Virtual Volunteering

A social network site that makes "it easy for everyone to live a healthy, green lifestyle and impact the causes they care about most." Example of a thriving online community (over 10 million members).

"A place to discuss and dissect the successes, failures, and practices of online activism." Micro-volunteering actions for "digital campaigning, one click at a time."

Sample articles from free bimonthly newsletter for nonprofits on how to attract constituents, drive action, and build loyalty through online relationship management.

Jayne Cravens, the guru of virtual volunteering, has been maintaining this personal Web site since 1996 amd offers a wealth of tips sheets on all sorts of Internet-related subjects for nonprofits in general and volunteer program managers in particular. Always on the cutting-edge of technology, Jayne has provided a wonderfully welcoming and informative podcast, talking about how podcasts can be used by nonprofits, and just how easy it is to do. http://www.coyotecommunications.com/podcasts/jayne_01.mp3.

"iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 140 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 2,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide."  There is a particularly good area of the site explaining telementoring and linking to more resources.

An initiative of TechSoup Global, this site wants "to jumpstart the leading edge of online technological change -- and to help nonprofits use that edge to change the world!" Explains the new generation of online tools available that make it easier than ever before to collaborate, share information and mobilize support.

This UK consulting and research firm provides free -- and well-written -- reports on many aspects of trends in nonprofit management, online charity outreach, and volunteering. You must register your e-mail address to download PDFs.

Although not written for volunteer managers, provides a wide range of materials on fostering "online community." A nice tool for fostering volunteer community.

This resource was developed by Jayne Cravens for Sanchez Elementary School in Austin, Texas through the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. This online mentoring program is no longer operational but these Web materials have been preserved to help other schools develop their own online mentoring programs.

Any one person is connected to any other person through six or fewer relationships, because it's a small world. SixDegrees.org (founded by Kevin Bacon and Network for Good) is about using this idea to accomplish something good (social networking with a social conscience). Support favorite charities by donating or creating fundraising *badges* - as well as check out the favorite causes of other people, including celebrities.

Practical social media and Web 2.0 advice for animal welfare advocates, but applicable to all and with many volunteer-related tips.

Site utilizing the most innovative online technology for "social citizenship" offers this page defining blogs, wikis, and other tools (includes videos).

The "technology place for nonprofits" -- an overall great site. Browse the sections on "Community" and "Resources" for all sorts of information on using the Internet in your work with volunteers.

A free service provided by the United Nations Volunteers programme that connects development organizations with online volunteers. The site contains many tips about online volunteering, both for volunteers and host organizations.

The United Nations Information Technology Service, promotes volunteer involvement as fundamental to efforts focused on information and communications technologies for development ( ICT4D ). United Nations Volunteers service coordinates this UN ICT initiative.

The project's goal is to create a virtual volunteering website that is accessed through social networks like Facebook to bolster the support system for inner-city kids by solving the problems of commitment, localization and physicality that act as barriers to volunteering. Centered on a blog.

The Service Leader/Virtual Volunteering Project Web site was revised in 2003 and older information--particularly about online mentoring-- was removed. The Ellis Archive archived these pages.

Extensive collection of original papers written for the for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Conference on Volunteering and ICTs, December 2003.