23:12, 21 December 2006
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Volunteering England has launched a new
toolkit on risk management for agencies working with volunteers. Although focused on England, the toolkit provides information that is relevant to other countries as well. The Toolkit explains the risks associated with volunteers and proposing how to deal with them. The toolkit emphasises that ‘risk’ is not inherently bad and that risk-taking is an essential part of volunteering. It is a resource for any organisation that involves volunteers – whether in the voluntary, statutory or private sector – and aims to simplify risk management for organisations just getting to grips with risk. It offers
- Information: the main risks, legal liabilities, insurance.
- Advice and guidance: setting up and implementing systems.
- Methods and templates: techniques, tools and forms.
- Case studies: examples of organisations’ good practice.
- Further sources: places to find out more.
02:25, 16 December 2006
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In late September 2006, Volunteer Canada President Marlene Deboisbriand sent an e-mail to colleagues in the volunteer community, announcing that the federal government had eliminated funding for the Canada Volunteerism Initiative. The cut was made without consultation or warning to initiative members. The resulting spontaneous e-mail exchange from volunteer managers and consultants in Canada, the US, Australia, England, Germany, and Hong Kong touched on issues of how volunteerism is promoted, and whether or not our community is leveraging its resources and portraying its relevance in the most effective manner. The exchange proved so interesting that
e-volunteerism made it the Keyboard Roundtable for its latest issue. To read the full text of the article,
subscribe to e-Volunteerism or
purchase the article.
03:32, 13 December 2006
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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 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. On a related note: I am experimenting with iVisit, a free real-time tool that works on just about any computer platform (unlike Skype). I'm looking for someone to try it with me. If you are interested, download and install iVisit, create an iVideo ID, and contact me to set up a time to talk.
09:51, 7 December 2006
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Call for articles for a special issue of the Journal of Information Technology and Politics (JITP) on "Understanding eParticipation" -- efforts to broaden and deepen participation in societal decision making processes by enabling citizens to connect with one another, with public officials and with their elected representatives using information and communication technologies. Processes involved include both directly political ones such as petitioning and consultations and indirectly political ones such as city planning processes. (I checked with the guest editors: their definition of eParticipation includes online volunteers for advocacy groups/efforts and for nonprofits who are engaged in a politically-related activity).Topics include but are not limited to:
- Current and emergent eParticipation technological infrastructures;
- Current and emergent eParticipation methods;
- Criteria and methods for evaluation of eParticipation initiatives to be undertaken in a systematic and standardised way;
- The business case of eParticipation: Drivers and barriers;
- Theories and contextual analysis of eParticipation.
Manuscripts should have significant theoretical and empirical roots, preferably in both social/political science and IT, but should at least contain significant content in both areas. Authors must submit an article to the special issue editors by February 1, 2007. Submission will be double-blind reviewed by regular JITP reviewers. Notification of review results will be sent out by March 30, 2007. Authors may be asked to revise their paper. Please see the
JITP author formatting and writing guidelines. The JITP publishes individually- and jointly-submitted research papers of exceptional quality from any disciplinary background focused on topics related to the interface between information technology (IT) and politics. Research papers are theory-driven manuscripts, focusing on an important intersection of politics and IT and reporting substantial findings of interest to a broad community of researchers, practitioners, and students. JITP seeks in particular manuscripts that provide cutting-edge theories, methods, and findings for the study of IT and politics.
More information.
08:51, 4 December 2006
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Breaking Barriers: The Potential of Free and Open Source Software for Sustainable Human Development - A Compilation of Case Studies from Across the World -- this free publication (103 pages, PDF), features 14 projects using free and open source software (FOSS) to help bring about socio-economic development and empower people in developing countries or regions in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America. The benefits obtained, challenges encountered, and lessons learned are highlighted. The benefits offered by free and open source software (FOSS) have been extremely useful for developing countries around the world. In particular, the ability to obtain and upgrade FOSS without licensing fees has proven to be beneficial to users in these regions as this makes information and communications technology (ICT) more affordable for them. With the publication of this compilation, it is hoped that there will be greater awareness of the ability of FOSS to empower and help poorer and less developed communities. This publication is the first in the trilogy of UNDP-APDIP ICT4D Case Studies due out. This compilation of free and open source software (FOSS) case studies is a joint initiative of
UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme, the http://www.iosn.net">International Open Source Network, the
International Development Research Centre of Canada, and the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
08:42, 4 December 2006
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This is a list of links to my favorite resources relating to telecommuting and working with remote teams (virtual teams), two practices in which I have a great deal of experience, and would like to see more nonprofit organizations adopt. These resources are compiled for various audiences: workers who want to convince management to allow telecommuting, managers who are skeptical of telecommuting, workers and managers about to embark in a telecommuting relationship, and people who want to work with others (whether paid staff or volunteer) in remote locations.
01:55, 1 December 2006
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A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer has started producing podcasts of other RPCVs about their experiences in the field. "Through the RPCV Podcast, anyone in the world with access to a computer and the internet is capable of experiencing a uniquely informative and often quite entertaining account of life as a Peace Corps volunteer." The RPCV Podcast was created by former Peace Corps volunteer Hayden Gore, who served with his wife Lisa in the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 2002 to 2004. The third mission of the Peace Corps is that RPCVs share their experiences upon returning to the United States—and the Podcast format suits this task well. "Whether you work as a professional in an international field, want to learn more about the Peace Corps, enjoy non-fictional narratives, or possess a curiosity about the history, culture, and life of people around the globe, the RPCV Podcast is your window to the unique, insightful, and engaging perspective of returned Peace Corps volunteers."
Access the the RPCV Podcasts. You can also read
how Hayden Gore puts together these Podcasts with RPCVs.
07:14, 20 November 2006
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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?
Read the full commentary.
02:43, 18 November 2006
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Are you a volunteer that helped with tech-related issues on or leading up to election day, either for city officials or an independt group? Consider sharing on the
TechSoup board about your experience as such a tech volunteer -- what tasks you helped with, how you connected with this opportunity, how you were supported in your service, how you wish you had been supported but weren't, what difference you think you made, if you had to train others and what that was like, etc. If you managed such volunteers, also feel free to post to the
TechSoup board about how you recruited such tech volunteers, how you kept them motivated, what training you provided, what worked and what you wish you'd done differently, etc.
03:00, 17 November 2006
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The San Francisco Nonprofit Technology Center will host the first "NOSI" salon on Dec. 11 in San Francisco, California. The
Nonprofit Open Source Initiative (NOSI) wants to hear from nonprofits and their supporters: what are you thinking about open source software and its role in the nonprofit sector? In what ways is the connection working? How is it not? What kinds of new ideas and resources are needed? NOSI is also looking to start conversations on how to get nonprofits involved in the open source community. How do we foster open source development in the nonprofit sector? How do we educate nonprofit technology staff and consultants on the ethos of open source software, not just it's practical applications? The NOSI salon will be the chance to discuss this face-to-face. Snacks and beverages will be provided. For more information,
visit NOSI's newly updated website. If you can't attend, you can login to the site and leave comments.
00:05, 13 November 2006
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The New York Times has revisited online volunteering, with this article today,
Flexible Hours, Using Your PC and Never Leaving Home, by Pamela LiCalzi O'Connell (hate the headline). If you are a press person and want to do an article on online volunteering, let me know -- I have a long list of organizations that are involving online volunteers, in addition to those noted in this NYT article. And a reminder to have a look at
Myths About Online Volunteering / Virtual Volunteering.
05:24, 9 November 2006
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In September, Cisco released "
The Psychology of Effective Business Communications in Geographically Dispersed Teams," a white paper that identifies rules for communicating that will help virtual teams to work together successfully. Virtual communication 'best practices' recommended in the report include agreeing to protocols on response times, and establishing rules for the selection of media and the frequency of communications, especially in multi-cultural teams. Encouraging socialising and ad-hoc chats over a virtual 'coffee machine' by using spontaneous and richer media for communications can also speed up the development of trust. Whether you work with online volunteers or with paid staff in dispersed locations, this is a very interesting and helpful white paper. One of the things I like about it in particular is it's focus on the cultural differences that can become exaggerated within virtual teams and lead to misunderstandings. Great stuff.
Read the press release about this (it's a good list of highlights of the white paper). You can
download the Executive Summary (PDF 137.10KB)
00:00, 7 November 2006
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Americans:
Please vote today. There is nothing more patriotic than voting. A bumper sticker on your car or flying a flag is NOTHING -- voting is EVERYTHING. Also:
- Go to the right polling station. Independent Web sites such as http://canivote.org/ have state-by-state interactives linking a voter's address and polling site.
- Bring more than one kind of identification. Some polling workers, mistakenly, will require this. If you don't have a driver's license or passport, bringing recent utility bills showing your name and address, as well as a voter registration card, may help streamline ID questions.
- If you're using a touch-screen machine, make sure you take extra time to thoroughly review your choices. Once you press that 'cast ballot' button, your vote is FINAL, so make sure it's correct! If you need help, ask for it. INSIST ON IT.
- If your name does not appear on the polling site's registration list, or there are other questions about the validity of your registration, you have the right to cast a so-called provisional ballot. To cast a provisional ballot, you must fill out a form at the polling site, listing your name, address and party affiliation. Your sealed ballot is placed inside the form. If officials find you are indeed registered to vote, your sealed ballot goes into the voting box. DON'T LEAVE UNTIL YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FILL OUT A PROVISIONAL BALLOT if you are prevented from voting. And take the names of all poll workers for later reference.
- When in doubt, ask a poll worker, NOT one of the partisan poll watchers. If someone represents him or herself as a poll worker, make sure you confirm that is true. It's perfectly OK to ask for help. That's what poll workers are there for.
- TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE and plug in the phone numbers for local television stations and your local newspaper, as well as 1-866-OUR-VOTE. If you have any problems at all, particularly regarding not being allowed to vote, or trouble with electronic voting, call the "Our Vote" hotline, and all the local press.
- Be patient, stand in line for as long as you have to, don't give up, and take all the time you need.
Also see
electionprotection.com
07:53, 5 November 2006
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Kentuckians have found a way to let the rest of the world see what mountaintop coal mining has done to Appalachia: They have started
a Web site that uses the Google Earth database to enable people to see aerial reconnaissance photos of the scarred countryside. The site was launched in mid-September with a link to the campaign's "National Memorial of the Mountains," which shows a Google Earth map of Appalachia. The map pinpoints areas of mountaintop removal with graphics of flags at half-staff, and a 3-d tour reveals clear views of sludge ponds, blasting holes and mountains scraped of their peaks. "The point is mountaintop removal has gone on under a cloak of secrecy," said Mary Anne Hitt, executive director of Appalachian Voices, one of a half-dozen environmental groups involved in the Internet campaign. "Unless you have the experience of flying over the region in a small plane, it's hard to understand the scale of mountaintop removal."
ilovemountains.org. (Hurrah for my home state for fighting back)
04:41, 1 November 2006
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The International Statement of Ethical Principles, a series of values and standards for those who raise funds for nonprofit organizations, was approved unanimously in October at the fourth International Fundraising Summit in Noordwijkerhout, Holland. The document was developed with input from more than 30 national fundraising associations around the world, and is designed to be an overarching statement of macro-level principles that can unite all fundraisers. The document identifies five key principles for those seeking funds should adhere to: honesty, respect, integrity, empathy and transparency. Individual fundraisers will continue to subscribe to a particular local or national code of ethics, which will address key details and specific issues relevant to their region and code.
After much debate was around the practice of commission-based fundraising, it was unanimously agreed to that fundraisers ‘should not’ accept commission or compensation based upon a percentage of funds raised and that they should provide their services either as a volunteer or on a salaried basis or for pre-determined fees.
Participating national associations have until Dec. 31, 2006, to ratify the document.
You can read a summary of the document on the web, or you can download the entire document.
05:33, 31 October 2006
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(brought to my attention by the daily
Idealist email update)
In
this op/ed in the
Christian Science Monitor, writer Peter Asmus argues that one clear signal of a company's CSR (corporate social responsibility) commitment is the way in which it enables its employees to volunteer. I couldn't agree more.
22:37, 25 October 2006
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Join the
TechSoup Community, November 1-3, for a free, three-day
online event about wikis, a powerful new collaboration technology that could change the way you work. You do not need to register, just show up in the TechSoup forums during the 1st-3rd of November and discuss wikis and how nonprofits can use them. The event hosts will answer questions like:
*what is a wiki?
*How do wikis work?
*How can nonprofits use one?
*And how do I build or energize a community around my wiki?
(I'll be asking: * how much more staff time is hosting a wiki going to take?
and
* can you give an example of a wiki that's reflective of an organization's mission, particularly an organization that is NOT focused on technology?)
04:21, 21 October 2006
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I made an entry into Lonely Planet's Blue List: my entry is a list of
things you can do to "help" while vacationing in a developing country. Please visit the list and rate the article -- highly, I hope. As I noted in a previous blog entry, Lonely Planet, which produces my favorite travel guides, features lots of information about volunteering abroad,
on its web site and in its
Career Break Book. In addition, the topic of volunteering abroad is a perpetual hot topic on the
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum, particularly the branches called "Responsible Travel" and "The Gap Year & RTW travel." If you place and support volunteers in developing countries, or, if you have volunteered in a developing country, you should definitely join the conversation (I spend a day or two each month on these two branches defending nonprofits who charge to place and support short-term volunteers from the "West" in the developing world). Also see its section on
Responsible Travel (different from the aforementioned forum).
05:37, 18 October 2006
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The
National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO), based in England, has published a series of reports regarding new trends in philanthropy. These include:
- A Gift Relationship? Charitable giving in theory and practice
- From Asking to Earning: Exploring the Journey of Trading
- ICT Foresight - consultation and campaigning in the age of participatory media
- ICT, social capital and voluntary action
- The UK Voluntary Sector Almanac 2006
- Voluntary Action - meeting the challenges of the 21st Century
- Voluntary Sector Strategic Analysis 2006/07
All of these reports are available in PDF format.
I contributed content for the issue on "ICT, social capital and voluntary action." The publication looks at how new technologies impact on social connections and networks; my part focuses particularly on online communities and online volunteering (what a surprise).
01:35, 12 October 2006
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Mary Merrill was an amazing woman, one of my idols, and her excellent thoughts regarding volunteerism and volunteer management live on because of the Internet. One of my favorites among her "Topics of the Month" is from June 2003, on
Listening to Volunteers. This article is a challege to volunteer managers to be fully transparent and accessible to volunteers, and to be proactive in soliciting their feedback. "If we really want to understand what it is like to volunteer with our organization, we need to listen to our customers ~V our volunteers. These discussions should not be seen as gripe session, but rather as dialogues designed for meaningful discovery." It's a timeless article and definitely worth your time.
