virtual volunteering project FAQs
 
how can I be an online mentor or tutor?

There are currently very few programs available for individuals who want to provide mentoring or tutoring completely via home or work computers.

The Virtual Volunteering Project provides a comprehensive index of online mentoring and tutoring programs throughout the U.S. HOWEVER, most of these programs require mentors and tutors either to come onsite for some face-to-face meetings, or require that mentors and tutors be an employee at a certain company to participate. Check this list often, as we update it frequently, and view the individual web sites to see what the criteria is for volunteers to be involved as online mentors or tutors.

Another approach to connecting with online mentoring or tutoring opportunities is to help an agency in your area launch such a program program, based on the agency's existing face-to-face mentoring or tutoring activities. For instance, if you want to tutor a young person online, look for an agency or school in your area that already does this in traditional, face-to-face, offline settings. Become a part of this offline program FIRST, as an onsite mentor or tutor, and then ask if online tutoring or visiting could be introduced.

If you work at a large corporation that has a human resources department, contact a representative and ask if your company has an employee volunteer program, and if your company is a partner with a particular school or nonprofit organization. If so, you could explore starting a new program for online volunteers at your company, or expand an existing program, building on the goals of the company's school or nonprofit partners.

The Virtual Volunteering Project has resources that can help you explore how to start an online mentoring or online tutoring program. But remember to get written permission from your company, and the school or the nonprofit you want to work with BEFORE trying to launch such a program!

 
Return to Virtual Volunteering Frequently Asked Questions

 
If you have other questions and cannot find the answers on this web site, please contact us.

 

• Virtual Volunteering Resources
  How to find and involve volunteers working from home or work computers, online resources for volunteer managers, advice for individuals who want to volunteer virtually, etc. These pages are updated and added to each month.

• How Your Agency Can Utilize the Virtual Volunteering Project
  Tips on how to use this Web site, information about our offline services, and how we can help you introduce or expand virtual volunteering in your agency.

• Virtual Volunteering Project home page

 
If you find this or any other Virtual Volunteering Project information helpful, or would like to add information based on your own experience, please contact us.

If you do use Virtual Volunteering Project materials in your own workshop or trainings, or republish materials in your own publications, please let us know, so that we can track how this information is disseminated.

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