Allow organizations to search for volunteers?

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Hi Wade -

Great question!

We have been working to improve our service to provide better ways to connect volunteers like you with organizations that are looking for specific skills. We recently changed the way nonprofits tag opportunities with specific skill requirements, in order to make it easier for volunteers to find these skilled opportunities.

Reversing the search (e.g. allowing organizations to search for skilled volunteers) is a great idea, and we've been doing research into how this kind of functionality could work for both our volunteers and nonprofits. Unfortunately, we're not there yet... but suggestions like yours make it clear that this is a need we should try to fill.

In the meantime, we know of a couple of organizations that specialize in connecting skilled volunteers with causes :
Taproot Foundation
Sparked

I can't guarantee you'll find what you're looking for there, but Taproot in particular might be a good place to start.

In addition, I found the following opportunities in our network using our advanced search (keywords GIS, geographical) :
The Peregrin Foundation Cartography Opportunity
Envision Cascadia Website Designer/Developer Opportunity

I commend you on your interest in putting your skills to work. We hope you find a great place to volunteer!

- Zeph Harben

yeshttp://community.volunteermatch.org/v...#

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
cff.

Woah!! This is a great idea they should really put this in the website!!

We received an email that someone was interested in volunteering. The email notification contained the persons name and email address. Where/how do we find that volunteer's profile on Volunteer Match?

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled
Finding Profile of Interested Volunteer.

Creating a roster of volunteers always sounds goods - but oh-so-rarely works. The reasons:

-- volunteers don't keep their profiles up-to-date. You have to create a rock-solid system that requires regularly updates regarding contact information and availability to make this happen - otherwise, your database will quickly be out-of-date and organizations will be disappointed again and again as they try to contact volunteers who aren't available or whose contact info no longer works.

-- volunteers often over-estimate how much time they have available. Many fill out the profile - and the shorter the application, the more people fill it out - but don't realize what being available five hours a week *really* means.

-- organizations are, I'm sorry to say, notorious for contacting volunteers before the volunteering task is thought out. Volunteers end up being frustrated as they are contacted about (and get excited about) opportunities that never actually happen.

-- far more volunteers and organizations are disappointed by the experience than enjoy such - and it often creates negative PR (people that want to volunteer blogging more about frustrations than positives).

I've worked with so many organizations that have attempted this, and most have not worked, in the sense that, while, maybe, some volunteers do become engaged, most do not and many start to sour on the idea of volunteering whatsoever.

I'm not saying not to try it - but know going in what has not worked by all the various organizations that have attempted this over the years.