Supporting Volunteer Efforts During Coronavirus

By Betsy McFarland

Our thoughts are with every company and organization dealing with COVID-19 as information changes minute-to-minute. We are diligently working to compile a list of resources to help leaders of volunteers deal with this quickly evolving situation and we need YOUR help!  We have started the list below. 

Share Your Resources

If you have sample communications, tips, trainings, or other resources you are using, please share them through our Coronavirus Response form (no longer available).  If you have seen resources from others that you find helpful, let us know so we can share those too. We would love any and all suggestions.

Resource Directory 

Coronavirus Response Seminar from Energize

Live Events and Free Classes

No longer posting

Public Health Resources

Resources from Volunteer Centers, Associations, and Others

Volunteer Engagement Blogs

Examples of How Organizations Are Responding

Taking Care of Yourself and Your Volunteers

Leveraging Technology

  • Energize has a book on Virtual Volunteering
  • Tutorial on how to use Zoom
  • WiredImpact offers resources for planning online events and how to manage work from home. 
  • The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) robust database of online volunteer opportunities allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device. 
  • 6 Strategies for Digital Learning Success, by the Center for Creative Leadership 
  • TechSoup offers Nonprofit Resources for Remote Work During the COVID-19 Outbreak
  • No longer available - Preparing for Emergency Online Teaching by The Chronicle of Higher Education  
  • The following videoconferencing companies are offering free use of their tools in response to coronavirus:
    • BlueJeans: First responders and NGOs may have organization-wide access to BlueJeans for an initial period of 90 days, and BlueJeans may extend that term as needed.
    • Cisco Webex is offering unlimited usage (no time restrictions) for up to 100 participants
    • Zoom is proactively lifting the 40-minute meeting limit on free Basic accounts for schools

Mitigating Risk

General Nonprofit & Volunteer-Related Resources

Resources by Organizational Mission

Animal Welfare Organizations:

Faith Based Organizations:

  • Repair the World and Amplifier produced this resource for community members seeking to help others:  All People Are Responsible For One Another: A Resource on Caring for the Sick in Times of Crisis
  • From the CDC: Get Your Community- and Faith-Based Organizations Ready for Coronavirus Disease 2019 [No longer available]

Food Banks:

  • Our Response to COVID-19 and FAQ<>, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (no longer available

Receive an update when the next "News and Tips" is posted!


 

Permission to Reprint

Comments from Readers

Submitted on
Gerald (Jerry) ..., independent contractor, self employed, NY, United States

Thanks for posting this information. NYAVA has shared it on their Facebook Page as of yesterday and I shared in my blog post yesterday as well (my posts are shared on LinkedIn). Keep up the good work!

Submitted on
Betsy McFarland, Energize, Maryland, USA

Thanks so much, Jerry! We are pleased to hear you're finding this information useful. 

Submitted on
Sue Carter Kahl, Sue Carter Kahl Consulting, San Diego, United States

Thanks for curating resources in one convenient location! Thanks also to those developing content and hosting conversations and training! I'm sharing them with my local networks.

Submitted on
Betsy McFarland, Energize, Maryland, USA

Thanks Sue! We appreciate your sharing it and helping to add more resources to the list! 

Submitted on
Jayne Cravens, http://www.coyotecommunications.com, Portland, United States

In addition to The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook, which offers essential information for organizations moving their volunteer engagement online and is available in paperback from here:
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/vvbook.shtml and electronic form here: http://www.energizeinc.com/store/last_virtual_volunteering_guidebook

I have a blog on roles and activities volunteering-involving programs can launch RIGHT NOW for online volunteers.
http://coyotecommunications.com/coyoteblog/2020/03/never-a-better-time-t...

Also, I give my permission for anyone to show my training videos, freely available at my YouTube Channel, at a workshop, conference or class related to volunteer management, volunteerism, or nonprofit/NGO/charity management.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLINg8P50qEaMMv_TyEzgQuJAT-M8Ja50Q