• But virtual volunteering means it takes no time, right?, Nov 29, 2010
  
• Shout out to nonprofit efforts to refurbish computers, Nov 27, 2010
  
• the Philanthrobabble Generator, Nov 26, 2010
  
• Too late to volunteer for the holidays? , Nov 24, 2010
  
• Sad news re: Volunteering England, Nov 23, 2010
  
• Online volunteers essential to Wikimedia fundraising, Nov 22, 2010

• Starting a Nonprofit or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
  The laws and procedures for starting a nonprofit organization, a non-governmental organization (NGO), a charity or a foundation vary from country to country. The laws and procedures are never exactly the same. This page offers general advice that is usually required in most countries, as well as a list of web sites for various countries regarding how to start a nonprofit organization, NGO, etc.

• Micro-Volunteering and Crowd-Sourcing: Not-So-New Trends in Virtual Volunteering/Online Volunteering
  Back in the 1990s, I called it byte-sized volunteering: online volunteering tasks that take just a few hours or a few days to complete, like translating some text into another language, gathering information on one topic, tagging photos with certain keywords, etc. Now, the hot-new term for this is micro-volunteering. It's no different than offline, episodic volunteering; just as volunteers who come to a beach cleanup or participate in a Habitat for Humanity work day don't undergo a criminal background check, don't receive a long pre-service orientation, don't fill out a lengthy volunteer application form and may never volunteer with the organization again, online volunteers that participate in a micro-volunteering task may get started on their assignment just a few minutes after expressing interest. But just as offline episodic volunteering like beach cleanups are more about building relationships, creating more awareness and cultivating more supporters, micro-volunteering needs to have the same goals in order to be worth doing, and that takes having established, tried-and-true volunteer management standards in place.

• Microblogging and Volunteers
  Microblogging means sending text messages of less than 140 characters to several cell phones and/or via the Internet to subscribers. This resource is a no-nonsense, anti-fluff, anti-hype, practical list to help nonprofits explore microblogging and use it effectively with volunteers, event attendees and others they are trying to reach.

• The realities of voluntourism: use with caution
  Voluntourism is really awful and really good. I'm totally against it and I support it. Confused yet? This opinion piece is my attempt to explain why voluntourism sometimes works and why, very often, it's dreadful.

• Thank you to everyone who has helped make me the number 1 nonprofit "expert" on LinkedIn nonprofit answers and the Top Answer in YahooAnswers Community Service on YahooAnswers (Home > Society & Culture > Community Service). Both designations are the result of voting by those communities.

Finding a Job with the United Nations or Other International Humanitarian or Development Organization
It's a frequently asked question that I get regularly via email, as well as on various online communities: how can I pursue a career in international development? How can I work abroad as my paid job? So, here is my advice. Note that this is on a part of my web site that is not ad-free; clicking on the ads helps me cover the costs of maintaining my entire web site (web hosting, domain registration, online backup, etc.).

• NEW:
  Using Third Party Web Sites Like VolunteerMatch to Recruit Volunteers
  There are lots and lots of web sites out there to help your organization recruit volunteers. You don't have to use them all, but you do need to make sure you use them correctly in order to get the maximum response to your posts.

• UPDATED:
  Outreach Via the Internet for Mission-Based Organizations
  It's more than just putting up a Web site; it involves finding and posting to appropriate Internet discussion groups, sending emails to current and potential customers, using online social networking, perhaps even starting your own online community.... it's pro-active, interactive and ongoing. It needs to be nurtured and fully supported, just as with all your public interactions. Online outreach and online service delivery should accurately reflect your agency's mission and culture.

I've launched some new pages on my web site, designed for those who aren't volunteer managers, and aren't professional nonprofit staff -- rather, these new pages are for individuals, particularly young people, who want to do some good, or need community service hours, or want to fund a volunteering trip abroad, but aren't sure where to or how to get started:

• For those seeking volunteering in order to fulfill a community service obligation from a court or school obligation.
• Detailed information on Finding Community Service and Volunteering for Teens.
• Detailed Advice for Volunteer Groups / Group Volunteering.
• Ideas for Funding Your Volunteering Abroad Trip.
• More than you ever wanted to know about Creating or Holding a Successful Fund Raising Event.

1. Most of my web site is focused on people who work with or for nonprofit organizations and NGOs, particularly those who outreach to or engage with the community (communications managers, PR and marketing managers, volunteer managers, program managers, etc.), and is focused on promoting my areas of expertise. By contrast, these new pages are focused on individuals, particularly young people, who want to do some good, or need community service hours, but aren't sure where to or how to get started. If the Community Service section of Yahoo had an FAQs section, this is what it should say.

2. The majority of my web site, which is focused on those who are formally affiliated with nonprofits and NGOs, are ad-free. This new section of my web site is not.

 
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS

• April 29, 2010, 10:30 am - noon
  Using the Internet to Support and Involve Volunteers (Virtual Volunteering)
  HandsOn/United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley
  Salem, Oregon, USA

• May 4, 2010
  New Rules: Volunteer Engagement
  What's changing in involving and supporting volunteers
  Part of the Connections Fair by the Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington
  Vancouver, Washington, USA

• July 15, 2010, noon - 1:30 p.m.
  Introduction to Using the Internet to Supporting and Involving Volunteers
  Presentation for Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association (NOVAA)
  Portland, Oregon, USA
  Further details TBA
  

 
April 1, 2010

• No foolin': I had an amazing time in March Australia, training as part of an advanced onsite retreat for experienced volunteer managers in Australia, and training at volunteer centers throughout Southern Australia (Volunteering Tasmania (Hobart), Northern Volunteering (Adelaide), Volunteering Western Australia (Perth), Volunteer South West (Bunbury), Albany & Regional Volunteer Service (Albany), Volunteering Victoria (Melbourne).

  A reminder: While I'm ready to lead a variety of workshops and trainings regarding a variety of subjects on volunteer management, community engagement, communications, strategic planning, etc., I am also happy to make references to other consultants/trainers/experts who may be nearer to your geographic location (including international sites) or have an expertise different from my own. Please contact me for a reference.

• I have written about my volunteering experiences with BPEACE (Busines Council for Peace), a UNIFEM partner and non-profit organization that mobilizes business professionals as volunteers to help entrepreneurs in countries emerging from war, like Rwanda and Afghanistan, to expand local businesses and create employment (and thereby build a peaceful, properpus future). I hope that this testimonial will both recruit new volunteers for BPEACE, as well as to illustrate yet another example of online volunteering/virtual volunteering.

• Women's Access to Public Internet Access in Transitional and Developing Countries
  Home and family obligations, lack of transportation, low-literacy and perceived lack of value keep many women and girls from accessing public Internet access points in developing and transitional countries. But there's another factor that is rarely talked about: in developing and transitional countries in particular, many of these public access points can be male-dominated, with mostly male users and few -- or no -- female users, and for many women, particularly women in developing countries, this makes the public access point off-limits to them. This new web page advocates for women-only Internet centers, or women-only hours at such, and offers resources to support such efforts.

• Keeping Volunteer Information Up-to-Date
  Keeping track of volunteer information is a challenge. At minimum, an organization has to keep track of volunteers' up-to-date email address and phone number. Organizations also need volunteers to report what they are doing as volunteers and how many hours they are contributing -- each day, each week or each month. Having this information for volunteers is vital to the sustainability of volunteer involvement. This page offers suggestions on how to keep volunteer information up-to-date, with the goal of getting the information your organization needs with minimal effort on your part.

• Recruiting Local Volunteers To Increase Diversity Among the Ranks
  Having plenty of volunteers usually isn't enough to say a volunteering program is successful. Another indicator of success is if your volunteers represent a variety of ages, education-levels, economic levels and other demographics, or are a reflection of your local community. Most organizations don't want volunteers to be a homogeneous group; they want to reach a variety of people as volunteers (and donors and other supporters, for that matter). This resource will help you think about how to recruit for diversity, or to reach a specific demographic.

Happy New Year! Employ me!

Want to know when this site is updated? Whether you are a fan of my work or a stalker, it's oh-so-easy to stay up-to-date with me and my web site:

• Join me on various online communities I participate in regularly.

• Subscribe to my blog, which I update regularly, providing updates when my web site is updated, information on new resources I've created, details on my latest presentations or travels, and lots of commentary. Subscribe via RSS!

• Still love email? My email newsletter, Tech4Impact, gives nonprofits and other mission-based organizations byte-sized tips for getting the most out of tech tools, as well as offering a list of my most-recent blog posts. Become my fan on Facebook.

• Follow me Twitter at @jcravens42 to know when I update my blog or send a new Tech4Impact email newsletter.

• Subscribe to my own YouTube channel, where I upload my own videos regarding communications or volunteerism.

In March 2010, I'll be making my first trip "down under", to lead an intense, onsite retreat in Adelaide Hills, Australia for experienced volunteer managers. The focus will be on how volunteer managers can stay relevant "in a world where the challenges facing volunteering are becoming more complex every day" and how "to create volunteering environments in which volunteers can flourish and be most effective." Read more about my workshops/training/teaching, as well as my other consulting services.

As I blogged about earlier, the world's largest online volunteering endeavor, otherwise known as Wikipedia, is engaging in a year-long process to develop a strategic plan for the Wikimedia movement. Specifically, Wikimedia is trying to understand where it is now, where it wants to be in five years, and how Wikimedia could get there from here.

(Wikipedia is the highest profile activity of Wikimedia, but not the only one. Have a look at all the Wikimedia projects to learn more.)

I am volunteering as part of the process; I started by adding myself to the Wikimedia expert database. I did this to allow task forces and other volunteers to reach me with questions, which I can respond to as I have time. However, I ended up instead being asked to join a Wikimedia task force - specifically, the Community Health Task Force. A larger time commitment than I was looking for... but I've been able to contribute probably eight hours total, over two days, and as a volunteer manager myself, based on my own experience, I think that's a lot. I've summarized my own recommendations here (note that one of them is my own proposal regarding volunteer recognition).

Participate! Comment on those proposals! Here are my favorite proposals and from there, you can find and read even more. If you don't know how to comment, contact me and I will walk you through it.

What I like about the process:


• I'm always interested in seeing first hand what's happening regarding online volunteering. Participating in this process (as well as others) keeps me sharp in my abilities to provide advice to others regarding online volunteering.


• Finally, people are calling Wikimedia contributors what they are: VOLUNTEERS. It's so nice to see that many Wikimedia contributors are embracing that word. I would like to see Wikimedia do so in its own communications. The Wikipedia entry for itself never mentions online volunteering and doesn't link to the Wikipedia entry for virtual volunteering, even though, as I already said, Wikipedia is the world's largest online volunteering endeavor anywhere. The page is protected so that, unlike most other pages, anyone can't edit the page. So if you have a Wikipedia account, please go to the talk page for the Wikipedia entry and note that you think there should be a link from the page to the Wikipedia entry for virtual volunteering.


• Getting a notice via email that I need to go look at our task force page or my own pages.


What I don't like about the process:


• I would have like a very clearly-defined task description of what it is I'm supposed to be doing as a Wikipedia contributor. I was so lost at first I avoided reading updates. I'm one of those online volunteers that needs very specific directions for some jobs: do this, then do this, then do this, and finally do this.


• I think there should be a way for non-wiki-savvy users to contribute. Something easier to use, ala YahooGroups or GoogleGroups.

But that's it, really. I love it when an organization invites volunteers to contribute to strategic plans, and I love it when they provide an online way to do so. It's always a good thing to do. No matter what happens, Wikimedia can at least say, "Wow, we have a LOT of community members/volunteers who REALLY care about our future!" Can your nonprofit say that?

A year from now, I will be intensely interested to see which of these recommendations are implemented, and how.

I'll be in Belgrade, Serbia to lead workshops for EducationUSA. From their web site:


EducationUSA is a global network of more than 400 advising centers supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries by promoting personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad, as well as by presenting U.S. history, society, art and culture in all of its diversity to overseas audiences. The foreign students of yesterday are becoming the world leaders today.

I'll be doing intensive workshops to get local staff from the area's Educational Centers up-to-speed on demonstrating both financial and program credibility and transparency: how to create and communicate a realistic budget, writing a program proposal, and communications activities to build credibility with current and potential partners. It's an agenda I could easily spend a WEEK on, truly.

I'll arrive in Belgrade Dec. 6, and depart Dec. 12. If you are in Belgrade in that time and would like to meet, please email me. Please tell me who you are, the organization you represent, and why you would like to meet.

More about my training and consulting services. Please note I am not taking any new consulting jobs for the rest of 2009, through January 2010.

• Preservation of Pioneering Effort Re: Volunteers & ICT
  The United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS) was a global volunteer initiative to help bridge the digital divide. UNITeS both supported volunteers applying information and communications technologies for development (ICT4D) and promoted volunteerism as a fundamental element of successful ICT4D initiatives. UNITeS was launched in 2000 by then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and was hosted by the United Nations Volunteers programme. UNITeS was active until 2005. As of November 2009, all UNITeS web site materials were taken down from the orignal site. Because many UNITeS materials continue to be in demand, and to continue both the spirit of the initiative as defined by Kofi Annan and as realized by UNV's former head, Sharon Capeling-Alakija, I am now hosting some of them here on my own web site, including Handheld computer technologies in community service/volunteering/advocacy.

• Want Cell Phone Updates Re: My Online Activities?
  Love updates on your cell phone? I now send out Tweets whenever I send Tech4Impact, as well as when I update my primary blog, update a blog elsewhere, or am in the news. Follow me on Twitter at @jcravens42.

• Rumors & Myths Derailing Development and Relief Efforts:
  It's Doesn't Happen Only in Developing Countries!
  How rumors and myth can derail government initiatives, interfere with community development initiatives and even become a danger to some people is something I've been interested in for many years. I maintain a web page of examples of such, as well as suggestions on how to counter rumors and myths that threaten public initiatives. In line with that interest, I've blogged about my horrified fascination to see the most outlandish myths imaginable being promoted as fact regarding the efforts to reform health care coverage in the USA, and the role social media and so-called Web 2.0 technologies are playing in promoting the myths.

• Now based in the Portland, Oregon area
  Had a fantastic road trip from Louisville, Kentucky to Portland, Oregon, seeing Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington state along the way. I have two consulting gigs going on and am pretty much booked solid through mid-September 2009. Subscribe to My Blog via RSS, subscribe to my email newsletter, Tech4Impact, or view my calendarfor updates on my availability.

• Thank you, 700-plus subscribers to Tech4Impact
  Not sure why, but numbers for my email newsletter, Tech4Impact, are rising. Thank you, new subscribers! I tried to get rid of it once and replace it entirely with my blog (which you can subscribe to via use RSS), and the outcry was swift and definitive: no way!. Tech4Impact provides information to help nonprofits, non-governmental organizations/NGOs, civil society organizations, public sector agencies, and schools to use computer and Internet technology to benefit individuals, communities and the environment. Tech4Impact is less about techno-jargon and more about the human factors in using tech successfully. To sign up to receive Tech4Impact by email, send a BLANK e-mail to:
  tech4impact-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
  or, visit: the Tech4impact YahooGroup

• Moving to Portland; Update on Consulting Availability
  It's been a fun time in Louisville and getting re-acquainted with living in the USA since April, but it's time to head out to a more permanent home: I'll hit the road the last week of July to move to Portland, Oregon and spend most of August getting settled there. As I already have two consulting gigs going on, that means I'm booked solid through mid-September 2009. Subscribe to My Blog via RSS or subscribe to my email newsletter, Tech4Impact, for updates on my location and availability.

• Microblogging and Volunteers
  Microblogging means sending text messages of less than 140 characters to several cell phones and/or via the Internet to subscribers. Users can receive microblogs as emails, as updates in their RSS readers or as updates on a particular web page -- the same for regular, old-school blogging. But microblogging works best for nonprofits when they think about such as short messages going to subscribers via cell phones - that application is what truly makes the phenomena unique, and truly sets it apart from other tech tools. This resource will help nonprofits explore microblogging and use it effectively with volunteers.

• New Resources Added Almost DAILY at My Blog
  New resources are added regularly to My Blog, and all resources added to my web site are announced on My Blog. You can stay up-to-date about these by either subscribing to my blog via RSS, or, subscribing to my email newsletter, Tech4Impact.

July 16: Presenting in Louisville re: Online Volunteering
On July 16, I will present onsite for the first time ever in my home state in Kentucky! I'm living in Kentucky through most of July (first time I've lived in my home state in more than 20 years!) and I'm so excited to get to help nonprofits in my home state in-person during this brief stay. I will present a two-hour workshop about online volunteering/virtual volunteering at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) on 323 West Broadway, Ste 501 in Louisville. The presentation will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Visit the online CNPE training calendar or call 502 315-2673 to register for the class. Costs are $55.00 for members of CNPE and $75.00 for non-members (however, please note that this money goes to CNPE, not me -- I'm doing this pro bono). Space is limited. I hope people as far away as Evansville, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nashville, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Lexington, Frankfort and Henderson, Kentucky, will make the drive for this workshop - it will be worth it! This is not a technology workshop; this is a workshop about working with humans! More information about my training and consulting. Note that I'm also available for online presentations as well. And view my availability. My schedule is filling up quickly.

I'm Looking for a Full-Time, Permanent Position!
Consulting on and off for the last 15 years, and full time for the last four years, has been interesting and fun, and I have two consulting jobs to keep me busy all summer. However, I'm ready to give up consulting for a full-time job. What would be the perfect opportunity? Read my blog for more details.

Free live online event: working with tech volunteers
On Thursday, April 23, I will present a free, live webinar for TechSoup on how to effectively involve volunteers in computer and Internet related tasks at your organization. The webinar will focus on ways nonprofit organizations can identify such tech-related assignments, ways support volunteers in these assignments, and, ofcourse, methods to recruit and screen such volunteers. Nonprofit staff members can feel a sense of both awe and fear about tech volunteers, and this can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations on the part of both parties. This webinar will help nonprofit staff stay in control of tech volunteering tasks so that the finished assignment meets the nonprofits' needs and the tech volunteer has a satisfying experience. You will hear my voice live via your computer and see a slide presentation, then you can text your questions via webinar platform, and listen to my answers. The webinar is at 11 a.m. Pacific USA time, 2 p.m. East Coast USA time, and 8 p.m. Central Europe time. See times around the globe (specifically the meeting planner) for other times worldwide. See the See the archived presentation here.

Back Livin' in America
After more than eight years as a broad abroad, I'm now back in the USA, living temporarily in Louisville, Kentucky. I'm available for consulting, including teaching and presentations, onsite or online (view my public calendar to see when I am booked and when I am available), but my goal is to find a full-time position at a nonprofit, government agency or university setting by the end of 2009. More about me.

I regularly contribute to various civil society/mission-based-organization-related online discussion groups, such as the AidWorkers Network. As of today, I'm the top contributor (most answers voted "best") on the Yahoo!Answers Community service and among the top five on Yahoo!Answers Careers & Employment/Government & Non-Profit. It would be great if more of you with expertise in volunteer management and nonprofit careers would participate in these two Yahoo!Answers platforms; many more voices of reason are needed!

• For the last four years or so, in my spare time or through my work, I've been collecting examples of how folklore, rumors and urban myths interfere with development and aid/relief efforts, as well as collecting recommendations for preventing folklore, rumors and urban myths from interfering with development and aid/relief efforts. I've just greatly expanded both the examples and the recommendations for prevention pages. Further examples, recommendations and resources are always welcomed.

• I don't just advocate that people should volunteer; I'm also a volunteer myself. One of my many activities is as a volunteer with the Aid Workers Network, an all-volunteer online community for people working in aid, relief & development. The people who help maintain AWN are professional aid workers who donate their time and expertise, often while they are working in a developing country under contract with an aid agency, to help keep AWN operating (I was able to volunteer for AWN while in Afghanistan). For AWN, I recruit and support volunteers who maintain the AWN site and its operations. I'm using the network itself, as well as the UN's Online Volunteering service to recruit additional online volunteers to support AWN. I've got five opportunities posted there right now (as of February 2008). You can go directly to the AWN account to view the opportunities. If you are interested, just to see how one all-virtual organization recruits its online volunteers or if you want to join in as a volunteer, please check out those aforementioned links.

• I'm updating my Blog regularly, with notices about when my web site is updated, as well resources or announcements I want to pass on to others and my availability for consulting. The blog provides a way for readers to post comments as well. Also, you can use Technorati to monitor my most recent activities online -- or anyone else's. Just click on my name: Jayne Cravens.

• I finally got my Nabaztag working. Her name is juanabunny. If you have a Nabaztag, drop me a line on the network. If you don't, then you have no idea what I'm talking about and, truly, it's just a geek toy -- no worries.

Happy New Year! I am in the middle of transitioning from my beloved lime clamshell iBook running OS 9.2.2, to a MacBook running OS X. Part of that transition is figuring out what the software on my MacBook isn't just a demo and what such is actually for. I have a page that lists everything I used my iBook for, all of the software I was using on the iBook, and what I have upgraded to or switched to for the MacBook, if anything yet. Please note that in several cases I am still looking for suggestions, and yours would be welcomed. And if, after looking at the list, you think there's a better choice for a particular function, please let me know.

 

• Me in the USA, May 2008
  Looks like I'll be speaking at a private conference in Chicago May 15. Around May 18, I'll fly down to Austin, Texas for several days. I'm available for leading other workshops and consulting in the USA during that time, so if you are interested, please contact me (my schedule fills up quickly .

• Simplifying Life with RSS
  RSS... another hip tech acronym to learn. What is it and why should your nonprofit / NGO / government office care? This latest resource describes RSS in very simple terms, to show how it can make media monitoring easier and reduce clutter in your email inbox.

• See You in November:
  I'll be presenting at the Institute for Advanced Volunteer Management (IAVM) 2007 Residential program, November 14 - 16 at the Paramount Imperial Hotel, North Promenade Blackpool, England. This three-day retreat presents 45 workshops by a variety of trainers; mine will focus on online volunteering and using the Internet to support volunteers. SEATING IS LIMITED. More information about the IAVM Residential.

• Volunteer Management Software Index - UPDATED
  Some of the most frequently-asked questions to me are about volunteer management software: what's available, how different packages compare with each other, the cost of each, the features of each, and on and on. I do not have the resources to create a comparison of the different volunteer management software out there. But I do provide a list of all of the volunteer management software geared towards nonprofit organizations (as opposed to corporate volunteering programs) that I know about, or nonprofit-related software/community relationship management software that has substantial volunteer management functions. There are more than 30 software options available. I believe my list is the most comprehensive list available anywhere.

• Advice for Taking Photos in the Developing World
  While working in Kabul, Afghanistan for most of this year, I developed a MS Powerpoint for staff on taking photos in the field. I relied heavily on all staff, particular Afghan staff, no matter what their job titles, to take photos whenever possible at events and workshops and during project site visits. This is because many staff are prohibited from traveling to certain parts of Afghanistan; international staff are sometimes prohibited from leaving Kabul altogether. This presentation/training touches on both the kinds of photos needed and how to take photos in a culturally-sensitive manner. This presentation is focused on a specific program and a specific country (Afghanistan), but maybe by changing the photos and a bit of text, it could work for you?

• Questions to Ask for a Major Report from the Developing World
  Most people who write reports about their projects in the developing world rely heavily on field staff to provide information. Often, however, field staff aren't expert report writers (that includes native English speakers), and struggle to provide meaningful, timely information in a coherent written form. Many report writers get around this by interviewing field staff about their work, so that needed information is provided through answers to questions. This method can also build the capacity of field staff to provide written information themselves. This is a list of questions I used to interview staff at an initiative in Afghanistan that was focused on rural projects. I based these questions on previous monthly and quarterly reports, suggestions from donors, the initiatives stated objectives, and my own need for information that could lead to stories in which the press might be interested.

• UPDATED: Basic Fund-Raising for Small NGOs serving the developing world
  This free document provides very basic guidelines for small NGOs in the developing world regarding fund-raising, and points to other online resources. By small NGOs, I mean organizations that may have only one paid staff member, or are run entirely by volunteers; and may not have official recognition by the government. When I began offering this more than a year ago, this document was 15 pages long; now, it's 23 pages long.

 
August 22, 2007

Back from Afghanistan for Good
I returned last night. Quite an adventure. So much to say... more soon.

 
As of February 20, 2007

• Electronic Waste is EVERYONE'S Responsibility
  When computers, stereos, VCRs, iPods, walkmans, video games, software, and cell phones are put into land fills, they leak poisons and heavy metals into the ground, endangering our lives and the health of our planet. With 48.5 million computers discarded each year, the USA is a particularly poor recycler and global citizen, exporting its hazardous electronic waste to developing countries, often illegally, and with horrific impacts on human health and the environment in these countries. This page will help your organization dispose of its electronic waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.

• Me in Afghanistan, late Feb.-Aug. 2007
  Yes, you read that right. I'm off to Afghanistan, to serve as Communication and Reporting Advisor for the United Nation's National Area-Based Development Programme (NABDP), part of UNDP. And, yes, this changes significantly my availability for consulting assignments.

• In both 2005 and 2006, every Tech4Impact issue included a brand new topic, never-before presented in a previous issue. In 2007, even more brand new topics and resources will be presented! To subscribe, send a blank email to:
  tech4impact-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
  or, visit: tech4impact yahoogroup

• Listing of Volunteer Management Software
  Some of the most frequently-asked questions to me are about volunteer management software: what's available, how different packages compare with each other, the cost of each, the features of each, and on and on. I do not have the resources to create a comparison of the different volunteer management software out there. But I do provide a list of all of such software, or nonprofit-related software/community relationship management software that has substantial volunteer management functions, that I know about. I believe it is the most comprehensive list available anywhere. I also offer criteria to help organizations choose volunteer management software, and to help someone who might want to create a comparison of such software.

Volunteering, Civic Engagement & MySpace
For a few months now, I've been fiddlin' with MySpace to see how young people were using the site for activities relating to volunteerism / civic engagement -- if at all. There is, indeed, information here and there from individual users, some of it quite inspiring, but there's no overall guidance or encouragement for users on this subject. So, I decided to use my blog on MySpace (every user gets one) to focus specifically on volunteerism / civic engagement for MySpace users -- most of whom are in their teens and 20s. Please note that this MySpace blog does NOT replace my main blog.

Also see Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking (OSN): Advice and Commentary, which offers a realistic set of possibilities and considerations for nonprofits regarding OSN platforms like LinkedIn, Friendster, MySpace and Care2.

Real-Time Communications With Volunteers
A growing number of nonprofit/civil society organizations are using real-time communications tools -- including video conferencing, online phone calls, chats and instant messaging -- to hold online meetings with volunteers, to allow volunteers to interact with staff, clients, or each other, or to involve volunteers in a live, online, real-time event. "Using Real-Time Communications With Volunteers" provides more information on using these real-time computer, audio and video tools with volunteers -- what the various tools are, how agencies are using them to interact with volunteers, and tips to encourage and maintain participation in synchronous communications.

• COMMENTARY: The Growing Digital Divide Among Nonprofit Organizations /
  Civil Society in the USA (and maybe it's not just digital)
  I'm seeing a disturbing trend: a gap between those organizations who are using the Internet in a myriad of ways to support their missions, and those who are still largely on the sidelines and not using network technologies in working with their volunteers. The question is, are these sidelined nonprofits there because of lack of access to resources, of lack of will to embrace them?

• Community Relations, With & Without Technology
  This section of the Coyote Communications web site has been greatly updated. It offers a range of advice and examples regarding community (public media, volunteer, donor, government, etc.) relations, both with and without technology. The advice is focused on nonprofit staff (paid and volunteer) who aren't the most tech-savvy people in the world, and who don't have intensive training in media relations or using tech-related tools, but are expected to master these activities as part of their jobs. It's also focused on those who need to think about and explore emerging technologies as part of their outreach efforts, but who need advice written in very human, accessible, non-technical language.

• Recognizing Online Volunteers & Using the Internet to Honor ALL Volunteers
  Recognition helps volunteers stay committed to your organization, and gets the attention of potential volunteers -- and donors -- as well. Organizations need to fully recognize the efforts of remote, online volunteers, as well as those onsite, and not differentiate the value of these two forms of service. Organizations should also incorporate use of the Internet to recognize the efforts of ALL volunteers, both online and onsite. With cyberspace, it's never been easier to show volunteers -- and the world -- that volunteers are a key part of your organization's successes. This new resource provides a long list of suggestions for both honoring online volunteers and using the Internet to recognize ALL volunteers that contribute to your organization.

• My next speaking engagement: "ICT, Social Capital and Voluntary Action," a seminar in London, to be presented on October 5, 2006, produced jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO). If you would like to set up a meeting with me while I am in London (I can be there at least two days before and two days after this conference), contact me. Please note that my schedule fills up *very* quickly. More information about my consulting services.

• Stages of Maturity in Nonprofit Orgs Using Online Services
  What does a networking technology-savvy nonprofit organization look like? To help nonprofits think about networking tech standards they should pursue, and possible goals for the future, I've created this assessment of the states of maturity for a nonprofit organization's use of networking/online technologies.

• Handling Online Criticism
  Online criticism of a nonprofit organization, even by its own supporters, is inevitable. It may be about an organization's new logo or new mission statement, the lack of parking, or that the volunteer orientation being too long. It may be substantial questions regarding an organization's business practices and perceived lack of transparency. How a nonprofit organization handles online criticism speaks volumes about that organization, for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come. There's no way to avoid it, but there are ways to address criticism that can help an organization to be perceived as even more trustworthy and worth supporting.

• NetSquared and the New Wave of Online Volunteering
  Tiny nonprofit organizations with very little staff are doing extraordinary things with volunteers, and making their volunteers feel included and energized, not with pins and t-shirts but through greater and more-meaningful involvement. This conference provided endless examples of such, and I summarize them here.

• Nonprofit Organizations and Online Social Networking (OSN): Advice and Commentary
  OSN is buzz phrase used to describe special web-based online communities that are accessible only for community members, like LinkedIn, Friendster, MySpace and Care2. Is there a value for nonprofit organizations to engage in OSN platforms? This resource offers a realistic set of possibilities and considerations.

• Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters
  Whenever a disaster strikes, hundreds -- even thousands -- of citizens in the USA start contacting various organizations in an effort to try to volunteer onsite at the disaster site. But what many of these people don't realize is that spontaneous volunteers with no training and no affiliation can actually cause more problems than they alleviate in a disaster situation, particularly regarding disaster locations far from their home. If you want to be a part of the mobilization for a future disaster, here are tips to help you get into "the system," get training, and be in a position to make a real difference.

• Reality Check: Volunteering Abroad (especially for citizens of the USA)
  Times have changed drastically in the last 30 years regarding Americans and other "westerners" volunteering in other countries. The emphasis in local relief and development efforts is to empower local people, and to hire local people, whenever possible, to address their own issues, build their own capacities, and give them employment. This strategy is much more beneficial to local communities than to bring in an outside volunteer. That said -- the days of international volunteers are NOT numbered: there will always be a need for international volunteers, either to fill gaps in knowledge and service in a local situation, or because a more neutral observer/contributor is required. This new page provides tips on gaining the skills and experience that are critically needed to volunteer overseas.

• My Upcoming Travel Schedule
  I'll be in San Francisco, California, May 29 - June 4 (leaving on June 5), for the NetSquared Conference, and then I'll be in Washington, DC: July 7 - 17 to present at the UICC World Cancer Congress regarding emerging trends and innovations in volunteer management. If you would like to meet with me while I'm in either city, or arrange a workshop at your site regarding one of my areas of expertise, please contact me with your ideas. And please note that my schedule on USA trips fills up very quickly!

• For Nonprofits Considering Their Own Podcasts: Why It's Worth Exploring, and Content Considerations
  I present my first podcast about... podcasts. Specifically, I talk about how podcasts can be used by nonprofits, and just how easy it is to do. Download this mp3 file and listen to me chatter for seven minutes and 20 seconds. I speak slowly, for those of you who are non-native English speakers. The file is 3.3 MB. The transcript of the podcast is also available.

• Essential/Favorite Resources Regarding Volunteer Management and Volunteerism
  There is a plethora of resources promoting volunteerism, and at long last, the number of volunteer management resources has grown significantly. But which are "the best"? This is a list of my favorite resources relating to volunteerism and volunteer management -- books and online resources from trusted, established people and organizations that I believe should be required reading of anyone who recruits and supports volunteers.

• Does Your Organization's Practices Reflect Its Own Mission?
  Being successful in today's business and media climate means an organization must reflect in practice the values it promotes publicly. This latest article offers examples of organizations who aren't "walking their talk" regarding their mission, and the consequences such organizations face in not doing so.

• Mistake With an iPod:
  Why Tech Is So Hard to Use Even For "Techies"
  My own account of trying to buy a "new" technology and, despite my attempts to do all the necessary research, making a costly error. This is also an example of how software and hardware companies make finding information difficult to find, and very difficult to understand -- even for people who are supposedly tech literate.

• My experience as an online volunteer blog mentor - February 2006
  In addition to researching and compiling information online mentoring for many years, and helping to create numerous online mentor programs, I have also had the pleasure of serving as an online volunteer mentor on three different occasions, all with young people. Most recently, I was an online volunteer blog mentor for the Young Caucasus Women Project. This is about my experience.

• Choosing Specialized Software
  (Or Using What You Already Have)
  Label-making software, volunteer management software, project management software, presentation software, art work software, client-management software, fund raising software, etc. -- the "Buy v. Build" database debate, what to look for in a particular software package, etc.

• Why Should the Poor Volunteer? It's Time To Re-Think the Answer
  Editorial: When volunteering is so often presented just one way -- as a state-sanctioned free labor activity -- reluctance and even hostility by the unemployed, the cash-strapped and the disenfranchised are completely justified. If governments and donors want volunteerism campaigns in poor communities to lead to more volunteering, they must radically update their message.

• In 2005, every Tech4Impact issue included a brand new topic, never-before been presented in the almost five years I've been publishing this monthly email newsletter. In 2006, even more brand new topics and resources will be presented! By subscribing, you can read all of the 2005 issues of Tech4Impact. To subscribe, send a blank email to:
  tech4impact-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
  or, visit: tech4impact yahoogroup

  Tech4Impact will continue its focus on helping mission-based organizations to use computer and Internet technologies to benefit people, communities and the environment. Resources for those using lower-end computers and older versions of software will get particular emphasis, acknowledging that mission-based organizations often do not have access to the latest and greatest tech. And Tech4Impact will continue to be presented in as much non-"techie" language as possible.

• Vetting Organizations in Other Countries
  One of the frequently asked questions I receive is: "how do I know if a mission-based organization in another country is 'for real'? I want to volunteer/donate to such, but first, I want to make sure it's a credible organization, that it's not some sort of scam, or an 'organization' of just one person." I'm also seeing more and more organizations in developing countries posting their requests for volunteers directly to public online forums. This list of suggestions for anyone who is interested in such organizations.

• Hosting International Volunteers
  More and more local organizations in developing countries are turning to local expertise, rather than international volunteers, to support their efforts. However, the need for international volunteers remains, and will for many, many years to come. This resource provides tips for local organization in a developing countries interested in gaining access to international volunteers.

• Mission-Based Groups Need Use the Web to Show Accountability
  The number and tone of media stories regarding mission-based organizations/civil society and how they spent contributions in the wake of various disasters have done little to help such organizations better serve people in need. Rather, by concentrating on a few bad cases, or by misrepresenting administrative expenses as somehow unnecessary, they have made potential supporters suspicious of all charities, and those these organization's serve pay the ultimate price. There has never been a better time for mission-based organizations to use technology to show their transparency and credibility, and to teach the media and general public about the resources needed to address critical human and environmental needs.

• Theater as a Tool For Development
  For my Master's Degree in Development Studies (as in human, institutional and community development), I conducted an investigation of what elements need to be in place for an organization engages to successfully use live, in-person performance as a development tool, excluding performer training and theater techniques. Research focused on the experiences of people and organizations who have used live, in-person performance as a development tool. I have now posted descriptions of and, if possible, links to, all of the resources that I used for this research project, which will be turned in later this month. I hope others find these resources helpful, and that the initiatives who shared information can get some positive exposure for their efforts as a result.

What are good blog topics for mission-based organizations?
The word "blog" is short for "web log", and means keeping a journal or diary online. Blogging is NOT a new concept -- people have been doing it long before it had a snazzy media label. The appeal of blogging for an online audience is that it's more personal and less formal than other information on a web site. Readers who want to connect with an organization on a more personal level, or who are more intensely interested in an organization than the perhaps general public as a whole, love blogs. Blogs can come from your Executive Director, other staff members, volunteers, and even those you serve. Content options are many, and this list reviews some of your options

• Short-term assignments for tech volunteers
  There are a variety of ways for mission-based organizations to involve volunteers to help with short-term projects relating to computers and the Internet, and short-term assignments are what are sought after most by potential "tech" volunteers. But there is a disconnect: most organizations have trouble identifying such short-term projects. This is a list of short-term projects for "tech" volunteers -- assignments that might takes days, weeks or just a couple of months to complete.

• The Pitfalls of Having a Program Sponsor
  (and suggestions for mission-based organizations on how to avoid them)
  For-profit companies, particularly large corporations, often sponsor specific programs at mission-based organizations (non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations/NGOs, civil society, school, etc.), providing funding, donated staff time, and in-kind equipment and services to help launch and maintain a program. In most ways, this is a blessing for the mission-based organization. But there are often hidden costs that lead to frustrations for everyone involved. This is a list of some of those hidden costs, and ways they can be avoided.

• Is Your Staff "Walking the Talk" Re: Your Organization's Online Activities?
  Mission-based organizations use the Internet in all sorts of ways to interact with the public, or with staff and volunteers abroad: for instance, online discussion groups, an intranet where staff and volunteers can share profiles about themselves and updates about their work with each other, or an online service that is promoted as central to the organization's mission and identity. But is your staff showing leadership in using these online tools? If your organization is to use technology successfully, all staff must embrace it. Here are tips on how to encourage that.

• 10 Myths About Online Volunteering (Virtual Volunteering)
  Online volunteering means unpaid service that is given via the Internet. It's also known as virtual volunteering, online mentoring, ementoring, evolunteering, cyber volunteering, cyber service, telementoring, and on and on. Here is a list of 10 common myths about online volunteering, and my attempt to counter them.

• Please, No More Volunteer-Matching Web Sites
  Please, no more volunteer matching sites for North America. There are plenty. In fact, in my opinion, there are too many. If you insist on launching such a site, I offer this advice.

A new look
After almost 10 years, a new logo and a new color scheme. But the same easy-to-download/easy-to-print pages and, I hope, worthwhile content.