Comments on: Does the world need another volunteer matching site? http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/ A story about innovation Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:09:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Elise Bouvet http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6309 Elise Bouvet Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:32:21 +0000 http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6309 Actually, for any volunteering matching systems (especially development related), the demand is the bottleneck, not the supply. Hundreds of thousands of people in the world from both developing and developed countries are willing to share their expertise, time and energy for the cause of sustainable human development. For example, using UNV’s Online Volunteering service, Nabuur had no difficulty in identifying the 500 online volunteers needed for their projects from a pool of about 1500 applications. The organizations which could benefit from the services of these online volunteers are often grassroots organizations with limited resources and capacities to generate the demand… Best regards, Elise Bouvet United Nations Volunteers http://www.onlinevolunteering.org Actually, for any volunteering matching systems (especially development related), the demand is the bottleneck, not the supply.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the world from both developing and developed countries are willing to share their expertise, time and energy for the cause of sustainable human development. For example, using UNV’s Online Volunteering service, Nabuur had no difficulty in identifying the 500 online volunteers needed for their projects from a pool of about 1500 applications.

The organizations which could benefit from the services of these online volunteers are often grassroots organizations with limited resources and capacities to generate the demand…

Best regards,
Elise Bouvet

United Nations Volunteers
http://www.onlinevolunteering.org

]]> By: Roger http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6359 Roger Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:19:35 +0000 http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6359 Actually, in the case of online voluntarism (where people help from behind their computer), the problem is not the number of volunteers or projects but the volunteer’s commitment. Many people are happy to sign up to an online volunteer organisation, but when it comes to actually do something, the numbers of active volunteers plummets to grounds level (often because there is no real - emotional - connection between volunteer and project). Nabuur and other organisation such as Omydiar.net suffer the same problem. The issues is not that volunteers are not fundamentally committed, but the lack of visibility of the results (what is really achieved? how quickly? how useful is it?), inefficient IT platform, unrealistic ambitions and not thought through, if not nonexistent, governance. These organizations are also facing difficulty when dealing with fundraising. A typical issues with online voluntarism is the nature of the problem undertaken by these organisation. Some project are unrealistic and can’t be achieve online. Most of them consist in re-inventing the wheel. I still believe online voluntarism has a future, but it is limited and restricted to specific actions in specific contexts. Roger TATOUD Former Nabuur Facilitator and member of the Omidyar network. Actually, in the case of online voluntarism (where people help from behind their computer), the problem is not the number of volunteers or projects but the volunteer’s commitment. Many people are happy to sign up to an online volunteer organisation, but when it comes to actually do something, the numbers of active volunteers plummets to grounds level (often because there is no real - emotional - connection between volunteer and project).

Nabuur and other organisation such as Omydiar.net suffer the same problem. The issues is not that volunteers are not fundamentally committed, but the lack of visibility of the results (what is really achieved? how quickly? how useful is it?), inefficient IT platform, unrealistic ambitions and not thought through, if not nonexistent, governance. These organizations are also facing difficulty when dealing with fundraising.

A typical issues with online voluntarism is the nature of the problem undertaken by these organisation. Some project are unrealistic and can’t be achieve online. Most of them consist in re-inventing the wheel.

I still believe online voluntarism has a future, but it is limited and restricted to specific actions in specific contexts.

Roger TATOUD
Former Nabuur Facilitator and member of the Omidyar network.

]]> By: Ludwig http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6372 Ludwig Fri, 06 Jul 2007 07:13:35 +0000 http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-6372 Thanks for the comment. Yes, demand is certainly a key challenge. We will address the issue in one of the next posts. Best, Ludwig Thanks for the comment. Yes, demand is certainly a key challenge. We will address the issue in one of the next posts. Best, Ludwig

]]> By: Nan Hawthorne http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-8720 Nan Hawthorne Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:16:51 +0000 http://projectredstripe.com/blog/2007/07/03/does-the-world-need-another-volunteer-matching-site/#comment-8720 I would like to add to what Roger said above. I have trained and written on the management of volunteer resources for almost 20 years and have come to understand that volunteer commitment is something that is built on trust. Managers of these resources need to learn to build community among volunteers, whether actual or virtual. The profession is a ragged one at best, in spite of the leadership of many talented individuals in the field. This is in part the result of oUr societies giving lip service to valuing the contributions of volunteers but in fact making it a low priority in terms of status and support. Nan Hawthorne Former Editor, Volunteer Management Review http://charitychannel.com/enewsletters/vmr I would like to add to what Roger said above. I have trained and written on the management of volunteer resources for almost 20 years and have come to understand that volunteer commitment is something that is built on trust. Managers of these resources need to learn to build community among volunteers, whether actual or virtual. The profession is a ragged one at best, in spite of the leadership of many talented individuals in the field. This is in part the result of oUr societies giving lip service to valuing the contributions of volunteers but in fact making it a low priority in terms of status and support.

Nan Hawthorne
Former Editor, Volunteer Management Review
http://charitychannel.com/enewsletters/vmr

]]>