WomenOnCall.org Makes Volunteering Easy For Busy Professional Women Nationwide:
While
every woman’s schedule is different, one thing’s for sure: Women are
busy. Balancing work, family and personal responsibilities can often
make finding time to volunteer seem impossible. Women want to give back,
but may need assistance identifying appropriate ways to do so.
Women Sharing Their Professional Skills:
“WomenOnCall.org makes it easy to get involved with issues and organizations that I believe in,” said member Laura-Ashley Barnes, who has volunteered her graphic design skills to a number of non-profits. “The website has made it possible for me to fit volunteering into my busy schedule and give back to the community.”
WomenOnCall.org is a free online network that connects non-profits that have specific volunteer opportunities with women who want to share their professional skills and expertise with non-profits. The website makes it simple for women to find meaningful volunteer opportunities nationwide.
Retaining professionals, such as a lawyer or accountant, can be costly, especially with rates often exceeding $200 per hour. Yet, there are occasions when non-profits can leverage these highly skilled professionals for short, high-impact volunteer opportunities. For example, through WomenOnCall.org, a lawyer could review and provide feedback for a memorandum of understanding, a graphic designer could develop a brochure, or a writer could edit a monthly newsletter.
To make sure parents, caring adults and children get the reading tools and resources they need, organizations such as Target and First Book, which are committed to promoting childhood literacy, provide new books to children from low-income communities.
WomenOnCall.org Provides Non-Profits With Access To Thousands Of Volunteers
The win-win experience provides non-profits access to needed professional assistance. At the same time, women, whether working, in between jobs, stay-at-home moms or retired, can keep their skills sharp and utilize their professional skills while networking with wonderful organizations.
“There are so many things to do when starting a non-profit,” said Elizabeth Leibovitz of Childreach International USA. “WomenOnCall.org provided me with fantastic professional resources that I would not have otherwise had access to if this community of volunteers did not exist.”
“WomenOnCall.org was founded because we recognize that time is a premium for professional women and that given the right match of volunteer skills and opportunity, just one hour of service a week has the potential to positively impact people’s lives,” said WomenOnCall.org Founder Margot Pritzker. “This thinking continues to ring true as we expand to connect women and non-profits across the country.”
Launched in 2006 in Chicago, WomenOnCall.org has
thousands of members and hundreds of participating non-profits-and this
now-national network continues to grow.
Here’s how it works. Volunteers register on the site and provide details
about their skills and experience and their preferred time commitment,
including if they are willing to volunteer virtually. Non-profits are
able to view volunteer profiles and initiate a connection through a
secure e-mail system. Volunteers can then accept or decline an
opportunity, at which time volunteers can communicate directly with the
non-profit. WomenOnCall.org does not provide non-profits with
volunteers’ personal contact information.
“More and more, we’re seeing virtual connections being made, which allow
busy women to volunteer while traveling or from home in the evening,”
said Pritzker. “Virtual volunteering allows our non-profit members to
engage our nationwide network of skilled volunteers.”
Learn how you can make a difference:
For more information on WomenOnCall.org, connect
online at www.WomenOnCall.org, Facebook (www.facebook.com/WomenOnCall),
Twitter (@WomenOnCall) and through its group on LinkedIn.
Non-profits interested in learning more about WomenOnCall.org can call
(800) 531-3543 to schedule a conference call with WomenOnCall.org staff
and to brainstorm specific areas in which their organization can use
volunteers with professional skills.
For additional information and news, visit the following links: www.WomenOnCall.org or www.facebook.com/WomenOnCall .
