These resources and tools will help you undertake an online assignment with us successfully. Most were authored by online volunteers themselves, based on their own experiences.

We also provide these materials because we know that many of you want to volunteer with us to develop new skills, explore new tasks (and possibly new careers), or gain a reference for professional work, school or other volunteering opportunities. Because of the nature of our agency, we cannot provide you with onsite training (as is common with most volunteer programs). However, we hope the following resources will help you "self-train" for new opportunities and to acquire new skills.

 
THE BASICS

• Dos and don'ts for technical assistance volunteers
  If you are advising staff or other volunteers with a particular expertise as part of your volunteer experience, this is a must read.

• Suggested Computer Tools and Resources
  Online volunteers use a variety of computers, software and operating systems. We are committed to not limiting online volunteer opportunities to only one type of computer user. Our volunteers have provided information on tools and shareware available to help your computer to be compatible with others', and to help you perform various online tasks.

• Preventing and Dealing With Computer Viruses
  The nature of online volunteering means a lot of contact between computers -- e-mails, attachments, transfers of files, etc. Because of this interaction, volunteers and organizations can be at risk for transmitting computer viruses between each other. These are resources for prevention.

• Online Research Advice and Resources
  More than half of all online volunteer assignments involve some kind of online research. This document will help you find what you are looking for! Includes tips for using search engines, links to online phone books, and suggestions for where to find statistical information.

• Finding News Articles on a Particular Subject
  The Internet has provided a great way to search for news articles relating to a particular subject..... if you can figure out how to find such articles.....

• Grants & Other NP Info
  Agencies need help identifying possible grant opportunities and supporters. These resources can help you research grant opportunities, and to find similarly-focused organizations and resources.

• Building Contacts
  The most successful nonprofits and NGOs are those that communicate regularly with other organizations, businesses, office holders and the media. If others know what an organization is doing, they will refer potential supporters, resources and clients to that organization. It will also allow more and more people to know of the impact your organization has on the community. Online volunteers can help by researching contact information for similarly-focused organizations, government office holders, local business owners, and so forth.

• Learning .html and .cgi
  Many people want to use their online volunteering experience as a way to learn .html and .cgi and create a portfolio of work. While the VV Project cannot provide you training in these areas, we can provide you with links to other Web sites that can help you.

• Web Fonts and Colors Guide
  Includes an index of web colors and fonts, what they look like on various backgrounds, and what they look like in cells.

• Free Artwork ("Clipart" or "Clickart") Resources
  A list of links to web sites that offer free, public domain artwork that anyone can use. Online volunteers can use this artwork in the development of web sites or print publications they design for nonprofits/NGOs.

• Database support
  Many online volunteers take on database-related tasks for the VV Project or another organization. These resources can help you during such assignments.

• Translating documents to or from English
  Some online volunteers are asked to translate short documents, such as brochures, newsletters, flyers or web pages, from English to another language. These are tips on how to successfully involve such volunteers, as well as links to free tools that translate simple documents from other languages into English, and vice versa.

• Time Anywhere in the World
  A very helpful tool (NOT on the VV Project web site) for online volunteers in a different time zone than the agency they serve.

• Resources for Volunteer Moderators and Facilitators of Online Discussion Groups
  Many online volunteers moderate (approve all posts) or facilitate (keeping the discussion flowing) online discussion groups, either via e-mail or via a chat/real-time platform. We recommend these resources for those taking on the role of discussion group host.

• Miscellaneous Resources
  Where to find a dictionary of file types, a compilation of dictionaries in most major languages, web sites offering free online storage, and other various resources. Also offers tips on finding and choosing free web site hosting.

• Other Online Handbooks for Volunteers
  These are online guidelines by other organizations for their volunteers; these can provide you with additional resources in your volunteer service, whatever kind of service that is, to an organization.

• General advice for volunteers for both online and offline opportunities.
  Information on finding the right volunteer opportunity and making the most out of your volunteer activities can be crucial to making a real difference and having a rewarding experience as a volunteer. This resource helps volunteers explore how volunteerism can influence a career, volunteering with your family, and how to find the right agency and opportunity to match your interest. There are also links to resources to help you while you volunteer, and how to find and prepare for an international volunteering experience.

• How to find virtual volunteering opportunities
  We encourage you to volunteer with other organizations, on or offline! This tip sheet offers suggestions on how to find or create an online volunteering opportunity at other organizations.

• Use our materials to help you in these endeavors, and feel free to share any of the public information on our Web site with organizations you assist -- help us spread the word about Virtual Volunteering!

• When you complete an assignment for another organization online, we also encourage you to complete our online survey, so that your experiences can help us document best practices, which in turn helps other agencies who want to involve online volunteers.

• General advice for volunteers for both online and offline opportunities, by volunteerism expert Susan Ellis. This series of tip sheets will help you define long-term goals regarding volunteering and community service, and the commitment you really want to make.

The Virtual Volunteering Project http://www.serviceleader.org/vv/