does your organization already
involve online volunteers?
This is an archived version of the Virtual Volunteering Project web site from January 2001. The materials on the web site were written or compiled by Jayne Cravens. The Virtual Volunteering Project has been discontinued. The Virtual Volunteering Project web site IS NO LONGER UPDATED. Email addresses associated with the Virtual Volunteering Project are no longer valid. For any URL that no longer works, type the URL into archive.org. For new materials regarding online volunteering, see Jayne Cravens' web site (the section on volunteerism-related resources). |
does your organization already
involve online volunteers?
The Virtual Volunteering Project, which ran from 1996 - 2001, identified more than 200 organizations engaging volunteers via the Internet, and profiled more than 100 of these groups on its web site. It identified these organizations through a variety of means: searches on online search engines, following media stories, postings to online discussion groups, and soliciting feedback via the survey on this page.
The Project asked organizations that involved volunteers via the Internet, (even if the volunteers spend some time onsite at the organization in addition to their online service), to complete the following survey. Data from survey feedback was used to create information to help other agencies build their own virtual volunteering programs, and to illustrate how many and the variety of agencies involving volunteers virtually.
A representative from the Virtual Volunteering Project sometimes contacted those completing the survey about being listed as one of the Project's collaborating agencies).
The Project often used feedback on the Project web site or in offline publications or presentations; however, the Project did NOT identify any organization, and eliminated all identifying information in publishing, except by the organization's express written consent.
On the survey was this note:
Please do not complete this form if your organization is NOT involving volunteers offsite via their home or work computers. To find out how your organization can use the Internet to find and involve volunteers, please see our other related pages.
THIS SURVEY NO LONGER FUNCTIONS! It is archived here for reference only.
If your browser doesn't support forms, save this Web page as a text file, write in your answers in the text file, copy the questions and answers and paste them into an e-mail, then send us the email.
Your organization's name:
Your organization's city:
State/Province:
Country (if other than the U.S.A.):
Your organization's geographic service area
(name the city, county, state or other region you serve):
Your organization's official mission statement:
The primary audience your organization serves
(low-income populations, children with disabilities, youth interested in the performing arts, etc.)
Number of full-time and part-time employees (paid staff only, not volunteers):
Your first and last names (required):
Your position/role at this organization:
Daytime telephone number (required):
E-mail address (required):
(PLEASE type carefully!)
Re-enter E-mail address (required):
Your organizaton's Web site address:
(if your organization has one)
How did you hear about the Virtual Volunteering Project?
(how and why did you find our Web site? if you were using a search engine, which one and what keywords were you using? if you heard about it at a workshop or presentation, where was this event and who was the sponsor?)
What is your role in working with volunteers (online or onsite) at your organization?
(please be specific -- do you recruit volunteers? do you place volunteers with other staff at your agency?)
What other staff (by title or role -- no names) have involved volunteers virtually at your organization
How many on-site volunteers does your organization currently involve (if any)?:
What sorts of activities do these onsite volunteers do at your organization?:
How many online (Internet) volunteers does your organization currently involve?:
What sorts of activities do these online volunteers do at your organization?:
How many of your online (Internet) volunteers have you met face-to-face?:
What state/geographic area do MOST of your online volunteers represent, and
is it the same state as where your agency resides?
How did you recruit the volunteers you involve(d) via the Internet?
How did you screen/orient the volunteers you involve(d) via the Internet?
(how do you evaluate/confirm their skills, find out their interests so you
can match them to the appropriate assignment, explain your organization's
policies, do you do background or reference checks, how do you tell
potential volunteers more about your organization and what its like to
volunteer with your agency, etc.)
How do you supervise online volunteers?
(do you observe their e-mail exchanges with clients or in online discussion groups,
do you require them to check in weekly or monthly via e-mail or a web-based form,
do you call them or have them call you regularly, etc.)
How do you recognize/reward online volunteers for their contributions?
(how do you let the volunteer know he or she has made a difference at your agency
or for your group?)
Have you ever surveyed these online volunteers about their experiences with your organization?
What factors in your organization have promoted the success of your virtual volunteering program?
(getting staff buy-in, training those who will work with online volunteers, putting policies and
procedures in writing, having volunteers check-in regular, incorporating their feedback, etc.)
What factors have impeded the success of your virtual volunteering program?
(staff reluctance to work with "unseen" volunteers, lack of pre-planning,
volunteers signing up to help before really understanding the commitment,
unreliable Internet service, etc.)
If you could offer one or two key pieces of advice to an organization that
was interested in involving online volunteers, what would that be?
If you could offer one or two key pieces of advice to a person that was
interested in being an online volunteer/tutor/mentor, what would that be?
Please add any other comments you would like to send to us:
BEFORE YOU HIT SUBMIT
This command can take SEVERAL seconds, so please be patient; you will know your submission is successful when you see the "Thank You" page.
THIS FORM NO LONGER WORKS
IT IS ARCHIVED HERE FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
Note: when you "submit", your information will NOT be sent to the Virtual Volunteering Project staff via email.
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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This is an archived version of the Virtual Volunteering Project web site from January 2001. The materials on the web site were written or compiled by Jayne Cravens. The Virtual Volunteering Project has been discontinued. The Virtual Volunteering Project web site IS NO LONGER UPDATED. Email addresses associated with the Virtual Volunteering Project are no longer valid. For any URL that no longer works, type the URL into archive.org. |
If you are interested in more up-to-date information about virtual volunteering, view the Virtual Volunteering Wiki.
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Jayne Cravens