Volunteer Register

FROM: Paul Chapman

What NEED does this meet?
The site should be a place where volunteers can be matched against organisations that need volunteers.

A volunteer should be able to register with the site and the areas they would like to volunteer for. The organisations requiring volunteers should then be able to go onto the site and look for a volunteer.

Additionally the site should be able to email volunteers when a requirement comes live and subsequently the volunteer can contact the organisation involved either via email or phone. In essence Jobserve for Volunteers

What is the APPROACH?
The site will be driven almost entirely with XML. The volunteer organisations upload requirements as an XML document for additions.

Use of XML of course allows for any tool to be used to collate the information of a requirement although it should be a simple matter to implement a downloadable tool

What are the BENEFITS to people?
This would make it easier to match a requirement for a volunteer with the people who need that volunteer. There are all sorts of organisations and charities that need help and this would provide a means to find out what help is available.

What is the COMPETITION?
Norwich has the Volunteer Center which matches volunteers with organisations I am not aware of any on-line versions.

Their are numerous sites which do the same for paid employment but this is specific for the volunteer sector which means payment is either low of none at all.

What BUDGET & LOGISTICS are required?
Generally none of the technology is new. How expensive is dependent on the technology. SQL Server licenses are expensive, but it could be implemented using MySQL. Communications is via XML so the technology is tried and tested.

The idea of matching workers and employers is well tested and in some sectors such as IT over 80% of requirements are now advertised online.