Responses to:
Online Spying Can Improve Your Volunteer Management Skills
Submitted on 5 May 2006 by Debbie Anderson, Coordinator, Volunteer Resources,
Ontario Canada
These are great ideas that will improve organizational accountability and create a new virtual volunteer position for any organization up to the challenge. It's also interesting to have a volunteer try applying for a position with your own organization electronically and report back on the accessibility, ease and timeliness so that you can make improvements to your own process.
Volunteers can help us make sure that our organizations come up quickly when a potential volunteer is surfing for opportunities.
In this day of doing more and more with less and less, education budgets are being cut in many organizations. I hear peers complaining that they haven't had education in 2 or 3 years. I encourage them to use the Internet as a significant resource. There are key Voluntary Sector organizations that aim to build capacity for non-profits and the training they offer online is incredible. Sign up to receive ezines, articles, participate in chat groups... and schedule time each week for your own personally directed education. Make a list of things you need to learn this year and then each week take an hour to learn more about it online. No one should be complaining about the lack of available education for professionals in the Voluntary Sector. The world wide web is exploding with information, just use trusted and reliable websites.
Submitted on 5 May 2006 by Jayne Cravens,
Coyote Communications,
Consultant,
Bonn Germany
And don't stop there! You can get tremendous insight into what people think about your organization by such online exploring. Every organization should go to www.google.com or any other online directory system and search for its name, executive director name, web address, or key phrases, such as the word "contact" or "volunteer" or donate and the organization name. These searches can help you see how easy it is for someone looking to volunteer with, donate to or contact an organization with a particular focus to be able to find your organization online. It also will give you an idea of how many web sites are linked to your organization's site, and what the media, other publications and "blogs" may have said about your organization or its staff. You may find criticism or praise from a volunteer, donor, or client about your organization that you will want to address. Look on social networking tools as well, particularly if you work with young people, such as MySpace, to see what's being said about your organization. All of these are great activities for online volunteers!
Submitted on 1 May 2006 by Hillary Roberts,
PLNJ Inc.,
President
Keyport/NJ USA
When we first started using the Internet to research our own agency-related questions, content was fairly limited. Today the choices have exploded, the required reading requiring virtual volunteers. Google Alert remains a search-specific favorite. Whether we are "lurking" for content on our agency (as much for security as appropriateness) or reading what media outlets are saying on a specific subject, Google Alert saves time! Tickle an idea, a single subject or just a one-time query and you will receive free, daily alerts direct to your email box! Since 2001, we have recruited virtual volunteers to be our Internet eyes & ears. Useful content is forwarded to our HQ for review. The occasional inappropriate or inaccurate content is corrected quickly. Google Alert is a virtual filng cabinet of timely information and new ideas!
Another favorite web tool is Amazon.com based, A9 (www.A9.com). Search under "volunteer leadership" and receive not only web links, but related online resources via books, blogs, wikipedia and reference material on the same subject. Of course Amazon is more than happy to sell a few books but with A9.com you receive more "bang for your search buck."
Share
Your Response
