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Resources for Online Volunteers

·      Are You Ready to Be an Online Volunteer?

·      What Qualities Make For A Good Online Volunteer?

·      How to Choose the Right Online Volunteering Assignment

1. Are You Ready to Be an Online Volunteer?

Questions to Ask First
There are some questions you should consider before submitting your application to become an Online Volunteer. It is fairly easy to apply for an assignment, but you will want to make sure that you will be able to complete it to your and your host organization's satisfaction.

Do you have regular access to the Internet?
Do you have your own email account? It is necessary to maintain regular communication with the organization you are volunteering with. You should be able to answer your email quickly, which means within 48 hours or 2 business days after receipt.

Are you comfortable working on your own? Are you self-motivated?
You will have a great degree of flexibility in the use of the time you will be spending on your work. Such independence is very comfortable to some, but for others it is difficult to pull themselves up to work. Make sure that you are well able to set your own schedule, because there will only be occasional supervision.

Can you stick to deadlines?
We as your host organization will count on you to finish your tasks on time. Your communication may be virtual, but your tasks and assigned deadlines are not.

Is this a suitable time for you to apply for a volunteering project? You should be confident that you can set enough time aside for your online volunteering assignment. If you are feeling overwhelmed by other responsibilities, like your job or coming exams, or you have/want to concentrate on family obligations or other personal issues at the moment - then perhaps you had better postpone your involvement.

Are you sure you are capable of producing a high-quality result on your online volunteering assignment?
Considering both your skills and time availability, do you feel confident that you can carry out your assignment in such a way that you meet our needs as your host organization? Otherwise you will not help but cause inconvenience. Be honest with yourself about your capabilities. For your and our sake, do not over-commit for a project.

Are you comfortable working with people who might be from totally different backgrounds and different sets of values than your own?
Be aware that your contribution to our project may express a different work style and way of thinking than prevalent in our organization. Do not be upset if your great ideas are not approved right away. Frank and open communication is essential so that different backgrounds are an asset rather than an obstacle.

Give some thought to your expectations as well as to ours in relation to your choice of Online Volunteer assignment. What will be your benefits? What should/can we as an organization expect from you? Answering these questions truthfully for yourself will help you identify the most appropriate assignment for you.

2. What Qualities Make For A Good Online Volunteer?

·         Excellent written communication skills

·         Excellent attention to detail, particularly when following written directions

·         Commitment to answer e-mails quickly

·         Commitment to stay with a project through to its completion, and to set a schedule for doing so

·         Enjoyment of working on independently, with just occasional supervision

·         Self-motivation

·         Establishing trust from your host organization quickly, by finishing assignments on time and reporting in regularly

·         Desire to learn and willingness to be flexible about ideas and methods

·         Good at self-pacing; give yourself realistic time to work on an assignment

·         Clear definition of what you want out of online volunteering

·         Putting desired goals of your host organization or volunteer manager at the forefront when undertaking and completing projects

3. How to Choose the Right Online Volunteering Assignment

A key to success in Online Volunteering is in choosing the assignments that are appropriate to your skills, interests and availability.

Use your answers to these questions to guide you in choosing your assignment(s):

·         Why do you want to volunteer, in general?

·         What do you hope to gain and give by volunteering?

·         What kind of organization(s) or programs do you want to help?

·         What sort of services and assistance would you like to provide -- building a web site for an organization, doing online research, mentoring a young person via the Internet, visiting virtually with someone who is home bound?

·         Do you want to volunteer for something that uses the skills you apply in your paid work or at school, or do you want to do something completely different?

·         What types of things are you good at (and like to do)? These can be professional skills or even hobbies and recreational talents. Almost every type of skill is needed somewhere.

·         What DON'T you want to do as a volunteer?

·         What organizations have you volunteered with before, on or offline? What did you like and dislike about those experiences?

·         What is your availability for assignments? (Do you want to work during a set time of day? for a certain amount of days, weeks, or months?)

Acknowledgement: These very useful resources were obtained from the United National Online Volunteers website