FAQs about 'Virtual' Volunteering

Summary:

Summary: Virtual volunteering, also known as online volunteering, cyber service, online mentoring, telementoring, and various other names, offers a number of benefits to both volunteers and the organizations who involve them.

Answer:

Virtual volunteering means volunteer tasks completed, in whole or in part, via the Internet and a home, work, university or community access center computer. Virtual volunteering is similar to telecommuting, except that, instead of online employees, these are online volunteers.

Online volunteers:

• translate documents
  
• edit and prepare proposals & press releases
  
• research topics and gather data
  
• create web pages, brochures and newsletters
  
• design presentations
  
• research and develop curricula
  
• design databases and graphics
  
• offer professional expertise and advice (business, legal, marketing, organic farming, etc.)
  
• tutor or mentor students (youth or adult)
  
• moderate online discussion groups
  
• manage other online volunteers
  
  • and more...

Virtual volunteering sometimes also refers to the ways volunteer managers use the Internet to interact with all volunteers, regardless of where service is performed. For instance, some organizations allow volunteers to use e-mail to submit time sheets and progress reports, and other organizations use e-mail to communicate with all volunteers, rather than sending them materials via postal mail.

Why involve online volunteers? Because

• They have skills and expertise nonprofit organizations (NPOs) may not have but which are needed.
  
• They may have sophisticated hardware or software that NPOs lack.
  
• They help stretch onsite resources even further, often allowing NPOs and onsite volunteers to serve more people and do more activities.
  
• OV allows for the participation of people who find onsite volunteering difficult or impossible because of a disability, home obligation, transportation difficulties or work schedule; this in turn allows you to benefit from the additional talent and resources of more, and a greater diversity of, volunteers.
  
• They don't require physical accommodations (no desk, no chair, no parking place).

Many people actively search for volunteer opportunities they can complete via home or work computers, because of time constraints, personal preference, a disability or a home-based obligation that prevents them from volunteering on-site. Virtual volunteering allows anyone with Internet access to contribute time and expertise to not-for-profit organizations, schools, government offices and other agencies that utilize volunteer services.

The vast majority of advocates do NOT promote the idea of online volunteers replacing onsite, face-to-face volunteers. Rather, virtual volunteering is promoted as an additional avenue to allow people to volunteer.

Jayne Cravens, a founder of the online discussion venue NONPROFIT and long-time contributor to the NONPROFIT FAQ created the FAQs about Virtual Volunteering at http://www.serviceleader.org/old/vv/FAQ/

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Posted 7/27/99; completely revised 3/18/04 -- PB