SOCIAL MEDIA AND

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

BY NANCY MACDUFF
 OBJECTIVES
 To define the different types of social media;
blogs, micro blogs, social networking, wikis,
email
 To identify the way in which programs are
currently using social media.
 To list 3-5 different uses of various social media
for four functional areas of volunteer
administration: jobs for volunteers, tools for
teams, communication, and recruiting
 To identify 2-4 apps for each type of social
media
 EXPECTATIONS
 Interactive-take polls, raise hand with observations,
questions or examples
 Later in the class you will be asked to suggest ideas
for ways to use social media in the volunteer
program. Open your microphone.
 You can always post questions.
 Teacher has helpers: Kim, Nikki, and Marty
on the technical end
 Practice “raising your hand”
 Resource list at the end
 AGENDA
 Objectives
 Expectations
 Agenda
 Definitions
 Examples: blog, IM,
social network, WIKI, email
 Volunteer Administrator Functions
 Functional Uses of Social Media
 Questions
 SOCIAL MEDIA DEFINITION
 Web-based technology that transforms
broadcast media monologues into social media
dialogues.
 Allows creation and exchange of user-
generated content.
 Businesses refer to it as consumer generated
media (CGM).
 Common thread - a blending of technology and
social interaction for the co-creation of value.
 BLOG
 Blog - (a blend of the term web log)
 Usually maintained by an individual with
regular entries of commentary, descriptions of
events, or other material such as graphics or
video.
 Entries commonly displayed
in reverse-chronological order.
 BLOG
 Interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments
and message
 Interactivity that distinguishes blog from other
static websites.
Sweet Reflections:
 http://ggonion.blogspot.com/
 BLOG

Tobi Johnson’s
Blog for
Managers of Volunteer

http://profile.typepad.com/6p0134880dc603970c
 MICROBLOG
 Type of blogging
 Featuring very short posts
 Can add pictures and videos
 MICROBLOG

Volunteer Florida
Twitter

http://twitter.com/VolunteerFla/status/13979764325
 INSTANT MESSAGING (IM)
 Exchange of text messages through software
application in real-time.
 Generally included is the ability to easily see
whether a chosen friend, co-worker or "buddy"
is online and connect through the selected
service.
 IM differs from other social media in the
immediacy of the message exchange
 INSTANT MESSAGING (IM)
 Makes a continued exchange simpler than
sending e-mail back and forth.
 Most exchanges are text-only, though popular
services, such as AOL, MSN Messenger, and
Yahoo! Messenger and Apple's iChat allow
voice messaging, file sharing and even video
chat when both users have cameras.
INSTANT MESSAGING (IM)
Instant Messaging for
Sexual Assault Online Hotline

http://apps.rainn.org/ohl-bridge/
 SOCIAL NETWORKING

 A means of communicating and sharing

information between two or more
individuals on an online community.
 SOCIAL NETWORKING

American Red Cross

http://www.facebook.com/redcross
 WIKI
 Also known as a wiki engine or wiki
application
 Is software that allows users to collaboratively
create and edit web pages using a web browser
 Most well know is Wikipedia
 WIKI

Volunteer Managers-
professional development

http://wiki.volunteermanagers.org.uk/index.php?title=Ma
in_Page
 EMAIL
 Electronic mail
 A system of world-wide electronic
communication in which a computer user can
compose a message at one terminal that can be
regenerated at the recipient's terminal when the
recipient logs in.
 EMAIL

Mental Health Today.com

http://www.mental-health-today.com/anxiety/vol.htm
 TIPS TO DECIDE
1. Don’t race into it
2. Assess needs
3. Get a buddy or team
4. Make a plan
5. Develop the application
6. Field test
7. Revise
8. Implement
9. Maintenance Plan
10. Evaluate
11. Read NYTimes column by Pogue
 TIPS TO DECIDE
1. Don’t race into it
2. Assess needs
3. Get a buddy or team
4. Make a plan
5. Develop the application
6. Field test
7. Revise
8. Implement
9. Maintenance Plan
10. Evaluate
11. Read NYTimes column by Pogue
 QUESTION
 Suppose you decided to use a Twitter account
to communicate with volunteers during a big
event where everyone is spread out over large
geographic area.
 What would be the advantages of using Twitter
in this situation and what might be challenges?
 Please raise you hand.
 Only give one idea, so others can participate,
let’s start with why this is a good choice.
 Volunteer Administrator Functions
 Jobs for volunteers
 Tools for teams
 Communication
 Recruiting
 Jobs For Volunteers

“ Sparked” - micro volunteering

 Review graphic design for camp flyers
 Redesign application forms to match all ways
to communicate and collect demographic data
 Turn boring financial reports into killer
graphics for Board meetings
 Take existing demographic data and create
statistical report for VRT
Your Turn
 Tools for Teams

 Teams need to check in

 Teams need to ponder
 Teams need to decide
 Teams need to see different resources
 Teams need to send short messages
Your Turn
 Communication
Vertical Response - send email messages with a
punch
 Maintain a quality email and snail mailing list
 Great job for virtual volunteer
 Creates a snazzy quality to email notices
 Allows for photos of clients, events, volunteers
 Cut down on snail mail costs
 Cheap
Communication
Your Turn
 Recruiting
 Volunteer program has separate social
networking site from the home page of
organizational site
 Can pick up email of those interested in
volunteering
 Pictures, videos, testimonials from volunteers
and more
 More older people are using social networking
sites
 Your Turn
Karen

AL!VE Membership:
FaceBook page

http://www.facebook.com/p
ages/Association-of-
Leaders-in-Volunteer-
Engagement/102419589828
097
Your Turn
 IN CONCLUSION
 Start small and with a plan
 Better to do one thing well than three things half-way
 Identify a need and research the best social media site
to meet that need
 Engage people who know more than you do in
planning for the site
 Establish a strategy to regularly check
the application
 Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate
 Have fun!
 REFERENCES
Contact Me
 Nancy Macduff
 mba@bmi.net
 http://twitter.com/nlmacduff
 509-529-0244
References:
 http://www.volunteertoday.com
 Download PDFs with references on the home page
at Volunteer Today