Virtual Volunteering Project Archive
Back
to Virtual Volunteering Archive Contents
first steps:
online volunteers working with clients
(including online mentoring programs with students)
This information
was last updated on July 31, 2000
I. Determine How
This Program "Fits"
Before an agency staff starts a program that will bring together online
volunteers with clients, students or the public, consider how such
a program will fit within the organization's mission; how will this
program be an extension of the agency goals? You will need to be able
to answer this question before beginning any steps to set up such
a virtual volunteering program at your organization.
II. Access Your Group or Agency's Mentoring Experience
Does your agency already involve volunteers with clients, students
or the public? Do staff have experience facilitating groups, managing
a mentoring or tutoring program, or other face-to-face volunteer and
client program? Again, you will need to have this offline expertise
in-house before beginning any steps to set up a direct contact virtual
volunteering program.
III. Virtual Volunteering Basics
Determine if your organization or group is ready
to involve volunteers virtually , regardless of the type of service
online volunteers will perform. Our online
self-evaluation will help you determine if your potential program
has the resources and expertise necessary to ensure success. For instance,
it is of paramount importance that your staff is already comfortable
communicating via e-mail . If your staff finds reading and
responding to e-mail "bothersome", and even avoids using it, then
managing an online mentoring is not going to be right for your organization
at this time.
IV. Setting The Groundwork
Once you've determined that your organization is ready
for virtual volunteering , it's time to build
the internal groundwork : becoming experienced in online communications,
getting staff buy-in and participation, developing an implementation
plan, training staff and volunteers, etc.
V. For Mentoring Programs: Access if Your Organization Has
the Elements of Effective Practice
The National Mentoring Partnership defines the Elements
of Effective Practice in Mentoring Programs on its web
site and in offline materials. It includes recommended requirements
of a responsible mentoring program and a nuts and
bolts checklist for mentoring programs . The Virtual Volunteering
Project endorses these effective practices as necessary for online
mentoring programs as well.
Another good resource is
the listing of Quality
Assurance Standards for Mentoring Organizations , by the Texas
Governor's Mentoring Initiative. These standards are what the Texas
mentoring field considers the essential elements of any high-quality
mentoring program.
Only after completing ALL of the aforementioned steps is your organization
ready to start exploring how you will bring volunteers and clients
(students, mentees, the public, etc.) together online.
The Virtual Volunteering Project has information on monitoring/supervising
online interactions between volunteers and clients, screening and
evaluating volunteers that will work with clients virtually, guidelines
for bringing together youth and adult online volunteers, and safety
guidelines for direct contact volunteering. See our guidelines for
Safety
in Online Volunteering Programs for more information.
The Project has also compiled
an index of Resources
for Volunteer Moderators and Facilitators of Online Discussion Groups
. These resources -- some by the VV Project, but most by other
organizations -- can help both volunteers and staff moderate (approve
all posts) or facilitate (keeping the discussion flowing) online discussion
groups, either via e-mail or via a chat/real-time platform.
The Project has also compiled
information about various telementoring/teletutoring
programs , highlighting materials that can help other
agencies engage in similar activities.
Back to Virtual Volunteering Archive Contents
10/21/03
Back to Library Index
