April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month. At WIDGB, we are so thankful for each member and volunteer who makes our organization stronger. As we continue to navigate the paths of our organizations during this crisis, here are two resources that may help you as you consider the people who volunteer for your organization:
Volunteer Management Amid COVID-19 (with Additional Resources)
Effective volunteer management can help a nonprofit respond to a disaster quicker.
With the COVID-19 pandemic evolving and causing concerns worldwide, many nonprofits are trying to navigate the current situation and leverage their organization and volunteer program to provide community support. Many organizations, managing volunteers, have questions about how to position, adapt, and optimize their volunteer program to be the most effective in times of uncertainty.
The following resources will provide some guidance to nonprofits managing volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to update and add resources below as the situation evolves in the future. Remember, we are all in this together.
How To Help, Not Harm, While Volunteering During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Helping without harming is the main emphasis of StudentsAgainstCorona, one of the nonprofit organizations that have sprung up during the crisis. “The new initiatives don’t focus so much on the hygiene part. They focus on the help part,” says cofounder Irina Filz von Reiterdank. But given the high transmissibility of coronavirus, “if you don’t do the hygiene part, you might as well not help. I mean, it’s even better if you don’t help in that case.”
Lakhani believes that volunteers like these have an important role to play during the crisis. “Health services alone cannot deal with the pandemic alone. As a working doctor, I know that there so many lonely people who cannot rely on other people to support them. Only the other day, I had a call from a vulnerable couple in their 90s who are self-isolating, saying that they had no milk or bread. Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic requires a national effort and strong partnerships between health providers and public volunteers.”
AFP Global has created several resources to help our organizations manage our activities during this time. Article topics include information on the CARES Act, managing teams remotely, donor communications, digital engagement and others:
Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resource Guide
We know these are challenging, scary and even puzzling times for you. To help you navigate the ever-changing landscape, AFP Global has gathered resources to help guide you in your fundraising, donor communications and stewardship, engaging current and prospective donors from your home, and more. As more resources become available, AFP Global will update the guide regularly.
Are you considering investing in additional resources to help you increase your team’s productivity? Here’s a comprehensive list of free resources for marketing, software support and security, financial and accounting, working remotely and self-care:
111 Free Tools to Help You Through the Coronavirus Pandemic
There are more than 10,000 coronavirus cases and more than 150 deaths in the U.S., according to the CDC. The stock market has taken a hit. Businesses are losing customers, and workers are losing jobs. It has become frightening, frustrating and even maddening.
In response to the pandemic, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan recently reminded us that we can all help each other in our own ways. He has provided K-12 educators with free access to the videoconferencing platform so students can continue learning.
Inspired, I shared an idea with Jason Feifer, editor in chief at Entrepreneur: a simple, organized list of free product and service offerings from all types of companies. Access to these powerful tools can help organizations, teams and families.
He responded quickly. “I like that. Maybe it starts as a post on Entrepreneur.com?”