Submitted
Connecting community-based organizations with new volunteers is not an easy task. In a world full of distractions and doodads, it is easy for messaging from nonprofits to get lost in the busyness of our lives, before it even reaches the right people. Recognizing this, the United Way created an online portal for just that purpose, and it is called iVolunteer. No, it’s not a new app for your iPhone, although it sounds like one.
According to the website, from an organization’s perspective, “iVolunteer.ca is an easy-to-use, feature-rich platform that can help you save time and energy by automating administrative tasks, streamlining, fostering volunteer communication, and, most importantly, helping you access qualified and skilled volunteers.” This includes facilitating free criminal record checks, the ability to schedule and track volunteer hours online, as well as an unlimited number of opportunity posts to get your organization’s volunteer needs filled.
For the individual volunteer, the website provides an easy sign-up process. Once completed, the user will have instant access to all of the applicable volunteer opportunities that local groups have posted in their geographic region, as well as opportunities further afield if they choose to look in other regions.
The website is only as effective as the amount of people and groups who sign up, said local volunteer coordinator Joshua Estabrooks. “The more I learn about this service the more I feel it can be an effective tool for our valley,” he said. “I am available to help individuals and groups navigate the service and help create their accounts.”
More volunteer numbers, and more support for community based senior services, is the ultimate goal of iVolunteer, said Estabrooks. “Communication is key when seeking volunteers or volunteer opportunities. This can be especially tricky in more rural areas where interaction between groups and individuals can be more difficult as we are more isolated.” For more information on iVolunteer.ca, please visit the website www.ivolunteer.ca or reach out to Joshua at [email protected] and he can help you navigate the sign up process and show you how it all works.
