Virtual Volunteering

We are piloting this project in the Canterbury district as this district has a mix of both urban and rural areas. 

• We aim to work with a number of organisations to explore and co-produce resources to support and increase the development of virtual volunteering opportunities across the District.

• In terms of volunteers, we will be supporting volunteers (of all ages and backgrounds) to enable them to inform and be actively engaged (both online and face to face) with volunteer-involving organisations regarding the development of suitable and pertinent virtual opportunities. 

This will enable us to both to match up the volunteer expectations with organisational expectations to enable the co-design of virtual volunteering opportunities and resources, to meet all needs.

Benefits for Organisations:

Increase knowledge of how virtual volunteering can benefit organisations:

• Increase diversity of volunteers:  this can include younger people who are well versed in internet use; people who are housebound or have some other disability; people living in rural or remote locations; people on a low income.
• Increase ability to cater for beneficiaries in different ways
• Increase ability to fund raise or promote service provision as a result of adopting virtual volunteering opportunities (social media in particular)
• Increase skills of organisation/employees/volunteers/beneficiaries
• Expand their volunteering offer
• Increase diversity
• Better respond creatively to volunteers’ abilities and desires in terms of how they volunteer
• Increase volunteers’ positive engagement with organisations
• Increase their ability to cater for their beneficiaries
• Attracting pro-bono volunteers

Benefits for Volunteers:

Increase knowledge of how virtual volunteering can benefit volunteers:

• Increase potential access to a wider and more diverse range of volunteering opportunities.
• Enabling people with disabilities, in remote/rural areas or on a low income to volunteer
• Increase engagement with the community and community organisations
• Encouraging employees to volunteer and share skills due to accessibility of time limited or micro volunteering
• Increase social engagement of volunteers via virtual networks.
• Decrease social isolation and loneliness
• Increase volunteers’ positive engagement in the community
• Actively contribute to their community
• Increase their social networks
• Learn new skills and increase their self-esteem and  confidence
• Increase choice in volunteering roles
• Increase volunteers’ positive engagement with organisations

Next online events to learn more about this project available: