Volume VII, Issue 3, April 2007
Common Misconceptions about Virtual Volunteering
After more than a decade of promoting virtual volunteering or online service as an important new development (which it is) for the volunteer field, it's time to step back and look at what is really happening as organizations put the theory into practice. Yvonne D. Harrison, Assistant... Read more
Membership Recruitment Made Easy
What does a canned meat product called SPAM™ have to do with volunteer recruitment? In this article, the authors explore the answer to this question by reviewing the key steps in volunteer recruitment, a process that helps remind an organization that it needs not only a clear purpose but... Read more
On the Same Wave: The Story Behind Australia’s First Squad of Muslim Surf Lifesavers
In December 2005, an assault on three volunteer surf lifesavers led to violence and what are now known as 'the Cronulla riots.' In the aftermath of these events, a number of parties (including the Australian Government, Sutherland Shire Council, Surf Life Saving Australia, Surf Life Saving... Read more
Representing the Interests of the Community: What Happens When Volunteers Take Their Roles Seriously
When news first broke in March that veterans of the Iraq War had received inadequate treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, few people know that a medical center volunteer would soon be credited with bringing the story to light. In doing so, the volunteer clearly demonstrated the dual... Read more
Miscellaneous Good Stuff, Part 4
This edition of Along the Web focuses on a miscellaneous set of new and interesting publications on volunteering. Included are trends in volunteering, employee volunteering, disaster volunteers, immigrant volunteers, and a miscellany of other interesting things.
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Appreciative Inquiry: A Strengths-Based Approach in Volunteer Training
When it comes to volunteer training, the secret to success may lie in the approach. In this Training Design, learn how the switch from a problem-focused approach to a strengths-based approach called Appreciate Inquiry can make a huge difference in your volunteer training and ultimately your... Read more
Challenges to Volunteerism in the 80s
Speech by Gordon Manser
In June 1979, Pennsylvania’s “First Annual Symposium on Volunteerism and Education” was convened in Harrisburg. The keynote address was delivered by Gordon Manser, co-author of the 1976 book, Voluntarism at the Crossroads. We dust off and republish his speech here, allowing us to look... Read more
Volunteerism in the Cultural Arts - A Hidden Treasure?
When it comes to describing volunteers and the volunteer community, attention tends to be focused on social or human services. In fact, case studies, examples of volunteering, and vocabulary choices disproportionately assume that the volunteers are "solving problems" or "meeting... Read more
Volunteering, Self-Help, and Citizenship in Later Life: A Literature Review
As the populations of most developed countries show an increasingproportion of older people, debates have started about how an agingpopulation will be cared for. For volunteering, this often means howvolunteers will be engaged to help care for the elderly. But this assumption ignores... Read more