Managing Tech Volunteers
Companies/non-profits/institutions involved with volunteerism and /or tech and/or developers
http://caravanstudios.tumblr.com/
http://www.socialcoding4good.org/
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
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- Cross sector collaboration is important
- There are different types of people who volunteer such as:
Project managers
UI/UX designers
Software developers
tech writers
tech ambassadors (teachers)
- Corporations
Are hackathon focused
Code spring focused.
some are community based.
- Cirque du soleil model
Get volunteers and get them trained through places like Open Hatch and then maybe later when they are up to speed move them onto a project
- Different ways to place volunteers
Using algorithms to place volunteers with projects/non-profits
A person setting volunteers with projects/non-profits
Get people to self direct on projects.
- Volunteers/volunteer managers
Take time to take really scope the project
Watchout or be mindful of "I volunteer at 10 places"
Always introduce yourself
Biggest weakness - "don't fit well with project/non-profit
Skills interviewing
Avoid critical path projects, where time, people and resouceses are really crucial and people can't just leave in the middle of the project
Get feedback from volunteers
Be in regular contact with volunteers and managers
Wait for all parties to be ready for volunteers.
Volunteers do pro-bono work-build portfolios, etc
sometimes volunteers end up getting fulltime jobs at the companies.
- Questions?
Who is legally responsible for work?
Who is legally responsible for the volunteer
How do you handle/legate volunteers working on sensitive material (ie...banks)
What does an ethical tech volunteer look like?
What are our obligations as volunteer managers/volunteers.
Who is liable if something goes wrong?
What are the mechanics of volunteering through your for-profit company or getting volunteers from for profit companies (like microsoft)
When involved in a hack-a-thon/code spring who is liable? and who get's ownership of the code?
Do you really know who you are volunteering for?
Have you read the fine print?
Is there now a volunteer industrial complex?
Do we think long term enough?
Who does maintenance for sites after the volunteer has left (other volunteers?) ?
Does your project/non-profit have a record of volunteers and what they worked on?
Are we thinking longterm projects?
Short term projects?
How do we create vibrant volunteer network?