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[jcravens42]

There are a plethora of web sites in the USA devoted to nonprofit organizations to input volunteering opportunities and potential volunteers apply for such. The most popular is http://www.volunteermatch.org
Other sites include:
http://www.idealist.org
http://www.change.org
http://www.servenet.org
http://www.networkforgood.org
http://www.1-800-Volunteer.org
http://www.dosomething.org
http://www.volunteersolutions.org

And now the government has launched yet ANOTHER such site:
http://www.serve.gov/

It's unrealistic to think that nonprofit organizations have the staff and time to input all of their volunteering opportunities into every one of these databases. I also doubt most potential volunteers will go to every one of these sites to find a volunteering opportunity. And I don't think it's obvious how any of the above are particularly unique from others. So... are there too many sites? Is it time for at least some to be combined, some to go away, and some to become more specialized on particular types of volunteering opportunities?

Which is your favorite online tool to recruit volunteers, and why?

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Ms. Jayne Cravens MSc
Louisville, Kentucky

http://www.coyotecommunications.com

www.ivisit.com id: jcravens.4947
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[bigbearomaha]

Actually, this seems to parallel what happens in the Linux and OpenSource communities as well.

People ask are there too many versions of the same software and is it only confusing people instead of attracting people in.

the vast majority of OpenSource software depends on volunteers as well.  people who share their time, knowledge and experience to contribute to a small gorup of people who are developing programs that have equivalents in the paid, for profit world.

I will say to you in the world of volunteerism in general as in the OpenSource development community,  there is no such thing as 'too many'.  Think of it as a form of evolution and the ultimate expression of free movement.

People have different things they like. Instead of being a square peg trying to squeeze into someone elses round hole, they go create on that fits them better, and it will draw others like them.

I see choice as a good thing and the most productive ones will be known.

Big Bear

[sonjaonline]

Yes I think choice is good. I was recently a volunteer at my local food bank. Two days a week for one and half hours, that was pretty good and it worked in with my schedule.

I had to stop doing it though because the women who ran the place referred to the people who needed the food as people who squandered all their money. She often spoke so low of these people who needed food. It was so off putting!

Maybe she had been doing the work for too long! Who really knows.

But anyway the point I wanted to make is that if I had choice of another food bank I would be a volunteer there. So I guess on or offline choice would be good.

Some people just work well together and some people don't! I guess my situation was the latter of the too.

Sara

[clickshop]

yes thats true!! they are so many.you cannot decide which one is legit,which one is not!!

[andrewjackson1]

Yeah right. It's difficult to tell which one is legitimate and which is not because we have a lot of site scattered everywhere on the internet.

[moderator]

This brings up a good point. How about some advice from our readers on this subject? What steps should a would-be volunteer take to vet a charity, before committing their time to the organization?

[jamessol]

I am learning... I would be glad to volunteer as well. The world is in so much hunger and pain and it would ease a bit if someone would stand up and let them know that they are not alone.

[scigars]

not to many... it is good that you can choose between those sites... I want to open a new related site... Does anybody want to help me?