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CompuMentor Mentor Handbook

Mentor Handbook- Chapter Two
Read This If You Read Nothing Else!


Begin right here for a quick overview, and then skim the Tips sections to pick out what's useful to you. We've tried to keep things short and focused.

We refer often to "nonprofit organizations", usually abbreviated as NPO or npo. These are private, tax-exempt groups performing a variety of public service and charitable functions.

Working with NPOs

NPOs:
  • are motivated by their particular "cause", usually organized around a social issue, such as homelessness or health
  • have staff and volunteers doing this work because they are committed to "the cause"
  • have staff that function in an environment of limited resources and high turnover
  • have staff that don't expect (or sometimes don't want) to become computer experts.
Therefore you need to:
  • have patience in dealing with people who aren't quite as technical as you may be
  • learn what you can about THEIR work and put things in a context they can understand
  • keep aware of where your project stands relative to the NPO's mission and budget - in order to understand why progress may be slow or why they may be unable to assign dollars and people to support your project

Schools are neither businesses nor nonprofits

Schools frequently have a decentralized decision-making structure therefore authority to make decisions is often spread among several people.

At the school
  • the onsite contact person may be unclear about the problem to be solved, and any plan to solve it.
  • be prepared to spend some time clarifying what needs to be done and how to do it.
  • mentors often have to get permission to fix things from either a network manager, or an administrator, or a teacher, or even a janitor - and sometimes a combination of those people.
In school
  • lots of people may want mentors to teach them how to do things.
  • rather than just fixing computer problems, you may be called upon to teach others how to fix computer problems.

Project Plan

Before we match you with your nonprofit or school, CompuMentor will have prepared an initial Action Plan which identifies the most pressing issues and some proposed solutions, and is based on initial buy-in. That plan will serve as a place from which to begin your work.

Step 1: Develop a detailed Action Plan between yourself and the organization at the outset.

Mutual agreement on a plan of action between you and those you are mentoring is the most crucial step of successful mentoring. It's important to make sure early on that you share an understanding of the expected outcomes, approaches and resources before you start. Involve us when you think we can help. Build from the initial Action Plan.

Step 2: Stick with the plan.

Nonprofits and schools can ask a lot of a volunteer, so it's your job to be clear about what you can and cannot do. Define the project using milestones that match your available time and skills and also meet the defined needs. Try not to develop projects that promise help beyond your capacity or theirs. Call us if you'd like our help in this process.

Step 3: Build sustainability.

A key goal of CompuMentor is to help nonprofits and schools become more independent and self-reliant in the use of computers and technology. You may need to help them understand even basic concepts and skills. Don't just do it for them - but involve them in the process. Explain each step, give background. Try to have a staff member at the keyboard; develop local mentors - teachers, students, volunteers. The most important part of your mentoring is that what you leave behind works and can sustain itself.

Document your work.

Tell us how the match is going or if you need help, or you just want to talk about the project. If something is not quite working out right, let us know as soon as possible. It's much easier and not a big problem to make another match or to revise expectations - if it's done early enough.

Trust and responsibility

The schools and nonprofits we work with expect you to function as a professional in your assignment.

They expect you to
  • maintain the security of their hardware and software
  • maintain the confidentiality of their data records
  • warn them of possible security breaches
They do not expect you to
  • "borrow" their software or hardware
  • use their passwords
  • share their membership database
  • use mentoring as your own trial-and-error learning experience
  • parlay your volunteering into a paid consultancy