This page contains responses to the agency survey for
July 22, 1999.
Click here to see the same responses
organized by question.
Click here to see a list of
responding organizations' names together with their location and
date of response.
July 22, 1999
- Gay Men's Health
- Organization Name
- Gay Men's Health
- Organization City
- Edinburg
- State/Province
- No response
- Country
- Scotland
- Organization's Geographic Service Area
- Lothian Region
- Number of full-time and part-time employees (paid staff)
- 7
- Respondent's Name
- Bruce Fraser
- Respondent's Position
- Development Worker
- Organization's Web Site Address
- www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~gaymen/
- Respondent's Role in Working with Volunteers at Organization
- Management of volunteer program and development of program.
- How did you hear about this Project?
- Through Energize inc. Been aware for some time after session with Susan J Ellis
- What other staff have involved volunteers virtually at
your organization?
- Care and Support Worker
Commercial Gay Scene Worker
West Lothian Worker
- Approximately how many of your online volunteers provide
technical assistance to your staff or to other volunteers?
- 10
- Please describe the kinds of activities these technical
assistance volunteers provide to your organization:
- Web site design and development.
Registration with search engines.
Advice in development.
Contacting other volunteers via email.
Research via internet
- Approximately how many of your volunteers provide direct
support to clients / recipients of service via the Internet?
- 2
- Please describe the kinds of volunteer activities these
direct contact volunteers provide to your organization:
- Replying to questions which has been emailed or submitted via our web site regarding safer sex and other health related matters. The client has the luxury of not disclosing their name.
- How did you recruit the volunteers you involve(d) via
the Internet?
- Through an electronic application from via our web site. The application form was based on one on your web site-thank you!
- How did you screen/orient the volunteers you involve(d)
via the Internet?
- This is such a new area and I felt a little vulnerable so I actually interviewed them face to face as I do other new volunteers. I know this defeats the purpose if some one is housebound or unable to get to the city but I'm unsure of a further solution. Any ideas?
- How do you supervise and recognize/reward online
volunteers for their contributions?
- I email weekly and also chat via telephone. They are thanked verbally-none have yet received our certificate we give. I have said that a reward will be a private chat room for all volunteers and that is what they are setting up next. I think this will also be a good 'recriutment' tool-become involved and get the password to the chat room.
- Have you ever surveyed these online volunteers about
their experiences with your organization?
- No-but we plan to in September using another volunteer (not a virtual one) so they can be honest about their experiences.
- What factors in your organization have promoted the
success of your virtual volunteering program?
- What has been vital is informing all staff what is happening. I have also given a presentation to our Board of Directors to ensure that they are behind what I am doing. There is no point in going ahead with this alone if it does not have the support of your organization.
We are putting policies and procedures into writing and these are also being checked by everyone in the organization. Non 'virtual Volunteers' are also being involved in the promotion of the web site so it doesn't seem as a tag along extra, but as a central part of the charity.
- What factors in your organization have impeded the
success of your virtual volunteering program?
- It seems Ok at the moment, but it is early days and I'm sure there will be problems unidentified as yet.
- Please add any other comments you would like to send to
us:
- I feel that the expertise is amongst the volunteers and I feel I can trust them with the right advice. It is good to have a website such as yours that I can refer to though. Keep up the good work and please don't hesitate to contact us and please visit our website and feedback-do you want to have a link to your site from ours-if so a logo perhaps?
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