Building a Digital Platform for Volunteering - III

In part 1 of this series we presented the interesting conceptual framework of a psychological contract while part 2 covered the social promise of this contract. Now, it's time to consider the opportunity promise of the contract.

The Opportunity Promise

So, our research dived into what volunteers hope to get out of their efforts, and let me tell you, it's a lot more transactional than you might think. Essentially, folks don't usually give their time for nothing; they're looking for some perks, be it new skills, personal growth, or just the warm fuzzies from doing good.

Take Connor and Rachel, for instance. Connor's all about bulking up his resume with new skills, while Rachel jumped into volunteering to up her game in photography and video making. But here's the catch: training volunteers, especially in fancy equipment, costs a pretty penny. Katie, one of the coordinators, was like, "What if we train someone and they just ghost us?" That's a real worry when you've just dropped a few hundred on their training.

On the flip side, volunteering isn't just about adding bullet points to your CV. Sarah shared a heart-touching story about how volunteering helped her bounce back from a tough spot in her life, boosting her confidence and connecting her with others. And then there's Lauren, who found her happy place volunteering at a heritage site. It's clear that the joy of volunteering and feeling like you're making a difference can be a huge motivator.

But, and it's a big but, sometimes the reality doesn't match the hype. Aoife, for example, was promised a fulfilling role but ended up feeling underutilised and a bit let down. It highlights a gap between what's promised and what's delivered, especially regarding meaningful work and chances for personal growth.

Now, about rewards. Sure, volunteers don't do it for the money, but a little appreciation goes a long way. Claire and Susie talked about how they make sure to celebrate their volunteers, whether through service awards or just a simple lunch to say thanks. It's all about making volunteers feel valued, even if the rewards aren't financial.

When we zoom out to look at the bigger picture, especially through a digital lens, it's clear that there's a mismatch. Our volunteers have all these different motivations and expectations, but the systems in place don't always acknowledge or support this diversity. The one-size-fits-all approach? Not working so great. There's a lot of chatter about using digital platforms to better recognize and support volunteers' personal goals, but we're not quite there yet. Ideally, a digital platform would tailor rewards and recognition to fit the unique reasons each person has for volunteering, making sure everyone feels seen and appreciated for their contributions.

Action Points

Based on the insights about volunteers' expectations and experiences, here are key lessons that can be transformed into actionable points for designing a digital platform for volunteer management:

1. Customized Skill Development Opportunities: Create a platform feature that matches volunteers with opportunities based on the specific skills they want to learn or enhance. Include detailed descriptions of the skills and experiences volunteers can gain from each opportunity.

2. Training Investment Tracking: Implement a system to track the training and investment in each volunteer. This could help organizations understand the return on investment in volunteer training and manage resources effectively.

3. Personal Development Pathways: Design personalized development plans within the platform, allowing volunteers to set and track their personal and professional growth goals related to their volunteering activities.

4. Emotional and Social Benefits Highlight: Feature stories and testimonials that emphasize the emotional and social rewards of volunteering. This can inspire current and prospective volunteers by showcasing the intangible benefits of their contributions.

5. Transparent Opportunity Descriptions: Ensure that all volunteering opportunities come with clear, honest descriptions of the roles, expectations, and potential for personal development. This transparency can help align volunteer expectations with reality.

6. Reward and Recognition System: Develop a digital recognition system that acknowledges volunteers' contributions, milestones, and achievements in a personalized manner. This could include digital badges, certificates, or a showcase on the platform.

7. Community and Support Features: Create community features such as forums, chat groups, or mentoring programs where volunteers can share experiences, offer support, and discuss their roles and the impact of their work.

8. Feedback Mechanisms: Incorporate feedback tools that allow volunteers to share their experiences and suggestions with the organization. This feedback can be used to improve volunteer management practices and opportunities.

9. Digital Platforms for Skill Verification: Utilize digital credentials and certificates to verify the skills and training volunteers acquire, making it easier for them to add this experience to their resumes or LinkedIn profiles.

10. Gamification and Personal Development Goals: Explore gamification techniques to make achieving personal development goals more engaging for volunteers. This could include progress tracking, challenges, or tasks that align with their personal growth objectives.

By implementing these action points, a digital volunteer management platform can better meet the diverse needs and expectations of volunteers, fostering a more engaging, rewarding, and effective volunteering experience.

(To be continued)

Key Reference: Lisa Thomas, Gary Pritchard and Pam Briggs. 2019. Digital Design Considerations for Volunteer Recruitment: Making the Implicit Promises of Volunteering More Explicit. In Proceedings of C&T 2019, June 3–7, 2019, Vienna, Austria. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328320.3328368

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