Agency 1997-1998 Survey Responses Summary

 


• What states are most represented (number indicates how many from that state)?

  4 California
  2 Ohio
  2 Washington
  1 Alabama
  1 Florida
  1 Illinois
  1 Ireland
  1 North Carolina
  1 Nova Scotia
  1 Oregon
  1 Pennsylvania
  1 Virginia
   
  

• Of the top 10 states represented most, what cities are represented, most to least?

  1 Glendale, CA
  1 San Francisco, CA
  1 San Jose, CA
  1 San Mateo, CA
  1 Bellaire, OH
  1 Cleveland, OH
  1 Seattle, WA
  1 Quilcene, WA
  1 Huntsville, AL
  1 Ft. Walton Beach, FL
  1 Gridley, IL
  1 Dublin, Ireland
  1 Durham, NC
  1 Halivax, Nova Scotia
  1 Portland, OR
  1 Pittsburgh, PA
  1 Dulles, VA
  

   
  

• What were these organizations' geographic service areas?

  5 local (city, county, small region)
  2 state or large region (more than four counties)
  10 national
  6 international (they serve constinuencies outside the agency's country of origin)
  the rest are unknown

   
  

• How many came from outside the United States?

  2-- Dublin, Ireland and Halifax, Nova Scotia

   
  

• Of those who answered, how did they hear about this project?

  • One location had received mail from the VV Project and looked up the site on the Internet.
    
  • One location found VV Project by "Surfing the Internet".
    
  • The other 17 respondants had no response.

   
  

• Number of full-time and part-time employees (paid staff)

  2 were all volunteer organizations
  2 had five or less employees
  2 had 6 - 10 employees
  1 had 11 - 20 employees
  none had 21 - 50 employees
  2 had more than 50 employees
  8 did not answer

   
  

• How many organizations had Web sites?

  14 (82% of respondants)

   
  

• Of those who answered, how did they hear about this project?

  • One location had received mail from the VV Project and looked up the site on the Internet.

  • One location found VV Project by "Surfing the Internet".

  • The other 17 respondants had no response.

   
  

• What were the most common "roles" of the person completing the survey?

  Applicants who did NOT end up volunteering with us		Applicants who DID volunteer with us
  The most common "role" was recruiting, training, and coordinating volunteers. There were 11 respondants that mentioned that in the survey. Four of the respondants work with computers, the Internet and their website. Another did remote staff management. And one no response.

   
  

• What other staff have involved volunteers virtually at the organizations?

  9 did not answer
  0 communications manager/director
  0 development manager/director
  1 program manager/director
  7 -- other categories

   
  

• Approximately how many of online volunteers provide technical assistance to staff or to other volunteers?

  7 five or less
  3 6 - 10
  3 11 - 20
  0 21 - 50
  1 more than 50
  3 did not answer

• What were the top 10 most common tasks these online volunteers did in providing technical assistance?

  11 Web design and maintenance
  5 Research
  4 Instruction
  3 Computer programming & maintenance
  2 Answering e-mail
  2 Database maintenance/listserves
  2 Newsletters
  2 Translation
  1 Community outreach
  1 Graphic design
  1 Host chatrooms & post messages to message boards
  1 Recruiting non-virtual volunteers
  

   
  

• Approximately how many volunteers provided direct support to clients / recipients of service via the Internet for agencies?

• What were the top 10 most common tasks these online volunteers did in providing direct support?

  4 Live time chat/talking with people
  3 Calls and e-mails
  3 Training
  2 Message board monitoring
  1 Doing local publicity
  1 Information
  1 Listserver
  1 Mentoring
  1 Online promoting
  1 Promoting use of Internet

   
  

• How were these online volunteers recruited?
  (categorize these if possible)
  2 Snail mail
  2 Word of mouth
  1 Ads with forums or communities
  1 Flyers
  1 Listserve calls & e-mails
  1 Monthly newsletter
  1 Posted on Bulletin Boards
  1 Webpage

   
  

• How were these volunteers screened?
  (categorize these if possible)

  2 Mail
  2 Onsite interviews
  1 Account history checks
  1 Listservers
  1 Monthly drop-in hands-on workshops
  1 Online interviews
  1 Online mailing list
  1 Resumes
  1 Telephone interviews
  1 Website
  1 Word of Web

   
  

• How were these volunteers supervised and recognized/rewarded for their contributions?
  (categorize these if possible)

  2 Newsletter
  2 Thanks by name on a website
  1 A free AOL account
  1 Compliments, "attaboys" and shared recognition
  1 Discounts from AOL Store
  1 E-mail thank you notes
  1 Personal notes
  1 Personally thank them
  1 Public recognition
  1 Through webpages they design

   
  

• How many of these organizations had surveyed their online volunteers about their experiences?

  2 (8.5%)

   
  

• What factors promoted the success of a virtual volunteering program?
  (categorize these if possible)

  3 said--On-site orientations of VV's
  Many said--Establishing a sense of community online
  Other responses: Ideological matching of opportunities with volunteers, and
  Motivation of paid staff to reduce workload by involving volunteers

   
  

• What factors impeded the success of a virtual volunteering program?
  (categorize these if possible)

  4 said--Communication problems
  2 said--Lack of financial support
  2 said--Lack of formal policies and procedures
  2 said--Lack of motivation on the part of paid staff
  1 said--Fraud (under 18's posing as adults)
  

   
   
  

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