Continuing our series on how nonprofit organizations can tap into the human capital potential, I thought it might be helpful to pull together some resources that will help nonprofits avoid common pitfalls and follow best practices when working with volunteers.

Whether you are a nonprofit just starting to use human capital or have already established internal structures to manage your volunteers, engaging them in meaningful and productive ways can be both rewarding and challenging. 

Here on the Net2 blog we have been writing about how nonprofits can leverage limited-term and high-skills based human capital to accelerate their mission-driven work.  But nothing is better than a real-world example -- and we've got a great one from right here at TechSoup Global!

I have to admit giving a heavy sigh over the recent post by the folks behind the Net2 Think Tank asking "How can organizations innovate to allow donors to effectively contribute their time, talent, and skills online?" It went on to say, "What are some examples of organizations allowing donors to contribute their time and/or talents virtually? Which specific tools or tactics are working for your organization and which are not working?"

Because, you see, there's a word for that. It's called volunteering.

A few months back I was forutnate to talk with Jacob Colker about his experience as cofounder (along with Ben Rigby) of The Extraordinaries. We talked specifically about what he had learned since bringing the idea to last year's Mashup Challenge (the project was then called Volunteer Now).

Location

Hey Everyone,

An interesting opportunity for young people running projects in the UK or who are interested in social issues and affecting change:

Wanted….

Activists and Social Entrepreneurs

who are making a difference in their community,

This is a terrific volunteer opportunity for anyone who cares about knowledge in the public interest or online collaboration.  The following is my redaction of the publicity blurb:

Wikimania 2006, the 2nd annual international meetup and conference of the Wikimedia Foundation, will be held August 4-6th, 2006, on the Harvard Law School campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The conference will feature presentations from Jimmy Wales, Larry Lessig, Brewster Kahle, Eben Moglen, Yochai Benkler, and Clay Shirky; along with some of the most active contributors to Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikisource, and the MediaWiki platform.  Presenters and attendees will discuss the present and future of Wikimedia Projects; the dynamics of Wikipedia and related communities; publishing and verification of information; and technical updates and Mediawiki hacking.

Wikimania will be a chance to meet the people behind one of the extraordinary successes of the internet - a multilingual volunteer community of a hundred thousand people who are passionate about creating high-quality free knowledge for the world.  For community members, it will be a chance to meet fellow Wikimedians, learn about what's happening today, and discuss current issues and the future of the projects.

For others, Wikimania 2006 will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to participate in shaping the future of Wikipedia and collaborative knowledge production generally.

All sorts of volunteers are needed.  If you're interested in getting involved, please go to the Wikimania 2006 Volunteer Teams web page, or send at email to wikimania-info @ wikimedia . org.