Engaging Volunteers

Bookmarks: Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech

Hilary Lawson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:54:20 +0000

(Editor’s Note: As part of the Nonprofit Blog Exchange, we are pleased to draw attention to this innovative and engaging blog.)

Ward, a blogger bringing technology to the nonprofit masses since 2007.

The words “technology” and “nonprofit” didn’t always have such a good relationship.

While tech’s relationship with other business sectors blossomed and grew, it seemed to leave nonprofits in the dust, struggling with outdated practices and ineffective communication strategies.

However, resources like VolunteerMatch, TechSoup, and Npower have made it easier for nonprofits to utilize online resources, and now blogs are making it more accessible than ever for nonprofits to become as tech-savvy as the for-profit division.

A great example is Amy Sample Ward’s Version of NPTech. Ward, who has worked in private philanthropy, advocacy for nonprofits, web design and online strategy uses her site to educate nonprofits about new technologies they can use in their own organization. She posts helpful studies, interviews, news updates and reviews, and puts them in a context that anyone can understand.

Whether reporting on social media trends or fundraising techniques, her current position in the UK allows her to see happenings from both sides of the pond. You can see this level-headed perspective in her commentary on issues such as the hype surrounding donations made with social media applications:

“Despite the initial awe and excitement around a number like $20 Million, I want to take a moment to think about the other side of the data. There certainly is more to the story and I hope you’ll share your perspectives as well.”

The nonprofit world can definitely benefit from well-informed cynicism like this. But Ward’s is not the only voice in the dialogue, as many others take part and post comments, questions and concerns. Perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that Ward responds to nearly each and every one, making the move towards technology a collaborative process.

So just in time for Valentine’s Day, nonprofits and the tech world are getting along better than ever. That’s something we all can use.

Slim Rise in U.S. Volunteer Rates No Match for Huge Rise in Federal Spending on Volunteering

Hilary Lawson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:58:32 +0000

Build Brigade, Homes for Our Troops

If no news is good news during tough times, then even slightly optimistic news is a beacon of hope, right?

That’s what the results of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report on U.S. volunteer rates suggest, says the Corporation for National and Community Service. The $1.15 billion federal agency is promoting the BLS figures this week.

But despite some definite improvements — particularly in light of a severe recession — the results should be taken with a grain of salt.

In a press release with the heady headline “Volunteering Up Amid Tough Economic Times,” Stephen Goldsmith, board chair of the Corporation, says “We’re seeing a compassion boom across this country, where communities are banding together and neighbors are reaching out in service to others. It is truly the generosity of the American spirit at its best. The need is great, the momentum is strong, and potential is unlimited for ushering in a new era of service in America.”

So what does a compassion boom look like? Here are the numbers:

And some highlights:

1.5 million more Americans say they volunteered between September 2008 and September 2009 than during the previous year.
The total number who reported volunteering was 63.4 million people (26.8% of the population), compared to 61.8 million in 2008.
Volunteer rates for women increased from 29.4% to 30.1%.
People with full-time jobs showed a .9% increase in their volunteer rate.
Volunteer rates among unemployed men increased just 1.2%.
Those between ages of 35 and 54 were the most likely to volunteer.

If you only keep your eye on the slim rise from 2008 to 2009, you’ll definitely miss the big picture. Three recent years, including the recession year of 2003 (not pictured), all saw higher volunteer rates than last year.

Where would today’s volunteer rate be without the new 9-11 Day of Service, an historic MLK Day of Service, President Obama’s volunteer initiative, Serve.gov, or the recession? It’s impossible to say. But before these expensive national service programs existed (and before the Corporation’s budget swelled by $260 million thanks to the Serve America Act) more Americans were volunteering.

And yet don’t let these results burst your benevolent bubble. Instead, we can use them to help focus our attention on programs that really have made a difference. At VolunteerMatch, 2009 was a banner year.

We’re working on our Annual Report now, but some early highlights show real progress, including a 20% rise in volunteer referrals to 677,000 for the year, 10.4% more visitors, and nearly 20% more participating organizations. Our budget? Less than $4 million.

Where Nonprofits Fit In

To get more great volunteers, great nonprofits have to get into the mix. Take advantage of the rise in volunteerism at VolunteerMatch by posting your opportunities today.

Also, be sure to take part in our free Webinars to ensure your volunteer program has the quality to match the quantity.

Register for VolunteerMatch 101 on February 3rd, Best Practices for Recruiting Online on February 2nd, or learn more about recruiting a new generation of older adult volunteers with our next Boomer Volunteer Engagement Webinar, taking place February 24th.

Webinars Go Wild: Record Attendance, New 2010 Trainings, and Nice Words from Actual Participants

Robert Rosenthal — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:54:53 +0000

Holy crow! We knew our Webinar series on volunteer management and recruitment was getting rave reviews from participants, but this is nuts.

Our latest Webinar in the series, “The New Volunteer Manager’s Toolkit,” just kicked off this week, and more than 240 people attended — making it our most popular live event ever.

The topic of “The New Volunteer Manager’s Toolkit” is fairly basic. It’s an introduction to the idea of program management, risk management, and how to recruit, retain and recognize volunteers. In short: the building blocks of successful management. The next Webinar on this topic takes place on 2/25. Register here to attend for free.

We also have a few other new Webinars for 2010, and we’d be delighted to have you attend:

Single Days of Service: Make It Work
Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone’s Job

Our complete list of Webinars for volunteer coordinators and managers can be found in our Learning Center.

Finally, I wanted to share two quotes from recent attendees talking about their experience:

This was an excellent program today. Thank you so much for creating the opportunities for us to learn in a time efficient and learning effective manner! I’d love a copy of the slides. All the best as you launch a New Year!

- Beth Garland, Director Program & Strategic Partnerships, Jeremiah Program

I had the privilege of participating in your VM training on ‘Engaging Skilled Volunteers’ yesterday. It was terrific. The three presenters – Sarah Christian, Jennifer Bennett and Alicia Crawford – were an incredible team that presented seamlessly. The topic was so timely. The flow of the call was perfect – not too rushed or too slow. The information was in bite sizes pieces – easy to grasp and take away, and the questions were totally relevant. Even I walked away with new learning that I will use in my role at the Society.

- Cindy Sorensen, National Multiple Sclerosis Society

(Photo: Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Have Heart, Will Travel: 5 Organizations Using VolunteerMatch to Find Vacationers with Values

Hilary Lawson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:06:17 +0000

Judging from the response to Haiti’s earthquake, it’s clear that people are willing to travel for a good cause.

However, while the current situation’s urgency provokes quick action, many organizations have already been using VolunteerMatch to get volunteers to travel halfway around the world for them, with or without the push of recent disaster.

As more people look to combine their recreational travel plans with opportunities to help others, the voluntourism industry is seeing more interest than ever. And for many organizations, being part of VolunteerMatch’s network helps them connect with prospective volunteers first—and for free!

Using VolunteerMatch’s Advanced Search options makes it easy for do-gooders to find opportunities that match their preferred destinations and interests, which means not only increased numbers of volunteers for travel-related organizations, but also high-quality matches, each and every time.

Here’s a look at five nonprofits—big and small, educational and environmental—that are finding voluntourists through VolunteerMatch right now:

Cross-Cultural Solutions: A recognized leader in the field of international volunteerism, Cross-Cultural Solutions was founded in 1995. Over 4,000 people volunteer with them each year in various programs located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. They’ve received over 37,000 referrals from VolunteerMatch so far , and they reported a 99% overall volunteer satisfaction rate for 2008.

A Broader View Volunteers: Based in Pennsylvania, A Broader View allows volunteers to choose from about 130 different programs in 13 different countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. Volunteer work consists of orphanage work, day care, community development and teaching. They work with about 150-200 volunteers a year, with 150 referrals from VolunteerMatch to date.

Adoption Advocates International: A newcomer to VolunteerMatch, this international adoption agency finds adoptive families for children living in Ethiopia, China, Thailand, Ghana, and Washington State. For a small organization such as AAI, using VolunteerMatch gives them the chance to connect with many more excellent volunteers.

Greenheart Travel: A division of the Center for Cultural Interchange, Greenheart Travel provides opportunities for volunteers to make a difference in areas of environmentalism, fair trade, social transformation, and cross cultural understanding. They have programs in 35 countries, and also offer internships, teaching opportunities, and group programs.

Waves for Development International: Based in New York with additional programs in Peru and Switzerland, Waves for Development International provides Educational Surf and Surf Voluntourism programs in coastal communities. While developing and empowering young adults, they also engage travelers and transform their world view.

For information on how your travel-related nonprofit can use VolunteerMatch more effectively, visit our Resources page.

By the way: We also have tools for for-profit travel businesses. If you are promoting volunteering for the travelers you serve, you can embed our SearchLite widget on your site to make it easy for your socially responsible tourists to find a cause they can write home about. Here’s an example.

Reviewed: 10 Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties

Hilary Lawson — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:07:24 +0000

While many older and wiser people will tell you how lucky you are to be in your twenties, how this is the most exciting time in your life and that it never gets better than this, the truth is, when you’re living them, the twenties are pretty exhausting.

Your first real job. Financial independence (i.e. debt). Relationships (or lack thereof). These are issues that fill this decade with hurdles to jump and hoops to leap through.

Now take those problems and add our current global situation into the equation. With war, economic recession and environmental crisis as our inheritance, Generation Y faces more challenges than ever.

However, with problems come possibility, and author Libuse Binder takes these weighty issues and turns them into concrete ways we can improve the world while on our path to self-discovery.

10 Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties offers creative ideas and practical resources for the ambitious twentysomething. Each chapter is devoted to a specific issue, including green living, volunteerism, political activism and financial responsibility.

Readers can learn how to throw purposeful parties, eat with a conscience, and turn their passion into their profession. Moreover, each idea for change is rated on time, cost and lifestyle impact.

So whether you are on a shoestring budget or have a semester to travel the world, Binder will have an accessible and impactful opportunity for you.

Which makes the quarter-life crisis seem a lot less catastrophic.

For more information, visit www.tenways.org.

Web Video Worth Watching: 5 Tips to Improve Your Videos

Robert Rosenthal — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:37:02 +0000

(The following post is reprinted from Andy Goodman, who helps organizations strengthen their ability to inspire and engage through storytelling. On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, Andy will lead a free Webinar on storytelling as a best practice for the VolunteerMatch community. Click here to sign up.)

Guest post by Andy Goodman, The Goodman Center

Now that you can hold an HD camera in one hand and upload your file to the Web with the other, an increasing number of nonprofits are adding video to their sites. The process is inexpensive, easy to learn, and breathtakingly fast, but that doesn’t guarantee a watchable end product. In fact, in many cases the smooth path is more of a slippery slope. Good causes, meet bad videos.

Having joined the video revolution, your organization may be prone to the same mistakes everyone else has been making – i.e., Web videos that are too long, badly shot, and generally impossible to watch from start to finish. So take a moment and meet Steve Stockman, who has directed a feature film, numerous television shows and music videos, and over 200 commercials.

Stockman is currently writing Why Bad Video Happens to Good People (and how to keep it from happening to you), due this fall from Workman Publishing. The book is filled with practical advice on how to produce videos especially for viewing on the web, and as an exclusive sneak preview, we offer five of Stockman’s tips here along with sample videos that happily follow (or sadly ignore) these tips:

Tell a story.
Sutter Health, a network of hospitals and physicians in Northern California, uses video on its site to tell the story of Caitlyn Barker, who was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 14. The video does many things well, Stockman says, but above all it succeeds by telling a compelling story in ninety seconds. “The components I look for are a hero, along with a beginning, middle and end,” he says. “Sutter Health is conveying the fact that they helped this 14 year old girl, but the video tells a story and makes me feel something for her that goes beyond the mere fact.”

Make one point.
PATH, an international nonprofit focused on health, offers the video “From Innovation to Impact” as an overview of its work in India. The video profiles half a dozen programs in roughly seven minutes, and while the production value is high, it’s difficult to watch all the way through. PATH does extraordinary work, but in trying to cover too much ground, the nonprofit overstays its welcome with the viewer. “You shouldn’t expect a short piece of video to convey more than one point,” says Stockman. “This video jumps from topic to topic when it would be better to focus on just one.”

Get to the point quickly.
The Student Conservation Association, which puts kids to work preserving and protecting the environment, posted this video on YouTube as an overview of its approach. “The video suffers from over-introductionitis,” says Stockman. “You have establishing shots in the wild, the kids introduce themselves, and for 40 seconds you still don’t know why you’re watching. And if you don’t know why you’re watching, you’re gone.” Website visitors are notoriously impatient, so if you have something to say – in video or otherwise – waste no time saying it.

Always make your star look good.
“Even if you’re catching someone on the fly,” Stockman says, “clip a lavalier microphone on them so they can be heard clearly and pay attention to what’s around them.” The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund would have done well to heed this advice when recording a testimonial from cartoonist Jeff Smith. Smith is poorly lit, must compete with background noise to be heard, and looks silly thanks to a background that makes it appear his head has sprouted wings.

The Sierra Club does only marginally better with a video introducing president Allison Chin.Sierra Club video While she is sufficiently well lit and can be heard clearly, “there is no visual interest in this video at all,” says Stockman. Chin is situated dead center, the least interesting part of the frame, and looks off to the left, which has the odd effect of drawing attention to the books behind her left shoulder.

For contrast, Stockman points to “Success is Right There in Front of Us,” a video featured on Good Shepherd Services’ website. The speakers in this series of testimonials are lit more dramatically, and by situating them on the right side of the frame and having them look to the left, the viewer’s eyes are drawn back to their faces.

Video is for motion and emotion.
AchieveKids, which works with special needs students, recorded a series of testimonials from students and staff, clearly constrained by a tight budget. The video must be downloaded from the home page – a time-consuming step that can reduce viewership – but it succeeds where many others fail because it conveys authentic emotions. “The camera lets you capture motion, which is attractive to the eye, and can tell a story, which reaches the heart. If you don’t have motion or emotion,” Stockman concludes, “don’t use video.”

(When he’s not directing, Steve Stockman teaches organizations how to use video better. To learn more, email him at steve@customproductions.tv.)

After Haiti: 4 Things Organizations Involved in Disaster Preparedness Should Be Doing at VolunteerMatch

Robert Rosenthal — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:38:28 +0000

(Note: The following post was written for organizations that recruit and manage volunteer disaster relief workers. If you would like to volunteer, visit www.volunteermatch.org.)

The urgent stories coming from Haiti are having an impact: Visits from volunteers who want to get involved in the Haitian relief effort helped make last week the busiest at VolunteerMatch.org in nearly five years.

For organizations that do disaster preparedness and relief work, the days and weeks following major disasters are critical times. As the crisis in Haiti shows, the need for independent sector organizations to work with affected governments to save lives, care for the sick, house the homeless, and help lead the long haul toward recovery is massive. If you work with one of the hundreds of other emergency response and recovery organizations in our network, there is no better time to demonstrate the importance of getting involved than right now.

Here are a few tips for making the most of VolunteerMatch for organizations that are involved in disaster preparation:

Update your opportunities to make them discoverable and relevant right now.
Use keywords like “Haiti” and “disaster” to make sure your listings are coming up in important searches.

Emphasize the importance of training as a stepping stone.
Many prospective volunteers aren’t aware how important is to be trained. A message such as “This training is an important step to being deployed during future crisis.”

Remind volunteers that most emergencies are local.
Few communities are completely spared of disasters. If your focus is one local emergency response and recovery, you can use Haiti (or any international disaster) to remind prospective trainees that getting preparedness training in areas like trauma treatment, rescue, coordinated response, and many other important skills are important for helping out in our own backyards.

Use your tools.
Within your VolunteerMatch account are some important tools that can help you save time and recruit more effectively – two things that are even more important before and after emergencies:

Email All allows you to send email communications to everyone who has ever referred to your opportunities. Even if referrals never became official volunteers, during an emergency you may want to activate those folks as a network for getting things done.
The Syndication Tool lets you avoid duplicate data entry while keeping your own Web site updated with VolunteerMatch listings. Use the tool to create a code snippet you can give your Web master. Once it’s in place on your Web site, your VolunteerMatch listings will automatically show there.
Custom Questions lets you prescreen referrals with questions of your choice. If a referral requires specific skills, ability, or experience, you can ask those questions up front.
Document Manager lets you automatically attach important forms, waivers, or training materials to your emails to prospective referrals.
If you have active social networks, use the Social Media icons at the end of the listing process to easily send out links to your VolunteerMatch listings.

(Note: Some of these tools come with our free Basic account; some require a Community Leader account ($8.95/month). Click here to see the different account features.)

The list above is just the start of how nonprofits can use their VolunteerMatch account more effectively to engage disaster and emergency volunteers. We’d also love to hear your ideas for how to do this.

(Photo credit: Flickr / CC BY 2.0)

What Matters on MLK Day

Robert Rosenthal — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:49:48 +0000

Happy MLK Day of Service from everyone at VolunteerMatch.

Today we’re reminded that what matters most is action.
It’s not about talk.It’s not about speeches.
It’s not about positioning, partnerships, synergies, leverage, or strategies.
It’s not about awards.
It’s not even about caring.
It’s about acting.

Thank you, those who act.

And thank you, Dr. King, who showed what is possible.

After Haiti: A Map of Disaster Response Volunteering in Action

Robert Rosenthal — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:44:31 +0000

Update: We’ve received a huge number of Comments to this post from individuals inquiring about volunteering for Haitian relief. Click here for VolunteerMatch’s map of active volunteer opportunities in emergency response, disaster preparedness, or disaster relief. Please note that there may be a delay in response to Haitian relief efforts as the agencies respond first to immediate needs and then begin processing requests from the general public.

In the wake of this week’s disaster in Haiti, visits to VolunteerMatch are through the roof. Click the map below to see the nation’s heart in action.

Whatever the size of your agency, if your agency or NGO works in emergency response, disaster relief, or recovery, you should be posting your listings at VolunteerMatch.

Cash for Caring: Pepsi Puts Up Blog, Lots of $$$, for Ideas that Refresh Our Communities

Robert Rosenthal — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:46:48 +0000

Is your organization idea-rich but cash-poor? You’re not alone.

We have a lot of smart people in our communities with great concepts for solving problems, but because only a gifted few are also strong fundraisers, much of our best thinking never materializes into impactful projects.

This year, big thinkers like you can get some help from Pepsi. With its “Refresh Everything” campaign, the company is looking to put millions of dollars each month into the hands of folks who know what to do with it.

To launch the program, Pepsi has put up a blog at RefreshEverything.com, and you can go there now to get a sense of the kinds of ideas that will be capturing their attention. Submissions may be officially made starting on January 13.

Here a few program details from Pepsi:

Throughout 2010, millions of dollars will be awarded in $5,000 (10/month), $25,000 (10/month), $50,000 (10/month) and $250,000 (2/month) grants on a monthly basis.
Submitted projects should fall into one of six categories: Arts & Culture, The Planet, Education, Food & Shelter, Neighborhoods, and Health.
Projects ideas need to be US-based and benefit projects within the US.
The Project must be implemented within 12 months.
The Project must have a social/public benefit.
Voting for the January round of the Refresh Project begins on February 1st. Voting starts on the 1st of each subsequent month and continues throughout the last day of every month

Learn more at www.refresheverything.com.