Latest News | February 2022

What are the barriers you experience when setting out on your volunteer journey? Well we asked volunteers and we got a surprising and not so surprising response:

"There is not a single step in the volunteer screening practice that does not impose significant barriers for BIPOC participants. The biggest barrier for BIPOC participants was personal references. There are many possible reasons for this, but it does highlight the white western influence of volunteering towards a capitalist and institutional HR experience."

Read more in An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering

Volunteering has often been understood as "giving back" or "networking" or "skill development" but consider the word - BELONGING - and what that might mean to you.

From the report, An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering:

Volunteering and having your effort recognized gives participants a sense of belonging. When people feel valued, that value is reflected in the way they make meaning of their lives. This is important for personal growth and self-worth. Many participants indicate that volunteering is important for their mental health, and we need to consider the effects of removing these opportunities. When these opportunities are not available because of barriers, we are denying people the personal benefits that come from volunteering.

For those of you looking for a bit more insight into the features on the VolunteerConnector we have a bunch of videos on the Get Support & Learn page.

In the meantime here is a complete Overview of Signup to get you started followed by a special highlight on the Scheduling Tool.

Overview of Organization Signup & Profile

Special Profile of Scheduling Tool