Confessions of an E-Volunteer

Kristy Van HovenLoni WellmanRyan Dodge @wrdodger

American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting 2014

Who we are

Kristy Van Hoven, Outreach Manager, National EMS Museum

Loni Wellman, Volunteer & Special Projects Coordinator, St. Augustine Lighthouse

W. Ryan Dodge, Social Media Coordinator, Royal Ontario Museum

Goals for todayIdentify what an e-volunteer is & how e-volunteers can benefit your organization.

Identify the unique needs of an e-volunteer.

Identify the best practices of starting & evaluating a successful e-volunteer project.

Who are E-VolunteersStudentsRetireesWorking professionalsMuseum StaffAnyone with a computer and internet access

Digital ProgramsWhat is a digital program? a program used to connect your museumand its global audience through online programs

Why is it important?Increase your visitorship and brand recognition

Who has a digital program?Any institution can have a program, it just requires some dedicated managers, a

computer and access to the internet.

RecruitmentWhere are the people? Your community College campus Online

AnywhereDon’t be afraid to reach out via socialMedia, websites & thru volunteer organizations

EngagementWhat do e-volunteers expect? Volunteers want to belong to your museum communityEngage in collections and programsSense of ownership, stakeholder in institution

How can the museum engage volunteers in a project?Create opportunities to create new projects Share exclusive informationDevelop volunteer teams

MotivationWhy do people e-volunteer?

location, location, location

Interest in exotic places and things

Physical or Geological limitations

CommunicationsHow to communicate? E-volunteers have access to email & phonesUsually mobile, cell phone, text & social media

Why communicate? All project communication takes place onlineStaff & project managers need to feel comfortable explaining processes through text or phone callsRegular communication engages volunteers and creates a sense of ownership and appreciation in their project

RewardsBenefits to e-volunteer? memberships

invitations to eventsstore discountsnetworking

Evaluating Good vs Successful

Good projects may help your instituion or lead to more recognition Successful projects have regular participation and volunteers engage with subject matter and take ownership of the project

Challenges

Types of projects● Database building● Document digitization ● Wikipedia● Research and Writing

Memo for distribution:National EMS Museum is putting together a team to develop a second museum based app for apple and android mobile devices. The team will consist of 4-5 members responsible for developing a formal proposal and researching and developing the design and content for the app to be sold through the museum store. The project is expected to start June 1, 2014 with a target launch date of December 1, 2014, or May 2015 (launch date subject to change with formal proposal). Please contact Outreach Coordinator kvanhoven@emsmuseum.org with questions or to submit your resume to the project Chairwoman.

ContactsKristy Van Hoven kvanhoven@emsmuseum.org or @Kristy_Van

Loni Wellman Lwellman@staugustinelighthouse.org or @LoniWellman

Ryan Dodge ryand@rom.on.ca or @wrdodger