New Website to connect volunteers with opportunities

Posted by on June 29, 2009

United Way launches new website to boost area volunteerism

In an effort to advance the common good and strengthen nonprofits throughout the region, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania has launched a new website that connects volunteers to hundreds of volunteer opportunities throughout the region.

Created through a partnership with VolunteerMatch, a nonprofit dedicated to making it easier for anyone to find a rewarding way to volunteer, United Way’s new site gives users the ability to search through local and national volunteer listings to find an opportunity based on their individual interests and community.

Found at http://www.LIVEUNITEDsepa.org/volunteer, United Way’s website pulls from VolunteerMatch’s network of over 53,000 nonprofit volunteer organizations.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Pennsylvania’s volunteer rate is ranked 39th with an average volunteer rate of 25.1 percent. This ranking indicates a marked decrease in volunteering over previous years. The CNCS also shows that the ability of communities to keep volunteers engaged year after year is strongly related to the overall volunteer rate. As with paid employment, a poor fit between a volunteer and a nonprofit increases the probability that a volunteer will not be retained.

For nonprofits that depend on volunteers, turnover results in the need to incur substantial additional costs associated with recruiting, orienting, and managing new volunteers. On average nationally, one out of three volunteers (64.3%) dropped out of volunteering after one year of service. Philadelphia has a volunteer retention rate of 65.5%. With a tool such as United Way’s linking volunteers to an opportunity that’s right for them, the organization hopes to see that rate go up.

“The donation of time and talent through volunteerism is a valuable resource for nonprofits in our region,” said Jill Michal, President and CEO of United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. “By making it easier for the people who want to volunteer to connect with the agencies that need them most, the entire community benefits.”

In addition to the thousands of volunteer opportunities available through VolunteerMatch, the new site will also feature local initiatives and organizations supported by United Way.