Volunteers & the Web:Merging Two Resources

Super Quick Overview

• Participant Intros• Volunteering by the numbers• Volunteering characteristics• Web as Operational: E-Volunteers• E-Volunteers-Examples• E-Volunteers-Tips• Web for Promotion• Web for Logistics

DISCUSSION

Who Am I?Why Am I Here?

[Hint : Trick Question!]

Devendra Shrikhande[blah…blah}

Introductions

• Name• Organization• Role• Volunteer Engagement (on and offline)• Session “Takeaway”

VolunteeringSome Statistics

Trends & Highlights

• Slightly more than 65 million volunteered in the US (2005)

• While numbers increase, rate remained constant at 28.8% from 2003-05

• Women volunteered at a higher rate than men. Married more than unmarried (2005)

Where They Volunteer

• Greatest percentage through religious organizations (34.8%)

• Over a quarter donated time to educational or youth service organizations

• Around 13.4% to social or community service

Volunteer Activities

• Over a third coach, referee, tutor, teach or mentor• Fundraising or selling items second most popular (nearly

30%)• Third most popular: collecting, preparing, distributing or

serving food

Challenges to Mobilization

• Insufficient staff time for volunteer management• Not adopting volunteer management practices• Recruiting volunteers for the traditional work day• Finding matching volunteers• Finding specialists

Stuff the Envelopes

Volunteers (baby boomers) are • more educated• driven • plan to keep working later in life

Nearly 38 million volunteers did not not show up (2005)

Similar to the New Philanthropy

Volunteers are looking for:• Flexible hours• Leadership roles• Tapping individual skills• Making a difference

Web and Volunteering

Primary Roles• Operational• Promotional• Logistics

E-Volunteers

Not ONLY via the Internet

May be a combination of onsite and online tasks.

Volunteer interacts with clients online (chats) but meets regularly with staff or exchanges email with client and then meets in person

E-Volunteering: Types

1. Technical Assistance

2. Direct Contact

E-Volunteers: Types

1. Technical AssistanceA) Online Research

- grants, newsletter articles

B) Professional Consulting Expertise - accounting or legal questions, strategic plans

C) Advocacy Assistance - participating in online communities, tracking legislation

D) TranslationE) Websites or MultimediaF) Writing

E-Volunteers: Types

2. Direct ContactA) Electronically Visit Clients - with homebound patients, may also visit in person

B) Online Mentoring and Instruction - assist students or adult learners

C) Online Community Participation - supervise or moderate an online communities

E-Volunteers: Examples

1. Caitran Murphy - Key Farmers CameroonBuilt website: http://www.keyfarmers.org

E-Volunteers: Examples

2. Senior Volunteers – Elder Wisdom CircleOffer advice online: http://www.elderwisdomcircle.org/

E-Volunteers: Examples

3. Volunteers – Refugee Education Sponsorship ProgramConnects refugee schoolchildren in African and Asia with counterparts in the US and Canada: http://www.respectrefugees.org/

E-Volunteers: Examples

4. Volunteers – TwangfestOnline to Offline: http://www.twangfest.org/

E-Volunteering: Is Your Institution Ready?

1. Established Volunteer Program

2. Staff familiar working with volunteers

3. Same person coordinates offline and online volunteers

4. Organization is “web-ready” - regular and prompt email communication

E-Volunteering: Be A Champion

1. Provide vision - educate

2. Program advocate – constant promotion

3. Have your own e-volunteer

4. Become the resident expert

5. Do not force – success will recruit

E-Volunteering: Nuts & Bolts

1. Prepare a written plan

2. Executive-level support

3. Build a resource base

4. Conduct in-house training

5. Modify policies to accommodate online volunteer behavior

6. Start with core mission projects

7. Patience!

Web – Promotional Tool

Communicating volunteer opportunities

Tapping quality volunteers.

1. External resources

2. Internally through your own channels

Web – Promotion: External resources

1. VolunteerMatch: http://www.volunteermatch.orgRich resource for nonprofits and volunteers

Web – Promotion: External resources

1. UNOV: http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/United Nations Online Volunteering Service

Web – Promotion: Internal resources

1. Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/Prominent profile

Web – Promotion: Internal resources

1. Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/Celebrate - Stories

Web – Promotion: Internal resources

1. Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/Celebrate – Images/Video

Web – Logistics Tool

Recruiting and Records10,000 hours: http://www.10000hours.org

Sign Up and Logs

E-Volunteers – Myths

http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volunteer/ovmyths.html

1. Take less volunteer time

2. Only for distance volunteers

3. Mostly young, affluent volunteers

4. For shy, introverts

5. It is impersonal

6. Online volunteering is a new concept

How Big Can This Get?

Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.org/

THINK BIG

start small

??? Devendra Shrikhande

md10@saffronfusion.com