Archive for February, 2011

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Social Media and Mobile Tech in Disaster Response

Monday, February 28th, 2011

Over the past week, we’ve heard a lot of talk about the use of social media and mobile technologies in disaster response.

Amy Sample Ward talked about social media in disaster response at the American College of Preventative Medicine’s annual conference.

The National Conference on Citizenship featured a discussion about using mobile devices to respond to disasters and emergencies.

And, in response to the earthquake in New Zealand, Google launched a Person Finder page to help victims of the earthquake reconnect with family and friends.

There’s a common theme across these articles—the ease of access to information that social media and mobile technology bring to crisis situations. Social and mobile tools make it easy to share information about events as they happen and to start responding to disasters when they occur.

The Citizen Superheroes article talks about ways that mobile and social technology can be used to address issues before they turn into emergencies.  SeeClickFix lets people report public safety issues, ihollaback.org allows people to report harassment or threats and uses reports to create maps of areas where the behavior may be more common.  Both of these are great examples of addressing potential problems before they can turn into a crisis.

The San Ramon Valley Fire department had an iPhone app developed that  connects 9-1-1 dispatchers with people who are trained in CPR, putting individuals who are closest to those in need into a potentially lifesaving position.

Blake Canterbury started beremedy as a way to build an infrastructure for action in times of emergency.   beremedy matches people who want to give with people in need.  Beremedy’s platform allows people affected by disasters to be connected to people who have resources that can help those individuals get back on their feet.

Elivolunteer, volunteering, volunteerism Hayes started Sparkrelief in response to the Fourmile Fires in Colorado in 2010. Originally a way to help families displaced by the fires find temporary housing with other families in the community, Sparkrelief ballooned into a twenty thousand member strong community of people willing to share resources that victims of the fires might not have realized they needed.

Sparkrelief now has a member base that not only directly responds to disasters in their neighborhood, but aids in community and emotional recovery in Colorado. It’s not only a source for victims’ immediate needs like food and shelter, but a resource for helping to rebuild communities by providing emotional support and a way for community members to easily reach out to each other.

It’s really great to see mobile and social technology moving from a reactive role in disasters to a proactive role.  What do you think are the best ways to move mobile tools into a more proactive role for volunteer events? How can we use existing (or develop new) mobile applications to manage volunteers before and after projects or disasters?

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Posted in Disaster Relief, Social Media, Technology | 1 Comment »

6 Tips For Your Volunteer Orientation

Friday, February 25th, 2011

1. Look for a big audience.

If you can, schedule a volunteer orientation for a large group of new volunteers.  A larger group gives you a better chance of being able to connect with someone.  If you find yourself starting to get nervous focus on a person you’ve connected with, it will help you to get back on track and not feel as nervous.

2. Take all the words off your slides.

If you need to make sure that your volunteers are paying attention to what you’ll be saying, take all of the words off of your slides.  This way, no one will be reading ahead of what you’ll be saying.  Make sure to use pictures that relate to what you’re talking about, though.

3. Don’t give print outs of your slides.

Giving out a printout of your slides before your presentation gives your new volunteers something to pay attention to other than you and the orientation.  If you want the volunteers to have the information you’ll be talking about, give it to them after the orientation.

4. Show up early to figure out the lay of the land.

This may sound a bit silly, especially if you’ll be giving your orientation at the place you work.  You probably know the lay of the land there fairly well.

It’s not just about being familiar with the room, but being able to set up a room in a way that works best for you.  Don’t like where a desk is?  Move it.  Don’t like how much light is in the room?  See if you can change it.

Showing up early gives you time to set up your presentation before your new volunteers arrive.  This way you can get things started right away instead of keeping your new volunteers waiting while you set up.

5. Encourage your audience to ask a lot of questions.

Make sure to leave open time during your orientation for the new volunteers to ask questions.  Not only does this give the volunteers an opportunity to ask their question while it’s still fresh in their head, but it gives you a break from talking and moves the attention to the volunteers.  A few moments of not talking reminds you to breathe and gives you an opportunity to get a drink of water or mentally rearrange your orientation.

6. Have fun with mistakes.

No matter how well rehearsed and planned your orientation is, something is going to go wrong.  Don’t dwell on what’s not going right.  Have fun with what’s not working instead of letting it turn into a crisis.

Lets not kid ourselves.  Standing up in front of a group of people and talking is hard.  Try not to let it intimidate you.  Remember that you know what you’re going to be talking about.  Don’t forget to have fun, either!

How do you prepare for new volunteer orientations?  What have you done that works really well?  What have you found that doesn’t work?

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Posted in Volunteer Management, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

HandsOn University – Becoming the Service University

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Tricia Thompson, HandsOn Network‘s Manager of Training Development

Because of HandsOn University’s involvement in IBM’s Service Jam, we’ve been anticipating the release of the Jam’s impact report and are excited to share those results with all of you. In October, 15,000 people from 119 countries participated in the Service Jam. They discussed, debated and discovered the “possibilities of new solutions to long-standing societal problems.”

In the recently released “The Systems of Service,” a synthesis of the Jam discussions, the idea of a “Service University” emerged.

“What do you mean by ‘Service University?’” you might ask.

Jam participants defined it as an accessible and credible education for those involved in service. “A Service University would have to be just-in-time, available whenever the need for training arises,” said Barbara Salop, and independent consultant.

This is of particular interest for HOU, who is working toward building a solution to this need. HandsOn University is working toward developing an online learning environment that connects individuals involved in service with the tools and resources they need in real time.

Our staff and affiliate leadership faculty will develop some of these resources. For others, HOU Online will be the conduit to direct individuals to resources developed by other organizations and experts in the sector like CNCS National Service Resource Center and Susan Ellis’s Energize Inc.,  VolunteerMatch, IdeaEncore, Do Something.org or National Youth Leadership Council resource library .

HandsOn University’s vision is to be a one-stop shop for service related resources, tools and e-courses. We want to promote effective tools that already exist in the sector and work to build tools and resources to fill the gaps where currently no tools, training, or resources exist.  We have already started with the following resources:  HandsOn library, Service Project Playbook Library, and Get HandsOn website.

But the notion of a Service University doesn’t stop at training and resources. The demand for leadership and community infrastructure continues to grow at a rate that exceeds the supply.

We must provide the framework for a cycle of neighbors becoming leaders, leaders reaching a depth of impact, and that impact being an inspiration to others to start the cycle over again. HandsOn University is incubating a solution for that too – a little something called the Service Leader Network. But you’ll have to wait until Summer 2011 when that plan fully hatches.

In the mean time, HandsOn University has been experimenting with online learning tools and has developed two courses, one on Skills-based Volunteering and one on Service Leadership (launching soon in conjunction with the Road to the Gulf and GetHandsOn initiatives).

We’ve also developed interactive Virtual Service Project Playbooks, and before June 2011 we will launch the Volunteer Leader Certificate Program to train leaders to develop and manage effective service projects in their communities while the building capacity of HandsOn affiliates and other organizations.

HandsOn University will be developing online courses in the following areas:

  • Volunteer Lifecycle Management
  • Scaling Service Through Technology
  • Leveraging Social Media
  • Working with the Private Sector
  • Estimating and Measuring Impact
  • Service Management
  • Globalization and Service

About HandsOn University

As the training and consulting division of HandsOn Network, the largest volunteer network in the nation, HandsOn University (HOU) offers tools and resources that are accessible, easy to implement and focused on impact. Find out more about HandsOn University here.

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Posted in Tools You Can Use | No Comments »

Stand Up to Save Service

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Today’s post comes from Whitney Soenksen, External Relations Manager for AmeriCorps Alums

Early on Saturday, February 19th, the US House passed HR 1, a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of 2011.

In an attempt to reduce the national debt, cuts to many federally funded program are proposed in this bill, including funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Corporation for National and Community Service.  The bill proposes a complete defunding of the Corporation for National and Community service, which engages more than five million Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, Senior Corps, and United We Serve—a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn.

When Caleb Jonas, an AmeriCorps Alum, heard about the legislation, he looked back on his year of service and decided that something needed to be done.

Caleb started the Save AmeriCorps Petition and the campaign which became the official campaign for AmeriCorps Alums.

Caleb’s experience volunteering started long before his AmeriCorps service term.  In high school he spent his summers working as a teacher and tutor for low-income students.  In college he volunteered on political campaigns, but couldn’t see how his work there helped create positive change in the lives of the neediest families in his community.

After graduating, he joined AmeriCorps*VISTA and built a city-wide partnership of tutoring programs in Saint Paul.  Because of his work, students in Saint Paul received more effective and better targeted support for their work, and were made stronger connections to what they were learning.

If the Corporation for National and Public Service is defunded, then thousands of programs across the country that work with people who need support the most will lose the AmeriCorps members, people just like Caleb, that help them to thrive.

What can you do to help support AmeriCorps?

Sign the Save AmeriCorps Petition and lend your voice to support national service.

Join the and share your story of service as an example for why AmeriCorps programs need to continue getting things done for America.

Call your Senators to let them know that you support AmeriCorps and national service.  You can find your Senators’ contact information at Congress.org.

Show up for a District Day event through saveservice.org.  On February 25, supporters of service around the country will be visiting their Congressmen’s district offices to show their support for national service.  You can find your Congressmen’s district office here.

Thanks for your support of national service programs!

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Posted in Inspire, Mobilize | 1 Comment »

Who Do You Know That’s Moving A Mountain?

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Today’s post was written by Laura Gonzo, President, Gonzo Media Strategies.  She is also a self-professed dogganista, blogger, corporate marketing refugee and excitable advocate for social good.

Each year on Presidents Day we are reminded of iconic moments from our nation’s leaders: Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address; Kennedy’s  “Ask Not What You Can Do For Your Country” inauguration speech.

One of my favorites will always be George H. W. Bush’s 1989 inaugural address in which he spoke of “Points of Light” – an electrifying reminder of our power as individuals to engage, mobilize and make significant and lasting change in our communities, both local and global.

Who is a Point of Light in your world?

For Ashley Cannady of Gainesville, Georgia, it’s Vicki Moore of Rahab’s Rope, who offers refuge and rehabilitation to women who have escaped from the human trafficking industry in India.

Her inspiring story and many more are being posted at this very moment on the Points of Light Tribute Wall as part of a larger event that will include a tribute to President George H.W. Bush and his legacy of public service at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

Personally, I am profoundly energized by the amazing work, innovative ideas, passion, and indefatigable dedication of those people – those Points of Light – who have decided that they can and will change things for the better.  They aren’t looking for recognition but they deserve it, and the act of telling their stories can inspire others, igniting new Points of Light and providing fuel for those who continue to shine despite the most unimaginable challenges.

In addition to the Tribute Wall, Points of Light Institute is holding a as another way to celebrate volunteer heroes and to inspire others. Winners are eligible to win an expenses-paid trip to attend the star-studded tribute event in at the Kennedy Center in DC.

Go! Now! “Like”! Write!

Not only do volunteer heroes deserve a little online love, in the bigger picture your participation can help draw attention to the Service Generation Campaign, which seeks to recruit and activate 500,000 (yes, five-hundred thousand) service leaders and to help design and execute 2,000,000 (yes, two MILLION) impact-driven volunteer projects.  That’s all kinds of amazing and it starts with Y-O-U!

So give a shout out to your favorite Point of Light already. Who has inspired you? Who do you know that is moving a mountain, even if it’s one pebble at a time? Who is it that just knocks your socks off?

I knew immediately who I wanted to recognize.  As soon as I finish this blog, I’m going to put on some lipstick and fire up the video camera. It’s going to be good. Be sure to look for it on the Tribute Wall!

Can’t wait to see yours.

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Posted in Events, Inspire, News & Links, Service, Volunteer Recognition | 1 Comment »

Include Community Involvement in Your Goals for A Balanced Life

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Have you ever been to a leadership training or professional development session where you were asked to think about your life as a balance wheel?

Typically the trainer asks you to think about your social, spiritual, professional, physical, intellectual and financial goals and to plan for them so that your life will be balanced and meaningful.

But what about you’re philanthropic goals?

Using your skills and resources to serve others creates balance and meaning in life, so why is this often left off of the balance wheel?

Surely thinking through how we’d like to make a difference in our communities and the broader world should be considered, right?

The next time you step back and think about your life holistically, consider also creating philanthropic goals for yourself.

We’ve been thinking about dividing our individual philanthropic goals into those of time, voice and money.

How will you give your volunteer time to the community this year?

On what policy issue will you exercise your civic voice?

Where will you leverage your money‘s ability to make a difference either through your purchasing power or charitable donations?

Posted in Volunteerism | 2 Comments »

Revolutionizing a Global Movement of the Heart

Friday, February 18th, 2011

volunteer volunteering, volunteerismToday’s post comes from Gared Jones, Points of Light Instute‘s Vice President of Global Service.

In November 1997 the United Nations General Assembly declared that 2001 would be the International Year of the Volunteer.  It is striking to me that in September of 2001 the World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies occurred and in the wake of the disaster we saw one of the greatest outpourings of citizen compassion and support the world has ever seen.

It was the events of September 11, 2001, and the handful of days that followed while I was stuck in a hotel room in Houston waiting for the airports to reopen, that led to my retirement from management consulting and sojourn to India to join Ashoka – initially as a volunteer – and seek to “figure out” how social change can transpire on the grandest scale.

A few weeks ago I boarded a plane for Singapore and arrived 26 hours later to attend IAVE’s World Volunteer Conference. The conference kicked off the tenth anniversary celebrations for the International Year of the Volunteer.

More than a thousand participants from nonprofit organizations, corporations, government, and academia came together to share and learn best practices in volunteer engagement, strategies for cross-sector collaboration, and inspiring stories of individual impact.  The proceedings were impeccably well organized by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Center of Singapore and IAVE, and transacted on the backdrop of local preparations for Chinese New Year and Singapore’s extraordinary cuisine.

For me, the conference was a space far from home – ten years after my departure for India – to reflect on how one changes the world.  And, specifically, to discern how Points of Light Institute can accelerate and deepen its impact internationally, and, in particular, through HandsOn Network in Asia.

So what did I learn?

I learned that the HandsOn model (creating structured, short-duration opportunities with nonprofit organizations for members of the community to make an impact on issues they care about) is a new and powerful idea in many international contexts, and one that is transforming the way citizens can be of service.  Singapore Cares has recruited more than 15,000 volunteers in its first year of operation.  Keynote speaker and former Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong, identified “flexible, bite-sized” volunteering as one of three trends transforming community engagement in the country.

I learned that some of the most compelling innovations in volunteering are being generated by international HandsOn action centers.  Two of the five finalists in UBS’s “Pitch” competition for $75,000 investment funding for a new initiative were members of HandsOn Network:  HandsOn Manila and HandsOn Korea.  HandsOn China was highlighted in multiple conference sessions for its entrepreneurial approach to growing volunteerism in China.

I learned how deeply many of Points of Light Institute’s corporate partners (including UPS, Kraft, Pfizer, Lilly, and Disney) are making their unique impact in countries around the world. UPS has mobilized its global workforce of more than 400,000 employees to contribute 1.2 million hours toward building healthy, prosperous communities in the 200 countries where they work.  Kraft leverages a network of 250 internal leaders to orchestrate its Make a Delicious Difference Week with more than 350 local nonprofit organizations around the world.

And I learned that nothing beats looking into someone’s eyes, and sharing a smile, when working to strengthen a network.  More than anything, it is these glimmers that I still carry with me.

I returned home with a sense that the sector as a whole is on the cusp of a collective “ah hah” around how all of our efforts in heart, mind and hands; organization, corporation, and institution; Asia, the Americas, and Europe; technology, program, and evaluation… are converging to revolutionize a global movement of the heart.

That there is an impatient rumbling for “what’s next.”

It is on this journey that I have now embarked.  I look forward to sharing in it – and sharing a smile – with you.

If you are looking for ways to connect more deeply with this global movement, I would encourage you to get involved in the Get HandsOn’s Follow the Leader and try to win a volunteer vacation with HandsOn Manila.  I would also encourage you to indicate your commitment to service by signing the ServiceWorld Declaration.

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Posted in Volunteerism | No Comments »

Starbucks Global Month of Service

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Today’s post comes from Amy Smith, President of HandsOn Network.

At HandsOn Network, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways to engage people in the power of service.   In the spirit of that search, I am excited to announce that HandsOn Network , the volunteer activation arm of Points of Light Institute, is working with Starbucks to host several service activities in April 2011 as part of the company’s “global month of service.”

In celebration of their 40th anniversary, and as part of their ongoing commitment to inspire and invest in community service around the world, Starbucks is partnering with non-governmental organizations, including HandsOn Network, to host a global month of service.

In my many years of working with non-profit organizations, community organizations and companies of all sizes, I have noticed one simple but powerful fact – people want to make a difference in the communities where they live and work.  They want to make a positive impact in the world but often don’t know where to start.  This perceived lack of access to opportunities for meaningful volunteer service is a barrier that HandsOn Network is working everyday to overcome through our programs, initiatives, community outreach and partnerships.

That’s why I am so excited that Starbucks has created their global month of service with the specific goal of engaging their partners (employees) and customers in meaningful service opportunities.  Starbucks expects more than 2,000 community service projects, led by their partners, to be organized as part of the global month of service.  That’s an ambitious, but achievable goal of 200,000 hours of service performed globally throughout the month of April.  This initiative will offer the company’s nearly 200,000 partners and more than 50 million customers each week in April new opportunities to participate in meaningful community service projects.  I’m thrilled that we can offer the resources of HandsOn Network and its 250 local action centers to help identify and organize service activities to best meet the needs of each community.

Starbucks is also taking the benefits of volunteering even further with a concerted push for global service throughout the entire month of April.  It is that dedication to putting its enormous reach to work to engage millions in the power of volunteer service that makes Starbucks a wonderful partner for HandsOn Network.

In addition to working with us here in the U.S. on several large scale events, Starbucks has partnered with Volunteer Canada, UK Youth in London and Charyou in Shanghai, and will coordinate with other organizations around the world to identify and organize partner-led service opportunities that address local community needs.

Starting on March 8, you can learn more about volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood by visiting a local Starbucks store or the Starbucks Community Service webpage.

You can also find more information about the many different ways HandsOn Network is working to connect volunteers with service opportunities around the world at www.handsonnetwork.org

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Posted in Volunteering | 2 Comments »

Six Tips for Reengergizing A Volunteer Program

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Have you been working with the same volunteer program for as long as anyone at your organization can remember?  Are things getting stale?  Are you having trouble retaining volunteers or getting excited about your program?  Try some of these tips for reenergizing your volunteer program.

Document the lessons you’ve learned

You’ve learned what works, or what doesn’t work, for your volunteer program.  Make sure you can share what you’ve learned with others.  Whether it’s an email to a colleague or a guide for what to do (or not do!) for a successful volunteer project, make sure to write down what you’ve learned so you can share it.

Recycling isn’t just for environmental projects

Keeping a record of the lessons you’ve learned from previous projects allows you to throw out what doesn’t work, and keep what does.  Just because it has worked for you doesn’t mean it can’t be better, though.  Try changing little bits about what has worked to see if it works better.  If it does, keep the changes.  If it doesn’t, go back to how things worked before and try adjusting something else.  There’s no need to reinvent the wheel each time you want to try to improve your program.

Keep things simple

Sometimes complexity is required.  Most of the time, though, something that seems like it ought to be complex can be broken down into smaller parts that are simpler than the overall task.  Think about what you’re asking volunteers to do; really think about it.  Can you make the tasks easier or more fun by breaking them down into smaller parts?  If you can, do it!  Fun is always a good thing to have, plus teaching a new volunteer can be easier if you can show them how to do what you’re asking in small bits rather than presenting the work as one giant task.

Find new ways to use your volunteers’ talents

Is there something that your organization could use some help doing?  Is there a way to pair those things with one of your existing volunteers?  If you get to know your volunteers and what they do outside of your organization, you may find out they’re able to help out in ways you hadn’t originally thought of.  It can help to bring new energy to the volunteer’s work and to your organization.

Learn Something New

Experiment with new things.  If you find something new like a training technique, a new way to help build connections between volunteers or a new technology for recording volunteer information, try it out.  Learn as much as you can about it so you can share it with others, too.  If you’re not sure where to start, check out a free class from HandsOn University.

Be Bold

Perhaps the most important tip for bringing new energy into your volunteer program is simply to do it. If you don’t try to make a change, things are going to be the same in your program.  If you pay careful attention to what you’ve learned from a change in your program, you can build on that change, or try changing something else.

What interesting things have you done to breathe new life into your volunteer program?  Let us know in the comments!

Posted in Volunteer Management, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Volunteering is Awesome

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Today’s blog post comes from Michael Nealis, Interactive Strategy Coordinator for Points of Light Institute.

Umair Haque writes for the Harvard Business Review, and I’ve been reading his articles for the past year and trying to apply them to volunteering and nonprofit work.  He wrote a post about moving away from an innovation-based economy to an economy based in awesome.  An awesomeconomy, if you will.

But what does it mean to move from innovation to awesome?  He says innovation is a negative form of development; that innovation relies on structured obsolescence and stale ideas in flashier packaging.

Being awesome, on the other hand, is ethical.  It gives you the opportunity to create insanely great stuff.  Awesome and love—or dedication—walk hand in hand.  Awesome creates value.  Not by adding features, but by adding meaning and usefulness that makes people better off than when they didn’t have an awesome thing.

Volunteering is pretty awesome.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a volunteering opportunity that doesn’t help to promote some kind of good.  Whether it’s working to reduce pollution, helping to end substandard housing, helping people to better understand technology, or working to help students achieve, volunteering helps to support the work of organizations that are trying to address social problems in their communities.  I think we can agree that’s a good thing.

Volunteers love the work that they do.  They’re dedicated to the causes that they support.  Sure, everyone has probably had a bad experience or two volunteering at one point or another, but we either give it another shot or move on to something that better fits our abilities and what we want to do.  I know it took me a few tries to find something I love doing, and the warm fuzzies can only get you so far—I know for sure that they’re not enough to get me shingling a roof in Atlanta in August.

Go ahead and ask a volunteer what they do.  If they don’t answer the question with where they volunteer, I bet they’ll tell you that they volunteer when they’re done telling you about what they do for their job.

Volunteers create value for the organizations that they serve with.  Each year, Independent Sector estimates the value of an hour of volunteer work.  In 2009 (the latest estimate available) an hour of volunteer time was valued at $20.85.  According to a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service, in 2010 Americans gave 8.1 billion hours of service valued at $169 billion.  That’s a lot of services that would otherwise have to be purchased.  The dollar value reflects services, but volunteers are also the best advocates for an organization and can help to recruit more volunteers to an organization.  Volunteers build value on top of value.

Volunteers can add meaning and usefulness to people’s lives.  There are a lot of nonprofits that are entirely, or nearly entirely, run by volunteers.  These organizations add meaning to the lives of the people they serve by making parts of their lives a little bit easier to deal with.  Volunteers, in general, add meaning to their lives too.

Volunteers are powerhouses of awesome.  If you don’t believe me, find a place near you to volunteer.  Spend some time building a home for someone who couldn’t purchase one on their own, help a student with their homework, code a database for a nonprofit that doesn’t have an IT department.

There are a lot of opportunities for you to find your own kind of awesome by volunteering.

How is the volunteer work you do, or support, awesome?  Let me know why you think volunteering is awesome in the comments!

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Posted in Economy, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 3 Comments »

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