count as experience on LinkedIn?

Yes. LinkedIn lists volunteer experience and board service as experience, as long as it reflects real work with the organisation.

Can I list a charity I donate to on LinkedIn?

Not as experience. LinkedIn says informal associations, such as being a customer or user, don't qualify.

Will my network be notified when I add volunteer experience?

They may be if Notify Network is on. Turn it off if you're adding several entries.

Should volunteering go under Experience or Volunteer experience on LinkedIn?

Most volunteering fits the Volunteer experience section. A substantial role, such as board service, can also go in Experience, where LinkedIn lets you attach skills.