These resources will help you research, prepare for, solicit and
manage donations of computers and other ICT equipment, including
hardware
and software, for ICT4D initiatives.
Online volunteers use a variety of computers, software and operating
systems -- most online volunteer opportunities are not limited to
only one type of computer user. This is a listing of tools and shareware
available to help your computer to be compatible with others', and
to help you perform various online tasks.
Volunteer managers already have phones and email to work with offsite
volunteers. What is the advantage of using Instant Messaging (IM)
with these volunteers as well? UNITeS has created this resource,
based on feedback from various online discussion groups, from our
own staff experiences, and other resources, to help illustrate the
advantages for using IM to work with volunteers.
The nature of Online Volunteering means a lot of contact between computers
-- emails, attachments, transfers of files, etc. Because of this interaction,
volunteers and organizations can be at risk for transmitting computer
viruses between each other. These are resources for prevention.
Many online volunteers take on database-related tasks for the VV Project
or another organization. These resources can help you during such
assignments.
Online volunteers can help non-profits convert and upload .PDF files.
This is a list of tools that can help online volunteers working with
.PDF files.
There are links to web sites that provide free online information
for community-based groups regarding computer and Internet technologies.
These resources:
- are focused primarily on helping non-profit organizations, NGOs,
schools, etc. use computer or Internet technology;
- offer free online information; and
- can be easily accessed by individuals and organizations who
do not have the latest version of a Web browsing software, do
not have
the latest Mac or IBM/Clone, and who may have ISP access via a
regular phone line, rather than DSN or T1.
Resources researched and summarized by UNITeS. Examples of volunteers/citizens/grass
roots advocates using handheld computer/personal digital assistants
(PDAs) or phone devices as part of community service/volunteering/advocacy,
or examples that could be applied to volunteer settings. Also included
is a section on Advocacy, and a listing of Online Software Directories
for Handhelds.
Many people want to use their Online Volunteering experience as a
way to learn .html and .cgi and create a portfolio of work. While
the VV Project cannot provide you training in these areas, we can
provide you with links to other Web sites that can help you.
These resources offer free online tutorials, support materials, and
online assistance for software other than (or in addition to) Web
design resources.
Links to information in Spanish, French, and German.
These are online guidelines by other organizations for their volunteers.
They can provide you with additional resources in your volunteer
service, whatever kind of service that is, to an organization.
Most of the materials listed in this Knowledge Base reside on this
UNITeS web site; other links, marked with this symbol, 
, will take you to other organizations' web sites.
If you find this or any other UNITeS information helpful, or would
like to add information based on your own experience, please
