Here's how you can effectively utilize new technology as a volunteer manager: key skills and competencies.

Being tech savvy is a need of the hour, as efficiency now relies on how quick you can disseminate information. During the process one must remember that one grows, with exposure and human interaction. life means interacting and being on the move, what's needed is a brain that can feel what it thinks and thinks what it feels. There is no such thing as human robot, either you are a human or a robot. Sadly, we are moving away from eudaimonia to control freaks. Yes either we are controlled or trying to control the environment around us. Haven't we done enough harm to nature in the name of development. Species around us are being driven to extinction, soon it will be us. Does this thought ever come to our mind? Who cares......

There are so many great tools out there for volunteer management; even for organizations with smaller budgets, free solutions can be stitched together for effective management. By using google forms / calendar / sheets / Weebly website we were able to coordinate complex volunteer staffing needs.

One helpful tip is to maintain a simple workspace, both physical and digital, with only the necessary tools for getting things done.

Las nuevas tecnologías se han convertido en un aliado importante para la gestión de voluntariado que puede llevarse totalmente de modo virtual, ya que nos facilita la organización, planificación y sobre todo la comunicación fluida e inmediata que es básicamente lo que en mi experiencia permita la toma de decisiones para una mejor gestión.

Utilizing new technology as a volunteer manager can significantly streamline processes, improve communication, and enhance overall volunteer engagement. Here are some key skills and competencies to effectively leverage technology in volunteer management: Digital Communication Skills: Utilize email, instant messaging, and video conferencing tools to communicate with volunteers efficiently. Ensure clarity and promptness in all digital communications. Social Media Management: Utilize social media platforms to recruit new volunteers, share updates and events, and engage with the community. Understand how to effectively use hashtags, create engaging content, and monitor online conversations.

It's equally important to understand legacy software, as many volunteer organizations, for budgetary reasons, may have to rely on older systems. However, if you keep them updated, they can be, or almost as functional as newer systems. By ensuring they get the updates, many times, it also means they get the necessary upgrades as well.

To effectively utilize new technology as a volunteer manager, it's crucial to stay current with the latest digital tools and platforms that aid in communications, scheduling, and data management.

Be careful though, to evaluate the effectiveness of new technology in your specific circumstance, else you take on tech for tech’s sake.

In my experience you cannot assume how volunteers wish to receive information. Ask a simple question like: “What method of communication works best for you?” Do you prefer email, phone calls, texts,etc.

O uso de tecnologias digitais na gestão de programas de voluntariado garante: 1. Uma comunicação digital centrada no desenvolvimento das pessoas e nos resultados do programa 2. Engajamento de pessoas de grupos mais diversificados. Sabendo operar ferramentas digitais para a participação dos voluntários, O gestor de voluntariado é mais do que nunca um facilitador do sucesso dos voluntários.

Digital communication is a valuable asset that I use to connect with potential partners for our non-profit, manage social media, and keep our followers updated with a weekly newsletter.

Communication numérique et digitale : De nos jours la communication évolue de plus en plus, car tout est numérique ou bien digitale, c’est dans ce sens que nous voulons d’avantage promouvoir la communication à travers les formations et les Sensibilisations.

La comunicación digital es fundamental para la fidelización de voluntarios ya que permite mantener una conexión constante y significativa con ellos, a través de herramientas digitales, podemos proporcionar actualizaciones en tiempo real, personalizar mensajes, coordinar actividades eficientemente, asi como fortalecer el sentido de comunidad. Además, de acuerdo a mi experiencia, cuando no tenemos presupuesto para fidelización de voluntarios, los medios digitales son una opción sencilla para reconocer y agradecer públicamente el trabajo de los voluntarios; reconociendo su participación es crucial para mantener a los voluntarios comprometidos y satisfechos a largo plazo.

Used effectively in balance with personal and traditional communications channels, the digital component can enhance the overall effectiveness of your messaging and such!

It is important to know your audience when communicating in any fashion. Communicating online requires a higher degree of precision in words and symbols in order to convey the meaning of a volunteer organisation in a way that resonates with a volunteer. The non-profit sector has unique challenges compared to other sectors in that it depends on inspiration and this resonance to foster community and investment. We have found that there are two types of universal communication: supersensuous and sensuous. These modes are shared in a unique way across 5 Metamodes: 1. Art, 2. Religion, 3. Abstract Science, 4. Abstract Philosophy and 5. Genuine Wisdom. Communication in these modes increases retention across any platform.

A comunicação vi Internet é um meio crescente e que possibilita os jovens de conseguir viajar indo em busca de seus conhecimentos, suas curiosidades e acredito muito nesse contexto. É o meio digital maior de conhecimento e interação!

Digital communication including marketing is vital to nonprofits and businesses and it’s imperative to train and equip volunteers with the latest technology. Social media platforms LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Nextdoor X TikTok are the major sources to increase exposure followers and your target market. It’s also a good idea to hire virtual assistants to manage administrative tasks. Your nonprofit should communicate with their teams by virtual meetings on a weekly schedule to keep all hands aware and knowledgeable about your organization.

La tecnología sin dudas puede contribuir a afianzar el sentido de comunidad, sin perder de vista que el encuentro interpersonal es la base para ello. Estas herramientas son útiles en tanto ayuden a hacer más fluida la comunicación y simplifiquen la organización y trazabilidad del trabajo del voluntariado.

In a sense, a volunteer organization is a small economy of its own. The implicit goods/services volunteers and other individuals bring to the community are key to generating a balanced and high performance service to wider society and individuals in need. It is important to not only collect data, but to collect the right data at the right times and at the right places. From tens of thousands of hours of experience, the data we collected shows that a new kind of economic marker is needed which tracks data in regards to flow state across 11 life areas. A new interpretive lens of this data based on cooperative competition and eternal organizational principles such as Universal Logic allowed us to build a "Flow Economy".

During my time in the US Navy as a paralegal assisting JAGs, I developed crucial data analysis skills by collecting and analyzing legal data. This experience translates well to volunteer management, where analyzing volunteer hours, demographics, and survey feedback is essential. Effective data interpretation allows for insights into trends and the impact of programs, leading to informed decisions. My Navy background has equipped me with the precision needed to enhance volunteer program effectiveness through data-driven strategies.

In my experience, effective data analysis is critical for measuring program impact and informing decisions. By tracking volunteer hours, demographics, and feedback, we've been able to identify areas for improvement and optimize our programs. Data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI have helped us present complex data in an accessible way, facilitating strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. Advanced analytics techniques like predictive modeling and statistical analysis have enabled us to gain deeper insights and drive innovation.

- Au travail, l'intégration des tableaux de bord dans les outils de gestion a permis de suivre les performances des bénévoles et d'identifier facilement les zones d'amélioration. - Avoir suivi une formation sur Power BI m'a permis d'interpréter les métriques de manière plus précise et de prendre des décisions plus sûrs. - Donc de mon expérience Power Bi est un bon outil d'analyse des données cependant j'attends de tester aussi un logiciel CRM.

Conducting or attending online training is bliss in today's Ed era. As a volunteer it's your daily task to learn something new which will help you to enhance your skills and strengthen it. Also training will help you to connect with people like you. So every time and always it's a win win situation

Online learning is the easiest and most portable ways of learning new skills. Through online courses, I was able to learn programming and complete CPR training at the Harvard Med science program. It's an effective way to learn at your own pace anywhere, anytime.

it's crucial to know how to develop or select compelling training materials that volunteers can access from anywhere. This approach not only simplifies the onboarding process but also guarantees that training is thorough and uniform. Utilizing these platforms enables us to keep our volunteer team well-informed and prepared for any challenge.In today's world, participating in online training is a tremendous advantage. As a volunteer, it is essential to continually acquire new knowledge to enhance and solidify your skills. Additionally, training provides opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals. Thus, engaging in online training consistently offers a mutually beneficial experience.

Online learning is how I achieved my second bachelor’s degree. my grades in normal classes were often low. But i graduated from Kaplan University Magna cum Laude only a few years after a massive stroke almost killed me, i lost 1/3 of the right side of my brain and the use of the left side of my body but through online learning, I discovered my best mode of learning andI wasn’t as stupid as I’d always believed. I highly recommend it, just keep up with what is going on, don’t procrastinate in any way . You can do it if I could.

Leveraging online training platforms provides volunteers w/ the knowledge and skills for a well-informed and effective volunteer base. Our online training modules, powered by platforms like Udemy or Teachable, have increased volunteer confidence and competence, leading to better outcomes for our clients. By incorporating microlearning and gamification elements, we can enhance engagement and retention, making training a seamless and enjoyable experience. To take it to the next level, we can explore advanced online training techniques like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to create immersive and interactive learning experiences. This can help us simulate real-world scenarios, increase engagement, and enhance retention.

- Ayant été dans un cabinet de formation j'ai acquis certaines compétences dont l'élaboration de modules de formation en ligne donc rien de nouveau sous le soleil... - L'utilisation de la plateforme Moodle, facilite la gestion des cours en ligne et permet de suivre le progrès des bénévoles. - L'organisation de webinaires avec des sessions de questions - réponses contribue à l'amélioration de l'engagement et la compréhension des bénévoles sur les sujets abordés.

As my experience and knowledge, my opinion is As technology becomes more integral to our operations, it is essential for volunteer managers to be well-versed in cybersecurity. Safeguarding the sensitive data of our organization and its volunteers falls under our purview. This involves mastering fundamental cybersecurity concepts, including the use of strong passwords, identifying phishing scams, and effectively managing access permissions. By educating our volunteers on these principles, we contribute to maintaining a secure digital space for the entire team.

- Organiser des sessions régulières d'information aux bonnes pratiques de cybersécurité aux bénévoles. - L'organisation d'exercice pratique permet d'augmenter la vigilance des bénévoles - L'utilisation des gestionnaires de mots de passe est ce que j'utilise tout le temps.

I think an innovative mindset is essential. The tools available are quite useless unless we adapt our work processes to allow for change. Sometimes it's good to imagine what the future can look like and then find the tools to make it happen. I've always thought Uber wouldn't exist if Taxi cab companies had imagined a more convenient way for people to access them. In volunteer management, we can similarly create greater accessibility and convenience with technology if we are willing to be proactive in driving change.

Be curious. Talk to service providers. Do your research and explore. Create a safe space in which you and your team can try new technology and say openly that if this doesn’t work, let’s communicate about it, and find another option. If you try to force fit something and it’s not working, people vote with their feet.

This is a great article and I love the steps suggested. However, having struggled for nearly two years to bring new technology to manage our volunteer engagement process (we have worked with around 65,000 volunteers over the years), I would advise some caution...Being tech savvy, innovative and creative is absolutely essential, but the primary stuff you must establish are: setting up the parameters of engagement, defining internal processes including educating & training others involved in volunteer engagement processes, checking & beta testing off-the-shelf ready-to-use software before going full scale (we had some disastrous and often very hilarious experience), being willing and ready to invest on new technology.

1- Adaptability and Problem-Solving. Quickly adapting to new technologies and troubleshooting issues as they arise. 2- Enhance Volunteer Engagement Create virtual communities using platforms like Facebook Groups or Discord to foster interaction and support among volunteers. Use feedback tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to gather volunteer input and improve programs. Leverage Data for Insights 3- Use data analytics to track volunteer participation and impact, allowing for informed decision-making and personalized volunteer recognition.

No matter what your technology tools your best asset is your relationships with your donors and volunteers. Make sure your donors are kept aware of opportunities that matter to them and then try to get them to step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

Your prompt only identifies “volunteer manager.” If everyone is a volunteer, good luck with that! In my case, we are volunteer board members of a non-profit school. We hire a head of school and then provide governance and broad policies. We initiated a board email system as a subdomain from the school’s domain. It was surprising the resistance met even though being able to access our cloud storage was the primary reason. Apple or Android, Google Suite or 365, and on and on. We all have our favorites. Being “forced” is hard for some to take. Using technology at all is hard for some to take. We still need to print documents for two or three.