Modern technology along with the increased work loads and the disappearing separation of work and private life because of it. Greed and self interest are too obvious to blame, but are major factors nonetheless.
From what I have studied, as modern technology has lessened the need for face-to-face contact, individuals have become reserved to the point of barely knowing their neighbor and not even knowing their neighbor's name 2 doors down. As a consequence of increasing modern technology, not even a person's home is safe from work. It used to be you could screen your calls and leave it up to the answering machine. Nowadays, if your work calls you, you screen it, and they leave you a message, they can email you or text message you along with giving you a berating when you don't answer because their cell phone indicated down to the second which time they called you and how many times they called again.
This pertains to you because the people you meet to "help" feel themselves overworked and don't want to take on another project when their 9 to 5 job on paper is in reality an 8 am to 6 or 7 pm job. Then we get into the nitty gritty of them thinking What does this person want?, What is their angle?, Are they a spy from one of our competitors here to get access then leave? and on.
If you don't make your intentions clear up front with a business plan and sell yourself, then you will see the same results time and time again. As for asking the Government if you can help them, they are thinking the same thing along with If we give this guy a chance when will he expect to be paid for his "help?" Many jobs in Government are not applied for. Hell, I know a few friends from college who got their $70k/year Government job by interning, going to political rallies, organizing for political candidates, and on.
If you come in innocuous and polite just wanting to "help," you set off red flags right away. While you spend your time selling your "help," they are sitting back thinking What is the ulterior motive here? If I accept this help, then how far down the line will this person be asking to be paid?
My advice is to go in guns blazing with a business plan in a 3 ring binder (I would prefer actually binding to make it look more professional) and sell yourself to the organization as how your "help" would help increase their bottom line in some way. This entails doing your homework on the organization, getting to know who are the friends of the higher ups, becoming friends with the friends of the higher ups, knowing what hobbies the higher ups like to do, phone the higher ups, and plan a meeting centered around their hobbies.
I am going off too far into details most people do not have the time for. Likewise, the time spent to create a business plan for every organization you interview at is a job in of itself.
At the very least, go in confident, know the organization down to a tee, and sell yourself on how if hired you would help the organization increase their bottom line or if nonprofit or Government how they would better serve the population their mission calls to serve.
