Strengthening communities through local voices
Community volunteers play a vital role in strengthening the places where they live and work. By contributing their time, skills, and lived experience, volunteers help guide and support UNH Extension Community & Economic Development programs in their own towns. Their involvement goes beyond a single event. Volunteers participate in meetings, share local insight, assist with assessments, and help shape a shared vision for their community’s future. This hands‑on engagement ensures that programs reflect real community needs and that local voices remain at the center of every step.
Volunteering also offers meaningful opportunities for personal growth. Volunteers gain new skills—such as group facilitation, interviewing, survey design, and using GIS applications—while deepening their understanding of community and economic development concepts. Volunteers stay informed throughout the program and receive updates when their community takes action based on the work they supported. This allows them to see the impact of their contributions firsthand.
To learn about volunteer opportunities in your community, visit your city's or town's website or reach out to your local municipal staff or leadership.
Volunteer Paths: Three Towns, Three Programs, One Shared Purpose
Every community that participates in an Extension program brings its own goals, priorities, and local context to the process. The sequence of activities described below reflects how the program unfolded in the communities where it was implemented, but the exact flow may look different elsewhere. Each town shapes the experience to meet its needs, so while the core elements remain the same, the details naturally vary from one community to another. These are just three of the dozens of programs the Extension Community & Economic Development team has implemented with partner communities around New Hampshire over the years.
First Impressions | Derry and Moultonborough, NH | 2019
First Impressions volunteers from the communities of Derry and Moultonborough completed a structured set of activities to assess their partner community. After a brief training led by UNH Extension—covering the assessment process, key downtown characteristics, and data‑collection methods—volunteers completed a pre-visit survey that asked them to research the partner community’s online presence and reflect on their initial impressions. During the summer visit, they documented on‑the‑ground observations using the Collector for ArcGIS mobile app and a paper assessment booklet, noting assets and opportunities for improvement, and capturing photos or videos as needed. Following the visit, volunteers completed a post‑visit survey to reassess their perceptions and rate the downtown overall. They then participated in a local debrief to discuss findings and add context to the data. The process concluded with a joint debrief where the volunteers from Derry and Moultonborough compared results and shared insights, contributing directly to each community’s understanding of its strengths and opportunities.
Downtowns & Trails | Barrington, NH | 2025
Barrington’s community volunteers played a hands‑on role throughout the Barrington Downtowns & Trails program. After forming a steering committee representing key local sectors, volunteers met with town leadership and UNH Extension staff to identify opportunities to better connect Barrington Village with nearby trails and water resources. Thirteen volunteers then conducted on‑the‑ground spatial data collection using ArcGIS Field Maps, assessing sites across the area of research - rating them as assets, opportunities, or a combination. They learned about intercept surveys, received training to conduct it, and gathered public input on how residents and visitors use the Town Center and local trails. Their work—data gathering, surveying, public engagement, and community communication—directly shaped the program’s conclusions and recommendations.
Community Business Engagement | Exeter, NH | 2026
Exeter’s community volunteers played an essential role in implementing the Community Business Engagement program. After joining a steering committee to help clarify local goals, volunteers worked with Extension staff to shape survey and interview questions and refine the outreach strategy. They then moved into direct engagement with the business community—helping to distribute an online business survey, conducting in‑person interviews with business owners, and helping coordinate industry‑specific focus groups. Volunteers from Exeter High School gathered visitor perspectives by conducting an intercept survey in downtown Exeter, speaking with shoppers and passersby to understand consumer habits and impressions. Throughout the process, volunteers listened closely, documented what they heard, and helped identify both strengths and challenges facing Exeter’s business environment. Their efforts provided the foundation for the program’s findings and recommendations.
The Exeter report is coming soon
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Extension Community & Economic Development community volunteer?
A community volunteer is someone who gives their time and talents to support their own community by taking on responsibilities or tasks related to UNH Extension Community & Economic Development programs. Their involvement goes beyond a one-time activity and occurs over multiple occasions or on an ongoing basis. With guidance and support from UNH Extension, community volunteers help move local ideas forward and strengthen the places where they live and work.
Who can become a community volunteer?
Anyone in the community who is willing to contribute their time, energy, and perspective can serve as a community volunteer. Volunteers come from all backgrounds and do not need prior experience, just an interest in supporting a program taking place in their own community. We find that most volunteers have established themselves as commission, committee, or council volunteers within their community of residence prior to participating in an Extension place-based program.
How can someone become a community volunteer?
Individuals typically become community volunteers by getting involved in programs taking place in their own town or city. Most volunteers are already engaged locally, often serving on a commission, committee, or council—before participating in an Extension Community & Economic Development program. When a community partners with UNH Extension on an initiative, local leaders and Extension staff identify and invite residents who are interested in contributing their time, energy, and perspective. Community members may also express interest directly to Extension staff when they learn about an upcoming program. Because volunteers are rooted in the community and already known to local partners, they are welcomed into roles where their lived experience and local insight can meaningfully support the program’s goals.
What are some examples of what it means to be a community volunteer?
A community volunteer may be an individual who serves on a steering committee to support the planning and implementation of an Extension Community & Economic Development initiative in their community. Volunteers may contribute to committee discussions, help design, and conduct community assessments—including surveys and interviews—and share personal insights or professional expertise to help inform program direction.
What Extension Community & Economic Development programs benefit from the involvement of community volunteers?
Community volunteers are an invaluable part of Extension programs such as Downtowns & Trails, Community Business Engagement, First Impressions, and others. Volunteers who live or work in the community play a vital role in shaping program goals and helping to define a shared vision for the future. Their lived experience provides meaningful local insight, helping ensure these efforts reflect the community’s needs and aspirations.
How much of a time commitment is expected?
The time commitment varies by program, but many involve several committee meetings, each usually an hour or so long. Some programs involve half-day or all-day events where volunteers come together to complete tasks, visit sites, or participate in other in‑person activities. Each program provides its own schedule and expectations, allowing volunteers to choose opportunities that align with their availability.
Is a background check required to become a community volunteer?
A formal background check is not required to become a community volunteer. Community volunteers typically serve on local committees, councils, or advisory groups within their own town or city. Because these individuals are already known within the community and are selected or appointed through local processes, they are effectively vetted by their community rather than through a separate background‑check procedure.
What training or orientation is provided to community volunteers?
Volunteers receive orientation and training as part of the program they engage in, delivered by Extension staff in person and virtually. Oftentimes materials and recordings of trainings are available online. Training focuses on the skills and knowledge needed for the volunteer role within the particular program. Volunteers are given the opportunity to and encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback at any point during their involvement.
Are there opportunities for volunteers to build new skills?
Yes! Skill building is a core goal of Extension programs. Volunteers may learn group facilitation, key informant interviewing, community assessment, survey methods, GIS application use, and other program‑related skills. They will also gain expanded knowledge of core community and economic development concepts, helping them better understand how local systems work and how community decisions are made. This combination of practical skills and broader insight strengthens volunteers’ ability to contribute meaningfully during the program and empowers them to stay engaged in community efforts long after the program concludes.
How are volunteers kept informed about program progress and outcomes?
Volunteers are regularly updated during meetings or by email on program progress, including reports, findings, public events, recommended next steps, and any outcomes or activities connected to the program they supported. They are also informed when their community acts based on the program’s recommendations, ensuring volunteers can see the impact of their contributions and how their efforts helped move the community forward.
How is volunteer feedback gathered and used?
Volunteer feedback is essential for improving community‑based programming. Post‑program online evaluation surveys are one of the primary ways Extension gathers input, which is then used to strengthen future programs.
