Trends in & New Models of Volunteering & Volunteer Engagement

A free resource for nonprofit organizations, NGOs, civil society organizations,
charities, schools, public sector agencies & other mission-based agencies
by Jayne Cravens
via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

Trends in & New Models of
Volunteering & Volunteer Engagement
(I wrote these in 2013; I think they are still valid years later)

Is volunteering changing - or are our perceptions of volunteering changing?

Are there really new models of volunteering, or are we just now finally realizing that people have volunteered in a variety of ways?

In both cases, I think it's the latter: when I talk about "new models", I don't always mean they are "new," as in they weren't happening before, but now they are. I mean that they are new to a lot of people and organizations, but not that they haven't already been happening.

I wrote these in 2013, and I think they are still valid in 2018. I think they are going to be trends for the next 10 years.

As you read through these trends, think about where you, as a person that works with volunteers, as well as where your organization, sits on a spectrum of extremes regarding each trend. One extreme is

I/we have absolutely no knowledge or experience of this whatsoever

The other extreme is

I/we have complete knowledge about this and could present a two-hour in-depth workshop on it. I/We could write/have written a book about it.

Then think about where you want to be, or where you want your entire organization to be, regarding each trend.

That will help you in developing a plan to address each of these trends.

Beneath each trend listed below are resources to help you address the trend.

And note that this list is ever-changing; this list won't be the same a year from now. It wasn't the same a year ago.

New Model 1: Multiple staff involvement

Variety of employees & volunteers develop assignments with volunteer manager's help
and
Variety of employees & volunteers supervise volunteers, with volunteer manager's help

Delegation Potential Sheet, to help in the development of volunteering assignments, From The (Help) I-Don't-Have-Enough-Time Guide to Volunteer Management by Katherine Noyes Campbell and Susan Ellis (Used by permission).
The art of delegation, by Jayne Cravens, a workshop available as a part of my fee-based services.
Identifying and creating assignments for online volunteers, from the Virtual Volunteering Project. Although this is focused on virtual volunteering, it is applicable to a variety of volunteering scenarios.

New Model 2: Why Involve Volunteers? (Volunteer Value)

Volunteers involved as a sign of community ownership / org transparency, meeting mission, etc.

Required Volunteer Information on Your Web Site
If your organization or department involves volunteers, or wants to, there are certain things your organization or department must have on its web site - no excuses! To not have this information says that your organization or department takes volunteers for granted, does not value volunteers beyond money saved in salaries, or is not really ready to involve volunteers. Here is what absolutely should be on your web site regarding volunteers
Mission statements for your volunteer engagement
(Saying WHY your organization or department involves volunteers!)
In addition to carefully crafting the way you talk about the value of volunteers, your organization should also consider creating a mission statement for your organization's volunteer engagement, to guide employees in how they think about volunteers, to guide current volunteers in thinking about their role and value at the organization, and to show potential volunteers the kind of culture they can expect at your organization regarding volunteers.

Volunteers are valued by the impact they have regarding the organization's mission, client satisfaction, etc.

Screening Volunteers for Attitude
When an organization involves volunteers in high-responsibility, long-term roles, volunteer turnover can be a program killer. Screening is vital to finding the right people for high-responsibility, long-term volunteer roles, particularly those where the volunteer will work with clients and the general public, and to screen out people who may be better in shorter-term assignments or assignments where they would not work with clients or the general public, or who would not be appropriate in any role at the organization.
Recognizing Online Volunteers & Using the Internet to Honor ALL Volunteers
Recognition helps volunteers stay committed to your organization, and gets the attention of potential volunteers -- and donors -- as well. Organizations need to fully recognize the efforts of remote, online volunteers, as well as those onsite, and not differentiate the value of these two forms of service. Organizations should also incorporate use of the Internet to recognize the efforts of ALL volunteers, both online and onsite. With cyberspace, it's never been easier to show volunteers -- and the world -- that volunteers are a key part of your organization's successes. This new resource provides a long list of suggestions for both honoring online volunteers and using the Internet to recognize ALL volunteers that contribute to your organization.
Promoting your volunteering program internally
Too often, the first position cut at an organization facing financial difficulties is the volunteer coordinator. Most people in these positions, I'm sorry to say, do a poor job of making sure that every staff member at their organization knows the time and expertise they bring to the position, and the essential nature of their role in recruiting and supporting volunteers. The volunteer coordinator should make sure he or she is seen as also absolutely essential to the organization. This page talks about how a volunteer coordinator can make sure the board, all paid staff and all volunteers at an organization know the essential value of not only volunteers, but also the volunteer coordinator.
Required Volunteer Information on Your Web Site
If your organization or department involves volunteers, or wants to, there are certain things your organization or department must have on its web site - no excuses! To not have this information says that your organization or department takes volunteers for granted, does not value volunteers beyond money saved in salaries, or is not really ready to involve volunteers. Here is what absolutely should be on your web site regarding volunteers
Mission statements for your volunteer engagement
(Saying WHY your organization or department involves volunteers!)
In addition to carefully crafting the way you talk about the value of volunteers, your organization should also consider creating a mission statement for your organization's volunteer engagement, to guide employees in how they think about volunteers, to guide current volunteers in thinking about their role and value at the organization, and to show potential volunteers the kind of culture they can expect at your organization regarding volunteers.

New Model 3: Types of Engagement

Volunteers work onsite & online, in short-term (episodic / microvolunteering) & leadership roles, in teams, etc.

Creating One-Time, Short-Term Group Volunteering Activities
Details on not just what groups of volunteers can do in a two-hour, half-day or all-day event, but also just how much an organization or program will need to do to prepare a site for group volunteering. It's an expensive, time-consuming endeavor - are you ready? Is it worth it?
Short-term Assignments for Tech Volunteers
There are a variety of ways for mission-based organizations to involve volunteers to help with short-term projects relating to computers and the Internet, and short-term assignments are what are sought after most by potential "tech" volunteers. But there is a disconnect: most organizations have trouble identifying such short-term projects. This is a list of short-term projects for "tech" volunteers -- assignments that might takes days, weeks or just a couple of months to complete.
Pro Bono / In-Kind / Donated Services for Mission-Based Organizations:
When, Why & How?
There are all sorts of professionals who want to donate their services -- web design, graphic design, human resources expertise, legal advice, editing, research, and so forth -- to mission-based organizations. And there are all sorts of nonprofits and NGOs who would like to attract such donated services. But often, there's a disconnect -- misunderstandings and miscommunications and unrealistic expectations that lead to missed opportunities and frustrating experiences. This resource, prompted by the topic coming up at the same time on a few online discussion groups I read, is designed to help both those who want to donate professional services and those who want to work with such volunteers. It's applicable to a variety of situations, not just those involving computer and Internet-related projects.
Using Video to Support Online Volunteers/Remote Volunteers.
Video is a great way to further support volunteers, and your computer probably already has all of the tools you need to make a video, or to engage in a live video conversation with others. Video isn't something to use only with online volunteers or remote volunteers (those providing onsite service at a different location than yours). It's also a tool you can use with new and current volunteers. In addition to an organization producing videos for volunteers, it can also work the other way around: volunteers can produce videos for organizations. This resource provides information on your options, and links to my own short video on the subject.
Myths About Online Volunteering (Virtual Volunteering)
Online volunteering means unpaid service that is given by volunteers via the Internet. It's also known as virtual volunteering, online mentoring, ementoring, evolunteering, cyber volunteering, cyber service, telementoring, online engagement, and on and on. Here is a list of common myths about online volunteering, and my attempt to counter them.
Studies and Research Regarding Online Volunteering / Virtual Volunteering
While there is a plethora of articles and information about online volunteering, there has been very little research published regarding the subject. This is a compilation of publicly-available research regarding online volunteering, and a list of suggested possible angles for researching online volunteering. New contributions to this page are welcomed, including regarding online mentoring programs.
Micro-Volunteering and Crowd-Sourcing: Not-So-New Trends in Virtual Volunteering/Online Volunteering
Back in the 1990s, I called it byte-sized volunteering: online volunteering tasks that take just a few hours or a few days to complete, like translating some text into another language, gathering information on one topic, tagging photos with certain keywords, etc. Now, the hot-new term for this is micro-volunteering. It's no different than offline, episodic volunteering; just as volunteers who come to a beach cleanup or participate in a Habitat for Humanity work day don't undergo a criminal background check, don't receive a long pre-service orientation, don't fill out a lengthy volunteer application form and may never volunteer with the organization again, online volunteers that participate in a micro-volunteering task may get started on their assignment just a few minutes after expressing interest. But just as offline episodic volunteering like beach cleanups are more about building relationships, creating more awareness and cultivating more supporters, micro-volunteering needs to have the same goals in order to be worth doing, and that takes having established, tried-and-true volunteer management standards in place.
The Virtual Volunteering Project, which, when I directed it from December 1996 to January 2001, encouraged and assisted agencies in the development and success of volunteer opportunities that can be completed via home or work computers and the Internet, and helped agencies use the Internet to manage all volunteers and connect with volunteer management resources. This included the most comprehensive information available, on or offline, regarding online mentoring programs and best practices.
Sanchez Elementary School Online Mentoring Program
Jayne designed this program, designed the web site, and recruited, screened and trained the online volunteers who participated in this program to mentor two classes at Sanchez Elementary School in Austin, Texas, as part of the Virtual Volunteering Project. This web site, sans mentor and student information and interactive functionality, is provided to help others, particularly schools, to develop their own online mentoring programs.

People help through unstructured volunteering, acts of "civic engagement," political activism, etc.

Civic Engagement Resources, by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Lindy Center for Civic Engagement (Drexel University).
LinkedIn Group Community Engagement
The National Conference on Citizenship, a USA-based organization focused on Civic Learning, Corporate Citizenship, Online Engagement, Political Involvement, Social Capital, Giving & Volunteering. NCOC did a study that found communities that increase volunteering rates lower unemployment, or have more resilience in dire economic times.
Look for online publications or resources that mention

New Model 4: Who Are Volunteers?

Volunteers represent different demographics (age, education, ethnicity, zip code, etc.)

Recruiting Local Volunteers To Increase Diversity Among the Ranks
Having plenty of volunteers usually isn't enough to say a volunteering program is successful. Another indicator of success is if your volunteers represent a variety of ages, education-levels, economic levels and other demographics, or are a reflection of your local community. Most organizations don't want volunteers to be a homogeneous group; they want to reach a variety of people as volunteers (and donors and other supporters, for that matter). This resource will help you think about how to recruit for diversity, or to reach a specific demographic.
Make All Volunteering as Accessible as Possible
Tips for creating an accommodating and welcoming environment for volunteers with disabilities.
Why Should the Poor Volunteer? It's Time To Re-Think the Answer
Editorial: When volunteering is so often presented just one way -- as a state-sanctioned free labor activity -- reluctance and even hostility by the unemployed, the cash-strapped and the disenfranchised are completely justified. If governments and donors want volunteerism campaigns in poor communities to lead to more volunteering, they must radically update their message.
Using Third Party Web Sites Like VolunteerMatch to Recruit Volunteers
There are lots and lots of web sites out there to help your organization recruit volunteers. You don't have to use them all, but you do need to make sure you use them correctly in order to get the maximum response to your posts.

New Model 5: Decision-Making

Volunteers contribute to decision-making

NetSquared and the New Wave of Online Volunteering
(and maybe all volunteering)
Tiny nonprofit organizations with very little staff are doing extraordinary things with volunteers, and making their volunteers feel included and energized, not with pins and t-shirts but through greater and more-meaningful involvement. This conference provided endless examples of such, and I summarize them here.
Online Discussion Groups for Volunteers
How asynchronous communications (email-based online discussion groups, web-based bulletin boards and USENET) can be used to communicate with volunteers and to allow volunteers to communicate with each other. Includes examples and links to more information.
Sharing Your Work With Volunteers (and Others) Online
This resource reviews how (and why) to share your work -- your calendar, files, databases, online polls, and more, with volunteers, remote staff and other groups -- as part of your work for a nonprofit/NGOs/civil society organization. It's easier than you think! And with free tools, you can get started right away.
Handling Online Criticisms
Online criticism of a nonprofit organization, even by its own supporters, is inevitable. It may be about an organization's new logo or new mission statement, the lack of parking, or that the volunteer orientation being too long. It may be substantial questions regarding an organization's business practices and perceived lack of transparency. How a nonprofit organization handles online criticism speaks volumes about that organization, for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come. There's no way to avoid it, but there are ways to address criticism that can help an organization to be perceived as even more trustworthy and worth supporting.

New Model 6: Communications

Communications via traditional & non-traditional means (Twitter, webinars, online communities, blogging, etc.) & as interactive

5 Ways to Humanize Your Company With Social Media, an excellent article from the Social Media Examiner on putting a very human face on your Internet activities.
NetSquared and the New Wave of Online Volunteering
(and maybe all volunteering)
Tiny nonprofit organizations with very little staff are doing extraordinary things with volunteers, and making their volunteers feel included and energized, not with pins and t-shirts but through greater and more-meaningful involvement. This conference provided endless examples of such, and I summarize them here.
Online Discussion Groups for Volunteers
How asynchronous communications (email-based online discussion groups, web-based bulletin boards and USENET) can be used to communicate with volunteers and to allow volunteers to communicate with each other. Includes examples and links to more information.
What are good blog topics for mission-based organizations?
The word "blog" is short for "web log", and means keeping a journal or diary online. Blogging is NOT a new concept -- people have been doing it long before it had a snazzy media label. The appeal of blogging for an online audience is that it's more personal and less formal than other information on a web site. Readers who want to connect with an organization on a more personal level, or who are more intensely interested in an organization than the perhaps general public as a whole, love blogs. Blogs can come from your Executive Director, other staff members, volunteers, and even those you serve. Content options are many, and this list reviews some of your options.
Microblogging and Nonprofits
Microblogging means sending text messages of less than 140 characters to several cell phones and/or via the Internet to subscribers. This resource is a no-nonsense, anti-fluff, anti-hype, practical list to help nonprofits explore microblogging and use it effectively with volunteers, event attendees and others they are trying to reach.
For Nonprofits Considering Their Own Podcasts:
Why It's Worth Exploring, and Content Considerations
I present my first podcast about... podcasts (transcript included). Specifically, I talk about how podcasts can be used by nonprofits, and just how easy it is to do.
Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking (OSN): Advice and Commentary
OSN is buzz phrase used to describe special web-based online platforms that are accessible only for members, like LinkedIn, Friendster, FaceBook, MySpace and Change.org. Is there a value for nonprofit organizations to engage in OSN platforms? This resource offers a realistic set of possibilities and considerations.

New Model 7: Record-Keeping/Information Tracking/Analyzing & Summarizing Data

Organization uses technology to track a variety of data about donors and volunteers who input & update their own data

Keeping Volunteer Information Up-to-Date
Keeping track of volunteer information is a challenge. At minimum, an organization has to keep track of volunteers' up-to-date email address and phone number. Organizations also need volunteers to report what they are doing as volunteers and how many hours they are contributing -- each day, each week or each month. Having this information for volunteers is vital to the sustainability of volunteer involvement. This page offers suggestions on how to keep volunteer information up-to-date, with the goal of getting the information your organization needs with minimal effort on your part.
List of Volunteer Management software

Organization must be able to make sense of large amounts of data, through analyzing and summarizing

Resources to come.

New Model 8: Funding

In addition to traditional funding methods (volunteer manager submits a budget & hopes organization funds it through individual donations, grants and sponsorships) organization sells its volunteer orientation or trainings, charges groups for the creation of group volunteering activities, creates other revenue streams, etc.

Samaritans, a crisis hotline in the U.K. staffed by volunteers, sells its volunteer training as a training for corporate teams and individuals, to help them to be able to deal with employees in immediate crisis. Similar trainings on dealing with people in mental or emotional distress, via county health programs in the USA charge, about $200 (that's the going rate for the training in Oregon City).
Some Habitat for Humanity chapters charge corporate groups for participating.

Also see:

Jayne's Essential/Favorite Resources Regarding Volunteer Management and Volunteerism
There is a plethora of resources promoting volunteerism, and at long last, the number of volunteer management resources has grown significantly. But which are "the best"? This is a list of Jayne's favorite resources relating to volunteerism and volunteer management -- books and online resources from trusted, established people and organizations that she believes should be required reading of anyone who recruits and supports volunteers.

How did I make this list?

Why have I chosen what I have regarding this list of trends in and new models of volunteering and volunteer engagement? Where did I get this information?

I picked these trends per what I've heard from managers of volunteers at meetings and conferences, on a variety of online discussion groups and on Twitter, etc.
Discuss this web page, or comment on it, here.

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