Virtual Volunteering in the Age of Coronavirus

 

In a world where we can operate virtually, we as a society have not come close to utilizing all the tools for remote volunteering. Achieving more for organizations while we are social distancing has expanded virtual volunteering in so many ways that the amount of volunteering and donating has grown during the stay at home order. Yet we have only scratched the surface of the possibilities.

The earliest opportunity of virtual volunteering began in 1971 with Project Gutenberg.  This large and ongoing (even today!) effort has a library of over 60,000 free eBooks that were digitized and proofread by thousands of volunteers. Another lurch forward into the digital age birthed a nonprofit in 1995 called VolunteerMatch, which markets virtual volunteering opportunities. The use of applications on electronic devices, like VolunteerMatch, widened the circle for volunteer opportunities and increased nonprofit capacity.  

During the COVID-19 stay at home order, many opportunities moved online and include translation, research, and creating quick content. Remote volunteers are also sewing masks, assembling  PPE equipment for frontline workers, and maintaining community mental health with check in calls or hand-written cards to clients. 

For some agencies, the idea of virtual volunteering may be a new endeavor

For some agencies, the idea of virtual volunteering may be a new endeavor, although a national study has not been done on how many organizations use virtual volunteers.  In addition, many of us have learned new skills and employ new applications like Zoom into our daily operations. To give some perspective, before COVID-19, there were 100 million Zoom users at the end of last year.  In March, Zoom users doubled, rising to over 200 million.  

Like new Zoom users, volunteer managers plunged into a new reality of adjusting volunteer roles rose at a rapid rate. With volunteers stepping up in new and exciting ways, volunteer managers were playing catch up on the “new normal.” I personally utilize many of ENERG!ZE’s resources when creating policies for new volunteer opportunities.  In Jayne Craven and Susan Ellis’ book, The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook, they help volunteer managers with best practices on engagement with online volunteers. 

Volunteer managers, you have an opportunity to change your current procedures and apply them to virtual volunteers. Be open to change and feedback from volunteers that want to offer help in new and different ways.  It might just surprise you in a positive way and increase the volunteer capacity for your organization. 



Post by: Vince Abramo, HIHOED Team Instructor vince@hiho.org //Photo by Marcus Spiske on Unsplash

 
Shar Paet