Using tag lines to attract online volunteers

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Abstract

Online volunteering can be attractive to potential volunteers because of ease of entry. Applications and interviews can be done online, there is no commute, and volunteering can be done anyplace there is access to the Internet. Volunteers can be young, mature, shy, homebound, male, female, people with disabilities, students, professionals, retired or unemployed. This effective practice offers tag lines created by ServiceLeader.org for use in recruiting this diverse population, and is excerpted from the article ""Volunteering at Your Fingertips" by Mary Merrill. A link to the article is provided.

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Issue

Recruiting online volunteers calls for appealing to the intrinsic and unique value of this kind of service.

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Action

ServiceLeader.org developed the following tag lines to place on an organization's website to attract online or virtual volunteers:
  • Don't just surf — volunteer!
  • Volunteer in your bunny slippers!
  • Wear your pajamas to work
  • Do good from your desktop
  • Click into action
  • Surf and serve
  • Click and serve
  • Download good deeds
  • Volunteers can do it — online
  • Engage in a little mouse-to-mouse resuscitation
  • Volunteer whenever you feel like it
  • Nighttime, daytime, anytime is the right time to volunteer online
  • Make a difference — virtually!

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Context

ServiceLeader.org is a project of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas at Austin, and provides information on all aspects of volunteerism. The website has an area devoted entirely to virtual volunteering and includes a link to the popular resource, the Virtual Volunteering Guidebook, co-authored by Susan Ellis and Jayne Cravens.

According to Service.Leader.org, online marketing should not replace a program's offline recruitment methods, but augment those efforts by reaching new audiences.

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Citation

Merrill Associates, "Volunteering At Your Fingertips!" http://www.merrillassociates.net/topic/2004/10/volunteering-at-your-fingertips/ (accessed March 23, 2006).

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Outcome

According to ServiceLeader.org, marketing volunteer opportunities online offers many benefits for recruiting both face-to-face and online volunteers:
  • It's effective, quick, easy, and doesn't require any additional costs.
  • It's an excellent way to reach non-traditional volunteers, and populations that might be under-represented in an organization's volunteer ranks, such as seniors, ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities.
  • You can reach a very targeted group, such as a particular kind of professional or people in a specific geographic area.

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Posted On

October 12, 2004

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For More Information

Mary V. Merrill
Merrill Associates
101 Orchard Lane
Columbus, OH 43214
Phone: (614) 262-8219

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Source Documents

Related Practices

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Related sites

ServiceLeader.org

Topic Areas

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