Building a Digital Platform for Volunteering - IV

Well, in the earlier few blogs we underlined the social promise and the opportunity promise that go with volunteering as a psychological contract. Are there any more promises?

The Value Promise

So, when we chatted with volunteers about what drives them to give their time, a big theme was how much they cared about certain causes. Like J, who found his groove volunteering with a faith-based group because it matched up with his religious beliefs. Then there's A, who felt a bit guilty about his comfy upbringing and decided to pitch in at a food bank to help those less fortunate, driven by a mix of guilt and a desire to do good.

A was a bit taken aback, though, when he noticed not all volunteers shared his awareness or sensitivity towards the struggles of those they were helping. It was a bit awkward for him, especially when co-volunteers would point out the visitors to the food bank in a way that felt a bit off to him.

D, who’s a pro photographer, also shared his two cents about volunteering his skills for charities. He felt weird when a big PR firm asked him to work for free, knowing they were getting paid heaps. It shows the tricky balance between wanting to help out but also recognizing when the ask might not be entirely fair.

This whole volunteering gig can get complicated, especially when volunteers’ personal beliefs and motivations don’t exactly line up with those of the organization or the other folks there. It's all about navigating these differences and sometimes the tension that comes with them.

And then there's the issue of people wanting to volunteer too soon after a personal loss, like a bereavement. The hospice has a rule about waiting a year, which is all about making sure volunteers are in the right headspace, but this can be tough for those eager to start giving back as a way to cope.

So, what does this all mean for building a digital platform for volunteer management?

Well, passion is a double-edged sword. It's awesome because it gets people fired up and committed, but it can also tunnel vision them into focusing too much on certain outcomes, which might not always be healthy. Most discussions about volunteering don’t dive deep into the passion part, but our talks highlighted how crucial it is, especially in roles that deal directly with people facing tough situations.

Creating a digital space that truly reflects the experiences of volunteers at all levels would be super helpful. Also, since many volunteers are drawn to causes in their local community, a tool that highlights nearby opportunities could really amp up local engagement. Imagine something like a digital community board but way cooler, where you can see what's needed in your area and also let organizations know what you're up for. This local focus could really make volunteering feel more connected and relevant to people’s everyday lives.

Action Points

Drawing from the insights on volunteers' motivations and the complexities of matching personal values with volunteer opportunities, here are key lessons translated into action points for a digital volunteer management platform:

1. Align Volunteer Opportunities with Personal Values: Implement a feature that allows volunteers to filter opportunities based on their personal values, causes they care about, or even specific organizations they want to support.

2. Facilitate Awareness and Education: Create educational resources or introductory sessions about the communities and causes each volunteer opportunity serves, ensuring volunteers have a deep understanding and sensitivity towards the people they are helping.

3. Promote Transparency in Volunteer Work: Ensure clear communication about the nature of volunteer work, especially in cases where organizations are partnered with for-profit companies, to maintain trust and align expectations.

4. Handle Volunteer Motivations with Care: Develop guidelines or screening processes to understand the motivations of potential volunteers, especially in sensitive areas, to ensure they are ready and their involvement is beneficial for all parties.

5. Embrace the Passion of Volunteers: Design the platform to channel volunteers' passion productively by offering opportunities that match their intensity and commitment levels, preventing burnout and ensuring a positive impact.

6. Support for Grieving Volunteers: Incorporate a waiting period policy for bereaved individuals who wish to volunteer, providing them with alternative support or engagement activities until they are ready to contribute effectively.

7. Leverage Local Community Engagement: Utilize geolocation features to highlight volunteer opportunities within the user’s local community, enhancing the connection between volunteers and their immediate environment.

8. Create a Volunteer Matching System: Develop an advanced matching algorithm that considers a volunteer's skills, interests, values, and preferred causes to recommend the most suitable opportunities.

9. Encourage Feedback and Continuous Learning: Build in mechanisms for feedback and reflection, allowing volunteers to share their experiences, learn from others, and continuously align their volunteering activities with their values.

10. Promote Value-Based Volunteering: Highlight stories and testimonials from volunteers who have found meaningful connections through their work, showcasing the diverse motivations and impacts of volunteering within the community.

By integrating these action points into the design of a digital platform, organizations can create a more engaging, effective, and fulfilling experience for volunteers, ensuring that their contributions are not only valuable but also aligned with their personal beliefs and values.

(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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