Jayne Cravens: As a Volunteer

Why do I volunteer? I guess I'm a typical Gen Xer in that regard: I don't volunteer primarily out of a sense of duty to my country, nor because I think I have to, or nor because I think it's "nice"; I volunteer to make a difference in the causes I believe in, and for what I personally gain out of doing so.

Some of my volunteer activities were undertaken simply because someone asked me , and I liked the idea of being associated with the particular organization or activity. And for some I thought, after being asked: hey, this will look great on my CV.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with any motivation to volunteer, as long as the motivation isn't something destructive, and the volunteer always puts the mission of the organization first when engaging in his or her activities. I think it's important to remember that different people volunteer for very different reasons, and to respect and appreciate these differences -- and even to leverage these differences for the benefit of the organization.

What has kept me volunteering long term for some organizations?

• feeling that my contributions are valued by the organization and those it serves
• regularly hearing from the organization about the difference my contributions have made
• working with other volunteers (very energizing)
• getting the opportunity to do things I don't get to do in my professional work (participating in trainings, for instance)
• having fun while volunteering
• receiving regular communications; always feeling a part of the organization (never isolated or left out)

Here is a selected list of my advisory board experience, pro bono work, and other volunteer contributions to various organizations:

• Moderator of the Volunteers and Technology" online forum for TechSoup.org, an organization that helps nonprofit organizations regarding computer and Internet technology. Part of CompuMentor.org. 2002 to the present.

• Online tutor and advisor for a Master's Degree student at Kabul University, completing her Master's Degree project regarding the lack of women leaders in community and government organizations in Afghanistan, and why women's leadership in such is essential for development success in Afghanistan." Summer 2008 to the present.

• Volunteer Coordinator, Advice Page Editor and Forum Moderator for Aid Workers Network. December 2007 through December 2008.

• Online mentor for new women bloggers in Kenya, through Fahamu and the Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), to help them learn to use blogs as a method of democratic expression and empowerment. 2008.

• Online mentor for the inaugural Blogs for African Women (BAWo) Mentoring Project, focused on women living in Nigeria, to help them learn to use blogs as a method of democratic expression and empowerment. 2008.

• Advisory board member for the Aid Workers Network, providing information about board governance and nonprofit management to the organization behind the forum, as well as a frequent poster to the forum to answer questions about volunteerism and civil society capacity-building. 2004-2006.

• Peer-to-peer career counseling volunteer (online) for students interested in careers in international development work, through Open University (where I recently completed my Master's Degree). 2004-2007.

• Online mentor for the Young Caucasus Women Blog Project, for small group of young women from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia living as exchange students in the USA. January - March 2006.

• Online volunteer, contributing volunteer management resources and commentary, to CYBERVPM. 1998-2006

• Providing advice regarding board development and management for Pearls of Africa. 2005.

• Through onlinevolunteering.org: advisory board member/online volunteer regarding increasing volunteer involvement for the Youth Resource Center of Guria, in Georgia (formerly part of the Soviet Union). 2004

• Advisory board member (mostly as an online volunteer) and onsite event volunteer for Knowbility and its Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) events in Austin, Texas. 1998-2004

• Facilitator of the soc.org.nonprofit / NONPROFIT online discussion group, 1997 - 2000 (I think those dates are right... it seems so long ago...), and frequent poster to the group to answer questions about volunteerism and civil society capacity-building. 1995 - 2005

• Online mentor with a fourth grade girl in Austin Texas, part of the Sanchez Elementary School Online Mentoring Program, to help build students writing abilities and to reinforce good practices in online safety (2000)

• Online and onsite volunteer with HerDomain, based in Austin, Texas, advising on membership outreach and staffing the booth at SXSW, as well as actually working at said booth, and serving food at one of the evening events. 1997-1999.

• Organizing committee member advising on online mentoring for the Governor's Mentoring Initiative (Texas). 1999

• Judging panelist for the Governor's Volunteer Awards (Texas). 1999

• Online volunteer advising on nonprofit creation and management, and web master, for Twangfest. 1998-1999

• Board member in charge of communications for the Austin DOVIA chapter (Directors of Volunteers in Agencies). 1997-1999

• Judge for the National Volunteer Awards by Women in Community Service (WICS). 1998

• Member of the Nonprofits' Policy and Technology Working Group, sponsored by OMB Watch. 1997-2000

• Onsite volunteer helping with online communications for the Texas Freedom Network. 1996 - 1997

• Onsite volunteer helping with database issues for the Texas Abortion Rights Action League (TARAL). 1996

• Onsite and online volunteer with Impact Online (now VolunteerMatch) from 1994 - 1996, helping to support organizations using this pioneering volunteer-sign-up service (to see how the Impact Online site looked in those early days, go to www.archive.org and type in www.impactonline.org into the "Way Back" machine.

• Member of the 1995-96 San Jose (California) Festival, Parade and Celebration Grant Review Committee

• Compiling, editing and coordinating production and distribution of the newsletter for the South-Bay chapter of the California Abortion Rights Action League, staffing public information booths for the chapter, conducting a workshop for all Northern California chapters regarding creating effective newsletters, and participating in an intensive two-day training by the National Abortion Rights Action League for North Western state offices regarding countering campaigns by religious fundamentalists, then training South Bay grass roots volunteers, including from the local chapter of Planned Parenthood, in a mini-workshop later.1992-1994

• Member of the first technology advisory committee for the Nonprofit Support Center in San Francisco (1993?)

Did I volunteer as a child? Indeed! As a teenager, I stuffed envelopes for St. Anthony's Hospice in Henderson, Kentucky and helped in the radiology department as a candy striper for what was then Henderson Community Methodist Hospital. Also as a teen volunteer, I escorted kids from Henderson, Kentucky participating in the Kentucky State Special Olympics in Bowling Green. As a pre-teen (way back in the 70s), I was a Junior Girl Scout (and before that, a brownie) but, sadly, my troops never engaged in volunteering activities...

 
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