2. Incorporating Technology
into Disaster Volunteer
Management
Presented August 2011
At the Disaster Boot Camp
Hosted by the Hands On Network/
Points of Light Institute

3. Introduction

4. Goals

5. Goals
Provide an introduction to social media and technology

6. Goals
Provide an introduction to social media and technology
Discuss opportunities available pre-disaster for utilizing
social media and technology to enhance programs and
engage volunteers

7. Goals
Provide an introduction to social media and technology
Discuss opportunities available pre-disaster for utilizing
social media and technology to enhance programs and
engage volunteers
Incorporate technology into VRC model

8. Goals
Provide an introduction to social media and technology
Discuss opportunities available pre-disaster for utilizing
social media and technology to enhance programs and
engage volunteers
Incorporate technology into VRC model
Discuss Virtual VRCs

9. Goals
Provide an introduction to social media and technology
Discuss opportunities available pre-disaster for utilizing
social media and technology to enhance programs and
engage volunteers
Incorporate technology into VRC model
Discuss Virtual VRCs
Discover ways in which technology is currently being used in
disasters & emergencies in order to consider how it could be
incorporated into managing volunteers in times of disaster
(including VRC model)

10. Technology
How are you currently using technology and social
media?
• Personally
• Professionally

11. Technology – Trends

12. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks

13. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks
Storytelling

14. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks
Storytelling
Geolocation & Mapping

15. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks
Storytelling
Geolocation & Mapping
Mobile technology

16. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks
Storytelling
Geolocation & Mapping
Mobile technology
Crowdsourcing

17. Technology – Trends
Sharing via social networks
Storytelling
Geolocation & Mapping
Mobile technology
Crowdsourcing
Monitoring messaging

18. Opportunities
Establish your organization as a trusted voice prior
to disaster
Promote clear and unified messaging across all
platforms
Consider using social media to keep volunteers
informed and engaged
Promote successes and stories via photos and
video
Make it easy for folks to share content via social
networks

19. Opportunities
Cloud-based storage of data
• Google Docs
• Drop Box (encrypted)

20. Volunteer Reception Centers - trends
Video: http://volunteerhoward.org/2010/09/volunteer-mobilization-center-regional-exercise/
Incorporating technology into VRC Model
Preparing local nonprofit and governmental
agencies to receive unaffiliated volunteers
Recruiting, retaining, managing, tracking and
recognizing volunteers using technology
Virtual VRC

21. Volunteer Reception Centers
Incorporating technology into VRC process
• Often overlooked
• Plan for staging related to resource availability
• Start with paper and pencil
- What would change if you had power?
- What would change if you had phones or
mobile networks available?
- What about access to the internet?

22. Virtual VRC
There are situations in which it may make more
sense to operate a VRC virtually
• Ideas?

23. Opportunities – Heavy Snowfall
Volunteers
may not be
able to get
out to help
If they could,
do you want
them going to
a VRC?

24. Opportunities – Health Emergency
Social distancing
or quarantine
situations
Safety of
volunteers and
safety of those
being served –
what protections
are in place?
A"ribu'on Noncommercial Some rights reserved by TheKarenD

25. Virtual VRC *
What does a virtual VRC entail?
• Pre-position website banner
• Consistent messaging
• Create a call center, if feasible, or develop an alternate
way to provide clear direction for potential volunteers and
partner agencies
• Begin identifying opportunities
• Connect via social media

28. Social Media

29. *

30. *

32. Crowdsourcing *
What is crowdsourcing?
Examples

33. *

34. Sharing Content – blogs & websites

35. Technology – Video & Photos
Tell your story with video and photos

37. *

39. *

40. QR Codes
(our website)
h"p://www.netwitsthinktank.com/mobile/scanning‐
for‐good‐how‐nonprofits‐can‐use‐qr‐codes.htm
h"p://www.bethkanter.org/qr‐codes‐electronic‐devicesnonprofits‐
and‐concert‐e'que"e/

41. Geolocation *
“As simply as I can put this, Foursquare is about
place and identifying yourself through that. It is a
celebration of the visitor—the people who
crossed the river, who made it in the door and
decided to identify themselves with us…right
here at 40.67124,-73.963834.” – Shelly Bernstein,
Brooklyn Museum
h"p://socialmediatoday.com/
index.php?q=SMC/185852
h"p://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/
2011/03/30/how‐to‐claim‐your‐
nonprofits‐spot‐page‐on‐gowalla/

42. Opportunities - Technology
Information storage and
accessibility
Volunteer updates &
notification using
technology (text
messaging, social media)
Volunteers sharing
opportunities and
experiences with their
social networks
Photo Credit: Nokton, Creative Commons some rights reserved: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nokton/4621778766/

43. *

44. *

45. *

46. *

47. Opportunities * – Mobile Technology
Mobile-friendly
websites
Mobile Apps for
volunteer
recruitment and
management
A"ribu'on: Noncommercial Some rights reserved by Na'onwide Insurance

51. Challenges *
Inaccurate information
Anonymous or unconfirmed users
Privacy issues & confidentiality
Accessibility
Monitoring

52. Resources – Volunteer Management
National VOAD Volunteer Management
Committee:
• Documents: http://www.nvoad.org/index.php/resource-library/documents/
cat_view/46-volunteer-management-.html
• Volunteer Bill of Rights
HandsOn Network & Points of Light
Institute:
• http://www.handsonnetwork.org/
• http://www.pointsoflight.org/
Others?

53. Resources – Nonprofit Tech & Social Media
NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Network): http://www.nten.org/
Tech Soup: http://www.techsoup.org/
We Are Media: http://www.wearemedia.org/Tool+Box
Frogloop – care2’s nonprofit marketing blog : http://www.frogloop.com/
Netwit’s ThinkTank - http://www.netwitsthinktank.com/
John Haydon – Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits: http://
www.johnhaydon.com/
Beth’s Blog - How Nonprofit Organizations Can Use Social Media to Power
Social Networks for Change: http://www.bethkanter.org/
The Future of Nonprofits (book released 2011): http://
www.thefutureofnonprofits.com/

54. Links
Articles
• Japan Quake Popularizes Disaster Apps: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-03-17-disaster-apps.htm
• Japan disaster sparks social media innovation: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-03-31-Japan-social-media-innovations.htm#
• Integrating Social Media into Emergency-Preparedness Efforts (New England Journal of Med): http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1103591
• How to Prepare for Disaster Using Social Media (Mashable): http://mashable.com/2010/03/09/prepare-disaster-social-media/
• Natural disaster? There’s an app for that: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214318/Natural_disaster_There_s_an_app_for_that?
taxonomyId=77&pageNumber=1
• How Social Media Impacts Disaster Response: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/pure-genius/how-social-media-impacts-disaster-response/6849
• Hands on Blog: http://handsonblog.org/2011/02/28/social-media-and-mobile-tech-in-disaster-response/
• Social Media Plays Key Role in Boulder Fire: http://www.lostremote.com/2010/09/07/twitter-social-media-boulder-fire/
Emergency Social Data Summit (American Red Cross): http://crisisdata.wikispaces.com/
Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies (American Red Cross - data July 2010): http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/other/
SocialMediaSlideDeck.pdf
Joplin Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/joplinmo?sk=wall
Crisis Commons: http://crisiscommons.org/
Ushahidi: http://www.ushahidi.com
Presentation:
• Community During Crisis: What governments can learn from the Boulder Fire: http://www.slideshare.net/BrandBehavior/community-during-crisis-
what-governments-can-learn-from-the-boulder-communitys-usage-of-social-media-during-the-boulder-fire-revised
Video:
• Medecins Sans Frontieres' Avril Benoit and how social media rode to the rescue in Haiti): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zk9ghpwIJw
• HoCoMoJo: Howard County Blizzard: http://www.youtube.com/user/HoCoMoJo#p/u/45/YB7waUlmlC4

55. Questions & Thank You
Questions?
Thanks!
Mickey Gomez
Executive Director
Volunteer Center Serving Howard County
410.715.3176
mickey@volunteerhoward.org
www.volunteerhoward.org