I use Volunteer Match for my jobs VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins and when I find one I am interested in, I don't just apply for it there on that site, I go to the organization's site and get some sort of idea what they do/want/how they operate, etc. I vet my volunteering as hard as I do my regular jobs. Yes, just like with regular jobs there are a lot of clueless, "wasteful" organizations out there that just throw bodies/numbers/money, etc. at things and hope something sticks.