Building Your Virtual Recruiting and Service

Infrastructure

December 8, 2011Alice Krueger (Gentle Heron in SL)President of Virtual Ability, Inc.

Jason Scott (Canis Roffo in SL)Training Officer, eLearning Specialist- Strategy Office, CNCS

John McDermott (g8lessg8 in SL)Project Coordinator for the AZ National Service Inclusion Work Team

Chad Gobert (Chad Mikado in SL)Training Associate for NSIP

Let’s Talk

1. What does ‘virtual’ mean to you?

2. What kinds of positions come to mind when you think of virtual volunteering?

3. What would you like virtual volunteering to do for your organization?

Objectives

1. Define ‘virtual service’ and how it can benefit programs.

2. Build virtual opportunities into the structure of a program.

3. Make virtual service opportunities successful through long-term support.

What is Virtual Service?

What is Virtual Service?

• Also known as online service, cyber service, telementoring, teletutoring, to name a few

• May be done at home or work

• Similar to telecommuting

• Collaborative

• Does not mean that volunteers work ONLY via the Internet

What Can Virtual Members Do?

– Online research– Technical Assistance– Writing proposals/grants– Captioning/translation– Marketing and advocacy– Web development

– Creating curriculum/training– Design, editing,

copywriting, proofreading– Accessibility evaluations– Service recipient contact– Manage social media outlets

Why Involve Virtual Members?• Larger pool of interested people, greater than searching offline

• Setting out expectations online allows prospective volunteers to self-screen interests

• Allows participation of people who might find on-site volunteering difficult or impossible

• Environmentally friendly

• Saves time- commuting, travel

Virtual Volunteering & Service

In Action

Consider Service & Volunteering Options that Don’t Require a Computer

Second Life is not the only option volunteers have…

Taken from an AARP article on Seniors volunteering without leaving home, you can:

•Raise puppies that will be trained to be guide dogs for people who are blind

•Help improve the lives of children who are Deaf in developing countries

•Count birds at a backyard feeder for a census on migration

http://www.serve.gov/toolkits/food-bank/four.asp

Virtual Service in Action

1. Assess the current infrastructure of your organizationa. Determine where virtual opportunities exist

b. Examine the degree of “buy in”

c. Prepare a written plan

d. Document new/amend existing policies to incorporate virtual volunteers

The key to obtaining buy-in by existing staff is education

Creating Virtual Member Opportunities

Creating Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

2. Create virtual opportunities for your organization

a. Become familiar with the dynamics of whatever virtual culture you enter

b. Create/revise your inclusive service descriptions to include serving virtually

c. Advertise positions- face-to-face and

online

Creating Virtual Service Opportunities3. Build contacts and networksa. Find other virtual volunteering organizations and create

partnerships– Support network and shared experiences for virtual

members/volunteers

b. Why reinvent the wheel? – Other organizations that already incorporate

virtual volunteers may have interesting

perspectives to help you get started

Creating Virtual Service Opportunities4. Provide mentoring and support to virtual

members/volunteersa. Recruiting online volunteers is easy- the key is to keep themAccording to ServiceLeader.org, “the key to success in managing a virtual

volunteering program… is that the staff at an agency have already successfully involved volunteers in traditional, face-to-face settings.”

b. Make sure your virtual members/volunteers feel supported– Demonstrate clear expectations for service, as outlined in the service

description

– Communicate regularly on progress and goals

– Provide consistent, constructive and supportive feedback

Activity - Incorporating Virtual Service Members

At your table, discuss the following:

1.What can you do to make traditional member/volunteer roles into virtual positions in your organization?

2.What do you perceive as barriers to incorporating virtual members and volunteers?

3.What are some strategies to support virtual members that address both your organization’s needs and perceived barriers?

Open Discussion & Questions

Thank You!

Resources:•www.ServiceandInclusion.org/virtual

•www.ServiceLeader.org/virtual

Citations:•http://www.serve.gov/toolkits/food-bank/four.asp

•http://www.ServiceLeader.org/virtual

•http://bcn.boulder.co.us/volunteer/