Giving IT Back: Volunteerism + Technology
October 17th, 2011
By Angela Slezak
Volunteerism is part of the American spirit. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 about 62.8 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once during the year.
The past three presidents have all encouraged volunteerism from Bush’s “National and Community Service Act” in 1990 to Obama’s recent signing of "The Serve America Act” which triples the number of AmeriCorps volunteers, a group founded during the Clinton presidency.
Tech Volunteers
Among the millions of volunteers is a new type of volunteer: Tech Volunteers. This new type of volunteer helps others use technology, usually to make organizations efficient and sucessful through the use of technology.
There are as many ways to assist for Tech Volunteers as there are types of technology. The GroundWork group, an organization founded to “strengthen the ability of non-profits to meet their missions” has created a “Survey of Technology Maturity” to help nonprofits assess their use of technology against other nonprofits in Columbus.
Tony Wells, interim CEO of The GroundWork group said technology is just a tool. The Tech Volunteers at the GroundWork group start with the business challenges, such as raising money through donors, and then see how technology can help, he said.
“To raise money from donors,” Wells continued, “may involve a CRM platform or engaging in social media or something else.”
Wells said his technology volunteers often help by developing websites, conducting training classes or performing internal development for the GroundWork group. The GroundWork group has been able to recruit over 250 volunteers, with a third of those in technology roles, to support these initiatives.
The group gathers volunteers through a board that’s held 85 CIOs since its inception in 2003. Another source of volunteers is technology consulting firms who often provide contractors who are on the bench, waiting for their next assignment, Wells said.
Giving Back through Instruction
Some IT Professionals choose to give back to the community through IT instruction. Orlando Sprockel, Virtualization Practice Manager at Quick Solutions, found his way to IT instruction while in between jobs.
“I met ITT Technical Institute at a job fair,” Sprockel explains. “I had the skills they were targeting so I took a teaching position.”
Because Sprockel enjoyed teaching so much, he continues to teach at ITT and has since added Kaplan College to his schedule as a volunteer instructor.
Why volunteer through instruction?
“I want to help graduates acquire the skills they need once they enter the workplace,” Sprockel said. “It’s like being a carpenter; you have to have things in your toolbox. I want to convey to students what they need coming into the profession.”
Sprockel feels that while a degree is essential, it is not enough to prepare for the demands of the workplace. There are two areas lacking, he said. “The first is basic understanding of problem solving and the second is that students memorize solutions presented in certain ways.”
Instead of memorizing certain approaches, Sprockel wants to teach students how to “understand concepts and apply what they learn through hands-on experience.”
“It’s easy [to get involved in teaching],” Sprockel replied. “All technical colleges like to have guest speakers.” IT Professionals just need to find a college of interest and offer to guest lecture.
Helping Non-Profits
Kameron deVente, Vice President at Navigator Management Partners, sits on the board of Alvis House, a non-profit that “works with individuals in transition from being involved in the criminal justice system as they reenter the community.”
“I knew I wanted to be a board to provide executive leadership with an IT focus,” deVente says. “But I worked for a consulting firm that had me traveling most of the time. I couldn’t dedicate the level of involvement needed.”
Then about six years ago deVente changed positions and was able to offer the level of commitment needed on a board. deVente discovered that Alvis House “had a clear need for IT leadership” and was an organization that interested him.
In his role on the board of Alvis House, deVente has been able to start a tech planning initiative, drive ideas for IT improvement and create a multi-year IT strategic plan so that Alvis House can make the right technology investment decisions.
deVente and team have made a difference for Alvis House – last July Alvis House received GroundWork group’s “Nonprofit IT Creativity Award for Technology Maturity.”
How do you find a nonprofit that needs IT volunteers?
deVente offers the following steps for finding a good fit for your IT volunteerism:
1. Pick out the nonprofits that interest you.
2. Contact the board members of those organizations.
3. Explain your skills and ask how those skills can help the nonprofit.
Most nonprofits need IT Professionals on boards and committees or simply need a time commitment from them to help with projects. Most non-profits have a list of projects sitting there for the picking deVente said.
Finding the Right Tech Volunteerism for You
There are as many ways for IT Professionals to volunteer as there are apps for a smartphone. IT volunteerism involves employing skills and values to find the right match.
Contact technical colleges, high schools and nonprofit organizations directly and tell them how you’d like to contribute. If you’d prefer an intermediary who already has a list of schools and organizations needing IT help, contact an organization such as the GroundWork group to help place you.
Editor's Note: Two other great articles about Tech Volunteerism include Groundwork Group: Bringing IT to Non-Profits and Top Three (3) Ways to Build Your IT Community.
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Angela Slezak
