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How can help?

FROM: Geoffry D. White

What NEED does this meet?
People get frustrated hearing about social ills and not being offered a way to help.

What is the APPROACH?
Develop a master data bank of volunteer opportunities.

What are the BENEFITS to people?
Ralph Nader was once asked, What is society's greatest problem?" His answer: lack of civic involvement. Everone's life will be healthier, easier, happier and more meaningful to the extent that social capital is increased. See Punam's book, Bowling Alone.

What is the COMPETITION?
Not that I know of.

What BUDGET & LOGISTICS are required?
One full time staff person can develop it and then it can be maintained by one half timer.

November 2, 2003 in Helping Your Community, User Created Content | Permalink

Comments

Check out http://www.idealist.org/. They've broadened their scope a bit recently but started out just tracking volunteer opportunities around the world.

Posted by: tacovan at Nov 3, 2003 5:41:39 PM

You could also checkout the BBC's iCan http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/ which is basically the same kind of thing. I think there is also VolunteerMatch which is a dotcom attempt at the space.

Regarding Idealist, I believe their main focus is as a Human Resources tool for not for profits and NGO's.

Posted by: evan at Nov 11, 2003 6:15:29 PM

Interesting.

Posted by: Tamara at Sep 7, 2004 11:49:58 PM