Online Volunteering Tips, Tools and Technology by Randy Tyler

Micro Volunteering - Untapped Potential with Some Apparent Wrinkles to Work Out

Although a number of areas appear to require further elucidation, micro volunteering seems to have untapped potential in our ever expanding and changing technological age. To place micro volunteering in context, I will briefly provide an overview of online volunteering (also known as Virtual Volunteering or Internet-based volunteering).

In essence, online volunteering enables an individual to contribute to a non-profit organization (or NGO) of their choosing from the comfort of their home (or similar venue) via an Internet connected computer. I began pioneering online volunteering with a Canadian charity in 1998, wherein I had the opportunity (and privilege) to work with Internet-based volunteers from around the globe. These highly-skilled cyber Samaritans, who were motivated by a myriad of reasons, performed a range of tasks such as video editing, PSA audio production, voice overs, tutoring, programming, photography, word processing, photo retouching, illustration and design. A volunteer management process was developed and employed that focused on the identification, articulation and means of achieving organizational needs, recruitment/retention, risk management (e.g., screening, logical assignments) and evaluation.

From my above online volunteering frame of reference, micro volunteering appears to have a number of areas that require further refinement. Moreover, a number of proposed (or considered appropriate) "micro-volunteering" tasks have been performed successfully by Virtual Volunteers (Online Volunteers) for years. Without the luxury of a full macro analysis of micro volunteering at hand, the following questions appear salient as a starting point for further dialogue:

• What specific routine and meaningful micro-volunteering tasks can be performed in what (reasonable/realistic) time frame and how will these said micro-volunteering tasks mesh (conceptually and in practice) with similar/same virtual volunteering tasks?
• For those micro volunteers involved with sensitive information or non-profit clients, what type and extent of screening will/should be undertaken?
• With limited resources, how will a non-profit manage (e.g., screen, co-ordinate, appropriately assign, supervise, document and evaluate) numerous volunteers involved in micro volunteering (such as, 100 volunteers involved in two minute tasks)?
• What motivates individuals to engage in what types of micro volunteering?
• Are there certain types of non-profit organizations (based on such variables as: mission, structure, size, geographic area, resources and/or budget) that are best suited for micro volunteering (meaning micro volunteering efforts will result in the most impact, however that may be defined, for the non-profit)?
• Are there specific types of tasks with certain types of non-profit organizations which attract specific micro volunteers?
• Continuous recruiting is a significant resource drain. What methods and strategies will assist in retaining micro volunteers?
• What specific types of devices using what type of Internet connections are best for micro volunteering?
• What motivates non-profits to embrace micro volunteering?

As technology evolves and best practices surface, micro volunteering will be further refined and its potential more fully realized.

For further information about how a non profit organization can develop a productive virtual volunteering program through the use of appropriate technology, please visit http://news.RandyTyler.org or http://www.RandyTyler.org.

More Online Tools Provide Options to Flash to Accommodate Apple's New iPad

Non-Profits Must Consider Flash Options to Accommodate Huge Mobile Market, Including Apple's iPad

More online tools (for example, AuthorStream and SlideShare) are moving to provide options to Flash in order to be compatible with Apple's new iPad (which does not support Flash) and other similar mobile technologies. Non-profit organizations that make use of Flash (for example, Flash-based Web video) will now also have to consider such non-Flash based options if they want to communicate with an ever growing market share of devices such as Apple's iPhone and iPad.

For further information about how a non profit organization can develop a productive virtual volunteering program through the use of appropriate technology, please visit this Online Volunteering Resource.