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Contributing to The Helper's Handbook

Thank you for wanting to make this handbook better! Your contributions help more people help others effectively.

Ways to Contribute

🐛 Report Issues

Found an error, broken link, or outdated information?

  1. Open an issue on GitHub
  2. Describe what's wrong and where
  3. If possible, suggest a correction

💡 Suggest Improvements

Have ideas for new content, better explanations, or additional resources?

  1. Open an issue describing your suggestion
  2. Explain why it would help readers
  3. Include any relevant sources or examples

✍️ Submit Content

Want to write new sections or expand existing ones?

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a branch for your changes
  3. Write your content following our style guide (below)
  4. Submit a pull request with a clear description

🔍 Review and Fact-Check

Help ensure accuracy:

  • Verify statistics and claims
  • Check that links still work
  • Confirm organizations still operate as described
  • Suggest more recent sources when available

🌍 Translate

Help make this handbook accessible in more languages:

  1. Open an issue indicating which language
  2. Coordinate with maintainers on approach
  3. Translate content while adapting examples appropriately

Content Guidelines

Tone and Style

  • Practical over inspirational: Give actionable advice, not just motivation
  • Accessible language: Write for a general audience, avoid jargon
  • Global perspective: Remember readers come from many countries
  • Evidence-based: Cite sources for claims, especially statistics
  • Balanced: Present options without excessive advocacy for one approach

Formatting

  • Use Markdown formatting
  • Include a table of contents for longer sections
  • Break up long text with headers, lists, and tables
  • Link to external resources where helpful
  • Use relative links for internal handbook references

Structure

Each chapter should include:

  1. Opening: Brief overview of what the chapter covers
  2. Core content: Main information and guidance
  3. Practical tips: Specific, actionable advice
  4. Resources: Links to tools, organizations, further reading
  5. Action steps: Concrete next steps readers can take

Word Counts

  • Main chapters: 800-1500 words
  • Resource lists: As needed for comprehensive coverage
  • Templates: Keep concise and usable

What We're Looking For

High Priority

  • [ ] Additional organizations for underrepresented regions (non-US/UK)
  • [ ] Accessibility improvements (screen reader compatibility, etc.)
  • [ ] Translations (especially Spanish, French, Mandarin)
  • [ ] Updates to statistics and research citations
  • [ ] New templates (e.g., advocacy tracking, impact journaling)

Valuable Additions

  • Case studies of effective helpers
  • Region-specific volunteer opportunity guides
  • Cause-specific deep dives
  • Interview content with nonprofit leaders
  • Research summaries on volunteering effectiveness

Not Currently Needed

  • Promotional content for specific organizations
  • Purely inspirational content without practical guidance
  • Content requiring significant ongoing maintenance
  • Controversial political positions

Review Process

  1. Maintainer review: We'll review your PR within a week
  2. Feedback: We may suggest changes or ask questions
  3. Revision: Address feedback in your branch
  4. Merge: Once approved, we'll merge and credit you

Code of Conduct

Be Respectful

  • Treat all contributors with respect
  • Welcome newcomers warmly
  • Provide constructive, kind feedback
  • Assume good faith

Be Inclusive

  • Use inclusive language
  • Consider diverse perspectives
  • Make content accessible
  • Avoid assumptions about readers' backgrounds

Be Collaborative

  • Credit others' work
  • Build on existing contributions
  • Share knowledge generously
  • Help other contributors succeed

Recognition

Contributors will be:

  • Listed in CONTRIBUTORS.md (if they wish)
  • Credited in commit history
  • Thanked in release notes for significant additions

Questions?

  • Open an issue with the "question" label
  • Check existing issues for answers
  • Review recent pull requests to understand norms

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license as the rest of the handbook.

This means: - Anyone can share and adapt your contributions - They must give appropriate credit - They must use the same license for adaptations

Thank you for helping make this resource better for everyone. Every improvement helps more people help more people. 🩺

Part of The Helper's Handbook