What is Volunteer America?
Volunteer America is a new program that offers one-time "just-show-up" volunteer opportunities nationwide. We've started in San Francisco and will be adding more cities every month. We will launch our full service, with more than 20 cities early in 1997!
Perfect for the busy career person, the family with children, or people who travel -- this program offers a way to find volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood, that require only a commitment to volunteer once!
NetDay96 in California was a clear demonstration that people want to get involved and do more AND that the Web can be used to increase volunteerism. On March 9, 1996, approximately 100,000 volunteers prepared the state's schools for connection to the Internet and the NetDay96 Web site was the organization's principal means of organizing and attracting volunteers. Our goal with Volunteer America is to enable any person to volunteer on any weekend - and any organization to sign up any number of volunteers needed for any day. It is the NetDay model - expanded to cover many weekends and many organizations. What is revolutionary about this initiative is the ability to use the Web to create lasting communities of organizations and volunteers at very low cost.
Impact Online provides extensive on-line functionality to organizations and potential volunteers by giving groups seeking volunteers a free, simple and flexible web presence.
Volunteer America makes that web presence very valuable by
- Enabling volunteers to sign up for specific projects right over the Web.
- Creating a lasting community of organizations and dedicated volunteers.
How it works
Nonprofit organizations simply go to the Services Area of Impact Online's site and register. Just fill out a form and a web page with your organization's information and upcoming events is automatically created. You can update your web page whenever you want adding new activities to keep the volunteers coming. Impact Online will be adding to these opportunities by providing information in 20 cities.
Volunteers visit the Volunteer America area and tell us when they want to volunteer and their location. Volunteer America instantly displays a list of events that match their criteria and allows them to sign up right over the Web. It's that simple - and it works. Right now, if you live in San Francisco you can find as many as 100 volunteer opportunities for December that require you only to register and show up - help wrap gifts at a mall for charity, help clean up a beach, help with a Christmas party - anything that requires people to show up, ready to give a few hours of their time.
What Volunteer America can do for your organization
The Volunteer America program will save your organization time, money and energy. All you have to do is type in some basic information abut your organization and Impact Online will put your group and its listed activities in front of thousands of potential volunteers.
How Can You Help?
The key to the success of this effort will be the participation of nonprofit groups. Spread the word by informing, motivating and helping as many nonprofit organizations as possible to register at Impact Online and list one-time opportunities at Volunteer America. It's up to you, your organization, your company and your community to enable nonprofit groups to benefit from this new technology.
If your are interested in being the key organizer of your city or region, then become a Impact Online Fanatic.
Who Built It?
This website was made possible by the generous contributions of Pinpoint Solutions and Western Front Graphics. Pinpoint Solutions has provided the database programming and CGI scripting that makes the Volunteer America program work. Western Front Graphics has provided the original artwork and graphic design that gives our site it's look. We are grateful to them both for their invaluable assistance.