Virtual Volunteers Log On to Help Out

Evelyn Bourne is helping the needy this holiday season, but she's not serving food at a soup kitchen. Instead, she logs on to her computer to help out.

Like many other tech-savvy individuals, Bourne is making a difference without parting from her PC: she's a virtual volunteer. Her most recent project was building a Web site for the Massachusetts Welfare Rights Union. "The reason I chose virtual volunteering is that it was something I could do from home and at my convenience," Bourne says.

And she's not alone. A growing number of volunteers are connecting with nonprofits by visiting the several sites that coordinate such virtual contributions.

Both NetAid.org and VolunteerMatch.org act as virtual matchmakers, connecting volunteers with needy groups. The sites list volunteer jobs that can be done from a home PC, and often on the volunteer's schedule. VolunteerMatch.org also matches people with offline volunteer opportunities.

Virtual Referrals

In the two years since NetAid.org was launched by the United Nations and Cisco Systems, about 7000 volunteers around the world have contributed their expertise, says Edith Asibey, director of communications.

Volunteers have worked in 60 countries, undertaking projects such as Web site development, online mentoring, research and writing, and administration tasks that can be handled by e-mail, she says.

"Virtual volunteers are the heartbeat of our Web site," says Teri Schroeder, president of i-Safe, a San Diego nonprofit organization that promotes online safety to kids. About 80 percent of i-Safe's volunteers are virtual and were found through VolunteerMatch.org, Schroeder says.

A stable of about 50 volunteers help each week to maintain i-Safe's Web site and are working to build a new one. Their tasks include database programming, system analysis, and Web editing.

VolunteerMatch.org has referred more than a half million volunteers through its database of 16,000 nonprofit organizations, including schools, religious organizations, and community groups. NetAid.org focuses mostly on poverty concerns internationally, but lists a number of domestic nonprofits needing help in other areas.

Worldwide Options

To check out the volunteer opportunities at NetAid.org, just answer a few questions about your skills and the type of volunteer agency you'd like to work for. Next, commit to how many hours you are willing to give, and the dates you can work. Your answers are checked against NetAid.org's database of assignments and the site produces a list of volunteer descriptions with contact information.

VolunteerMatch.org has numerous and varied local offline volunteer opportunities, from helping the disabled to feeding the hungry. You can find those local tasks by punching in your Zip code.

If you want to keep your volunteering virtual, VolunteerMatch.org has plenty of options. New York-based Youth at Risk needs a Web site manager, for example. Toy Rescue Mission, based in Tacoma, Washington, is looking for a volunteer to surf the Net 2 hours a week seeking information on toy recalls. The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation is soliciting a writer to author new marketing material. "Anyone who has access to the Internet can get involved," says Jason Willett, VolunteerMatch.org director of communications. "Even just a couple of hours a week can make a big difference."