It’s the end of a calendar year, and that means it’s time to look at what were my most popular blogs of 2021 – and to try to figure out why. It’s an exercise I do not so much for YOU, my readers, but for me. It’s the kind of self-analysis every nonprofit, NGO, government agency, or consultant for such should do.

One seismic shift this year: not one blog I published this year made it to the list of top 11 blogs of all time. Usually, I knock off at least one blog from the top 11 spot – but not this year.

My top 11 blogs for 2021 – the ones that got the most clicks:

• Infuriating statements about volunteering. What I wish people would stop saying about volunteering and volunteerism.
• Free books on management of volunteers. If you are in charge of creating assignments for volunteers or supporting volunteers, there are terrific, free resources for you.
• Can volunteerism repair a nation? And is the government, corporations and foundations all ready to fund the effort to bring civility and cohesion back to communities?
• High Impact Virtual Volunteering. In contrast to microvolunteering, this is a list of high-responsibility, time-intensive volulnteering that has a BIG impact.
• Hearing Directly from Programs Involving Online Volunteers. What do people who are actually involving online volunteers have to say about it?
• United Nations Volunteers says, when it comes to onsite & online, “They are ALL volunteers”. This is in big contrast to what they said for many years previously.
• Nope, volunteering is not always inherently “good”. Some volunteering is, in fact, harmful.
• Volunteer Bill of Rights – a commitment by a host organization to volunteers. Does your organization have such?
• I hope we stop talking about virtual volunteering. I really do.
• Digital Dunkirk: online volunteers scramble to help endangered Afghans get visas & out of Afghanistan. My own virtual volunteering effort.
• What too many are getting wrong about virtual volunteering these days. If you are new to virtual volunteering, is this you?

It was also another good year for The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook – lots of sales (though not as many as in 2020). If you want to learn how to avoid the common pitfalls in virtual volunteering and to dig far deeper into the factors for success in creating assignments for online volunteers, supporting online volunteers, and keeping virtual volunteering a worthwhile endeavor for everyone involved, you will not find a more detailed guide anywhere than The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook. It’s available both as a traditional print publication and as a digital book. And if you buy it directly from me, the last two boxes in my closet will soon go away! I also get a bit more money than if you buy it from Amazon (and it’s slightly cheaper to buy from me as well).

Also see Reflections on Virtual Volunteering in 2020 (& My Most Popular Blogs for the Year).

Here’s to 2022!

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