ARE YOU WILLING TO BE AN ONLINE VOLUNTEER?

In the first part we started the series “Online Volunteering” with a general introduction. We showed some of the ways in which digital technology enables remote collaboration and how you can stay connected and help – even during a pandemic! Since then, you may have wondered if online volunteering is for you. And maybe your non-profit organization could benefit from this kind of involvement. So today we’ll continue our series with some basic questions about what makes a good online volunteer. In the next section, we will look specifically at strategies and tips to help nonprofit organizations get started with online volunteering.

Volunteering 2.0: Is this something for you?

Online volunteering has many advantages. For example, United Nations volunteers say, “Online volunteering is fast, easy and most importantly, effective. But before you get started, you may wonder if this type of volunteering is right for you. To find out, please answer the following questions:

How much time can you volunteer online?

Although volunteering from a distance has its advantages, volunteering online has the same responsibilities and obligations as volunteering on location. It is therefore important to have a realistic idea of how much free time you have available. How will this commitment fit into your everyday life? Ask yourself how much time you could really devote to certain tasks – especially during the pandemic, when most of us are already working from home and have to schedule other types of care. Do you have a regular task (e.g. daily or weekly) or is it a one-off? Does the project have an upper limit for volunteer hours or could you set one with your partner organization? And finally, is there some leeway in case extensions are needed?

What attracts you to online volunteer work?

One of the biggest advantages of online volunteering is the flexibility it offers. Thanks to the Internet, you are no longer tied to where you live because you can now volunteer virtually anywhere in the world. However, online volunteering is not intended to completely eliminate interaction or other forms of interaction. Ask yourself what you find most appealing about the flexibility of online volunteering: is it the opportunity to help during the pandemic? Do you want to get to know other countries and cultures? Or do you just want to use your skills and knowledge outside office hours? Answers to these questions will help you to identify more clearly what could really interest you. And that in turn will help you make the most of your experience as an online volunteer.

How involved will you be in the life of the community/organization?

Some volunteer roles require a higher level of commitment to the organization you are supporting – for example, mentoring or organizational planning. This can take the form of regular staff meetings, participation in group messaging platforms such as Slack, and occasional progress reports. Other tasks, on the other hand, are designed to be performed independently with limited interaction between employees. You may prefer one of the two. So consider beforehand what role you want to play in the organization and/or the community you want to support – more (or less!) involvement could be the key to maintaining your enthusiasm and commitment over time.

Do you enjoy interacting with others?

Even if you are solely responsible for some tasks, as an online volunteer you are still part of a community. When you decide on a project or organization that you want to support, ask yourself how important social interaction is to you. Do you work better when you have the opportunity to get feedback from others? Do you enjoy “virtual happy hours” and other team-building activities where you can feel involved in the project’s daily routine? There are endless possibilities when it comes to online volunteer work. When you think about what kind of experience you want to have, you can choose (or create!) the role that best suits your personality.

What is the organizational culture?

Regardless of whether you are volunteering for a project or an established organization, these “places” will have their own work cultures and work processes. Are there specific platforms or tools that your colleagues use to manage tasks, provide feedback or stay connected? Are you familiar with them or could you learn to use them for your tasks? Have you already set up a profile or are you given access to organizational accounts? If you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to have a little briefing before committing to a role – you’ll save yourself (and your colleagues!) a lot of valuable time!

Do you have a reliable Internet connection?

This question may be obvious, but it is crucial! From where will you volunteer online? If you are thinking of joining during the pandemic, this will most likely mean working from home. Do you share your Internet connection with other family members or roommates? Are there certain times of the day that are quieter for you or when the Internet runs faster? Do you share any devices (such as microphones, headsets, cameras, etc.) with others? All these devices make a big difference to your work as an online volunteer!

Motivation is the key in any volunteer work, but as an online volunteer it is especially important that you have the ability to motivate yourself. If online volunteering is new to you, it is also important that you know yourself well. Only then can you choose the role and project that will keep you focused and enthusiastic. If you want to get involved, or if you think you have the time and skills to help others in this crisis, online volunteering might be right for you. Would you like to give it a try?

WHAT IS ONLINE VOLUNTEERING?

Online volunteering is not a completely new concept in itself, but is undoubtedly experiencing a renaissance as many are turning to volunteering to help in these unusual times. While we don’t have an accurate record of the beginning, one of the earliest examples of online volunteering dates back to the 1970s, with the founding of Project Gutenberg in the United States. The task of the project was to create electronic books (eBooks) from publicly available titles. The volunteer work included everything from proofreading to the production of eBooks. To date, the project’s digital library contains over 60,000 titles in its collection, and its offering is growing and adapting to our changing habits (including, for example, the addition of audio books to the collection).

WHAT DO ONLINE VOLUNTEERS DO?

Of course, since the 1970s, technology has evolved in leaps and bounds, so that people who want to volunteer online can now participate in a wide range of activities. Here are some ways that people today can contribute their time and talent:

• SCIENCE: Online volunteering is a popular option for those interested in supporting civic science projects or participating in scientific research. Through Zooniverse, anyone can “participate in truly cutting-edge research in many fields of science, humanities and more”. Skype a Scientist brings scientists together with primary school children and their teachers for a 30 to 60 minute interactive session, while Fold.it hosts a crowdsourcing computer game where participants can contribute to important scientific research.
• CULTURE: Museums also try to use online volunteer work as much as possible. They offer opportunities for engagement by rewriting texts, as in the Smithsonian Museum, or by centralizing data from natural history collections, as in the Australian Museum.
• EDUCATION: If you are passionate about education, there are several ways to volunteer online. You could lead a learning circle on the P2PU platform, which offers an extensive catalog of free online courses, or help ESL (English as a second language) speakers in Manitoba practice their English through Live&Learn.
• INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: If you would like to use your time to connect with people in countries outside of Canada, you will find many opportunities through the United Nations Online Volunteer Program, our e-Volunteer Portal and CUSO.
• MENTORING: The Together project connects Canadians with migrants and refugees and helps them – everything from practicing language skills to navigating online services, making contacts and answering questions about the COVID 19 guidelines.
• Mental Health: StoriiTime allows children to volunteer to read a story to isolated seniors, while Adult Adopt a Nursing Home allows adults to send emails or letters of encouragement to nursing home residents. Those interested in providing emotional support to the wider community can do so through 7 Cups or by volunteering to answer texts for Crisis Text Line.
• TRANSLATION: For people with a passion for languages, Translators without Borders offers many opportunities to participate in the translation of various documents, tasks and projects.
• SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY: With Bookshare, volunteers scan or edit books for people with reading disabilities, while Be My Eyes enables volunteers to help blind and visually impaired people with their daily tasks.
• HUMAN RIGHTS: Amnesty International has developed several ways for volunteers to donate their time and skills online. The Decoders program offers the opportunity to help Amnesty researchers view images, information and documents to uncover human rights violations. Volunteers can also help with other campaigns through the Volunteer page.

… but that is not the end of the list!

Online volunteers have a lot to offer to non-profit organizations looking for support in their daily work or programming – they can be a valuable asset to the team of a non-profit organization, especially in these difficult times! And the good news is that you don’t need a dedicated portal or custom app to recruit, manage and collaborate with online volunteers. Your involvement can be as simple as communicating via email or sharing access to cloud-based tools like the Google Suite, Box or Dropbox. Looking for ideas to get started? Here are a few examples of how online volunteers can support non-profit organizations:

• EDITORAL SUPPORT: moderating discussion forums or social media/blog comments; editing web content; translation; proofreading; research; writing;
• PUBLICITY WORK: campaign promotion or management; social media and/or communication strategy maintenance; fundraising; networking; mentoring; volunteer management
• OFFICE SUPPORT: assistance with day-to-day tasks; correspondence; special needs of COVID-19; data hygiene and document archiving; document archiving;
• TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Troubleshooting; Design of materials; Web maintenance; Programming & development; Back-ups.