Economics

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Working as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) can be rewarding and exhilarating. Not only do you get to help people in need, but you also get to give back to your community.

By Cordelia Hamilton

Difficult times come to most everyone, and in many cases -- whether you know it or not -- a hotline is standing by to help.

By Eleanor Duse

Hear the words "Salvation Army" and you'll likely imagine a person standing outside a local store with a bell and a bright red bucket. The bell is to get your attention. The bucket is to receive your donation. But where does that money go?

By Libby Little

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Take out a world map. Pin it to the wall. Throw a dart. That's where you can volunteer to teach English: anywhere you want. Any country, any continent.

By Sarah Siddons

Want to save the planet? You're not alone. There's an almost endless list of organizations dedicated to making the world a greener place.

By Sarah Siddons

There are animals everywhere -- whether they're being abused, exploited or neglected -- that need to be saved. Animal rescue organizations help the helpless and find them loving homes.

By Eleanor Duse

Hundreds of organizations throughout the country are working to help the more than 37 million Americans who are currently living in poverty. So how do you choose one to volunteer with?

By Elizabeth Abbess

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All people are born with the capacity for conscience and therefore deserve to be treated with dignity -- this is the premise behind human rights. So how do we protect our inalienable rights?

By Gallagher Flinn

When it comes to monitoring food safety, the enforcers range from international operations like the World Health Organization to huge domestic organizations like the FDA and USDA to your local health inspector.

By Sarah Siddons

In the last four decades, hundreds of gay rights organizations have sprung up to win the right to work, go to school, get housing, have children, serve in the military and receive medical care without fear of discrimination or violence.

By Sarah Siddons

Faith-based charities like the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America, Lutheran Social Services and Jewish Family & Children's Service provide a huge array of services to the nation's sick, elderly and poor.

By Sarah Siddons

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Probably the best reason of all -- and the most popular -- for volunteering is to help others by making a difference and giving back to your community. But what are some of the other best reasons to volunteer?

By Sarah Siddons

There are many volunteer opportunities to help those who are handicapped, but what if you are handicapped and you want to be the one volunteering to help others?

By Elizabeth Abbess

You've decided to coach your niece's after-school soccer team. The next day you read about a volunteer coach who is being sued by some parents. Does that mean you need liability insurance before you start coaching?

By Sarah Siddons

Grants by definition are given to volunteers. The idea is to provide financial help to those who are trying to make a positive impact on society.

By Elizabeth Abbess

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Social Security disability insurance benefits can usually only be received if you cannot work because of an illness or disability. Does this mean you can't volunteer?

By Sarah Siddons

Do you feel sad, tired and stressed out? Are you overwhelmed by all the things you have to do? These signs could indicate that you're suffering from a silent epidemic: volunteer burnout.

By John Barrymore

While working in the United States can be difficult for a foreigner, volunteering is usually pretty simple. Forget the hassle of work visas. As long as you aren't being compensated for your volunteer work, you shouldn't need one.

By Elizabeth Abbess

So, are you finally ready to quit the 9-to-5 corporate grind and save the world? Here's all you need to know about starting your own nonprofit organization.

By Libby Little

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The U.S. president rakes in a salary of $400,000 and lives in a 132-room mansion. With a full-time pastry chef and a private cinema at his disposal, the leader of the free world wants for nothing. But which perks are the priciest?

By Jane McGrath & Jacob Clifton

We can't live without food. But sometimes instead of nourishing our bodies, it can actually kill us. And it's no cheap (or easy) task to get that food off the market. These are 10 of the biggest food recalls in history.

By Jane McGrath

When you want sound financial advice, you probably don't think to consult the woman selling $30 tubes of lipstick at the cosmetics counter. But could she have a better handle on the whims of the economy than your CPA does?

By Cristen Conger

Ponzi schemes may not seem so bad. You invest some money, and when more people join, you get your investment back -- plus returns. The problem? For one, these schemes are illegal. And you only win if you're not in the bottom rung.

By Josh Clark & Jane McGrath

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How do illegal drugs reach consumers without detection? There are points -- known as narco states -- along the world's drug supply chain where illegal substances are bought and sold with governmental approval.

By Josh Clark

Money scams have been separating people from their cash for hundreds of years. In this gallery, see some of the most ruthless scams of the 20th and 21st centuries, and learn what you can do to protect yourself.