Benefits of Using the Internet to Find and Utilize Volunteers

Benefits of Using the Internet
to Find and Utilize Volunteers

Impact Online, a nonprofit organization utilizing the Internet to "turn good intentions into action," believes that online technologies provide an excellent way to augment an organization's volunteer recruitment methods, and that the Internet can provide new ways to involve volunteers.

Many organizations have already have great success with recruiting volunteers via online means. For example, according to an article in the The Philanthropy Journal, when staff members at a North Carolina-based network for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) created an electronic sign-up sheet for volunteers, they tripled the number of responses, and the organization was able to broaden its reach to attract new types of volunteers.

However, that success has to be taken with a grain of salt: the organization happened to be one that provides technology assistance to NPOs. A homeless shelter might not have the same large response if it were seeking, via online means, food servers. Impact Online recognizes that these cutting-edge practices will not replace traditional volunteer recruitment methods, nor traditional ways of utilizing volunteer services.

There are many good reasons to
recruit and involve volunteers
via online technologies:

Potential volunteers who are not reached by traditional offline means may be reached online.
There are people who don't read the newspaper's column on volunteer opportunities, or who don't read bulletins from the local volunteer center, but who would, indeed, love to volunteer.

Potential volunteers who wouldn't call for information or sign on to volunteer may do so online.
Some people prefer to communicate via online means. Dashing off an email or filling out an online sign-up sheet is quicker and, for some people, preferable to calling your organization.

People who cannot volunteer onsite may be willing to do so via their home or work computers
; this is called virtual volunteering. Such volunteers are environmentally friendly -- no car exhausts, less paper waste, etc.

Using offsite volunteers via the Internet extends the resources of your organization.
This practice can augment staff resources and/or allow your organization to reach more clients.

People in their 20s and 30s are more prone to be on the Internet than other age groups and are more prone to sign up to volunteer via an online means. These young volunteers can turn into long-time supporters, even donors.

If you would like to add information regarding the benefits of finding and using volunteers via the Internet, please email Impact Online. Please include your name, email address, Web address (if applicable) and the name of the organization you represent or with whom you are affiliated.

Other Volunteer-Related Resources:

Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this information without charge for non-commercial or educational purposes if the information is kept intact and without alteration, and is credited to:

http://www.impactonline.org