FAQs
About the Virtual Volunteering Project
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for volunteer managers
The Virtual Volunteering Project compiles information and resources to help organizations find and involve volunteers via online technologies. We use information based on experiences from hundreds of volunteer managers/service leaders and volunteers, our own experiences, and related resources.
This information was last updated on January 19, 2000
- Benefits of using the Internet to find and involve volunteers
- Examples of ways an organization can involve volunteers via the Internet
- Is your organization ready for virtual volunteering?
- Setting up and managing a virtual volunteering program
A detailed, step-by-step process of introducing virtual volunteering to an organization, and managing such a program. Includes:- Suggestions to evaluate staff members and volunteer program to see if the necessary systems and knowledge are in place to involve volunteers online successfully.
- Getting staff buy-in and participation, developing an implementation plan, training staff and volunteers, etc.
- Implementing a virtual volunteering pilot project (includes information on identifying online assignments)
- Identifying and creating assignments for online volunteers
- Managing volunteers virtually: adjustments in styles and approaches to volunteer management that must be made to ensure success.
- Online Culture: learning the different styles of "personalities" online, interpreting people's written communications and assisting volunteers and managers alike in being clear and effective online.
- Orienting and evaluating volunteers for virtual assignments (includes samples from other organizations)
- Assigning online tasks (matching volunteers to assignments)
- Finding and managing technical assistance volunteers
- Recognizing Online Volunteers AND Using the Internet to Recognize ALL Volunteers
- Sample evaluation questions to use with volunteers and staff
- Involving people with disabilities in virtual volunteering programs
Tips for outreach, accommodations, conversation, volunteer orientation and matching, evaluation and staff training. Information includes:- Working via the Internet with volunteers who have disabilities
- Examples of Experiences Involving Online Volunteers and Youth With Disabilities
- Making an agency virtually accessible to people with disabilities
- Working via the Internet with volunteers who have disabilities
- Suggestions to evaluate staff members and volunteer program to see if the necessary systems and knowledge are in place to involve volunteers online successfully.
- Direct Contact Online Volunteers:
online mentors, tutors, advisors and others working with clients (including students)
Includes:- Examples of direct service virtual volunteering activities
- Initial first steps to consider before starting such a program
- Extensive guidelines and resources for safety in such programs
- Suggestions for screening direct contact online volunteers
- Benefits of online mentoring programs
- Suggested activities for online mentors and students
- An index of various online mentoring/teletutoring programs involving youth
- Recommended online mentoring/teletutoring online resources
- Marketing volunteer opportunities online
- Safety in online volunteering programs
- Volunteer activism via the Internet
- Using Internet discussion groups for volunteers
- Using real-time communications with volunteers
- Index of online resources for volunteer managers
- Making e-mail communications more effective
- Handbook for Online Volunteers
Includes the text of the Project's online volunteer orientation, which covers commitments, how assignments are made, reporting procedures, code of conduct, etc. This handbook also includes "Resources and Tools for Online Volunteers," developed in large part by online volunteers who assisted the Project and with advice from various collaborating organizations in the past year; this section offers suggestions for using web search engines, shareware, freeware, learning .html, finding news articles on a particular subject, creating databases, and other resources and tools to help a volunteer undertake an online assignment successfully. Other agencies are invited to use this handbook in their own online volunteer management. - Resources for Online Volunteers
This information is geared towards volunteers, but agencies can use these materials in their own management of online volunteers. Includes information on how to determine if a person is ready for a virtual volunteering activity and tips for working with agencies via a home or work computer.