HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

What is this mysterious spectre? No, its not a Titanic-exhibit-gone-creepy.  Rather, it’s the new Ghost Ship at Morey’s Piers. Nope, no rotating midway Viking ship here, but rather an interactive haunted house. For your next volunteer amusement park “thank you” or wish granting trip for teens, there is finally something more at the park for those not of the faint of heart, but the too faint of stomach or faint neck for roller coasters.

Several of my readers have upcoming charity auctions. I have mentioned gift baskets as good choices for auctions in the past. Even though some folks think they are frivolous, here are the top reasons people bid on them, at least that I have witnessed.

1. Auction or raffle winners can use them as gifts for others.
2. A well stocked gift basket has a little something that appeals to everyone in a family or office.
3. Gift baskets often include items that the recipient would not regularly buy, but would be adventurous to try.
4. Someone may not care for the consumable items, but the basket style may be perfect for a nook in their home.
5. Local businesses may give inexpensive, small items as donations. Pair movie tickets and a low denomination gift certificates from a restaurant with movie style snacks to create a basket for a night out.

Of course, if the event is connected to a Poker Run, choose gift certificates that fit in a saddle bag a bit more safely.

Sometimes Advertising Magnets get tossed away, so I don’t always recommend them for nonprofits and small businesses. Sponsor funds sometimes cover the cost, so it isn’t that donations are being squandered on them. They just don’t create a big enough return because folks are inundated with magnets. However, i am beginning to change my tune. My grandfather and also a few of my friends have held onto magnets for years and years.  Area codes have changed several times over the years, pointing to their age.

The ones that are “keepers” may not all be businesses of close personal friends.  The magnets that are in novelty shapes tend to stick around longer than the boring “business card on a sticker” varieties. If a magnet is shaped like a Chinese take out box, a paint brush, a car, a dog, or anything else out of the ordinary they are just too cute to throw out.  If you decide to give magnets to potential customers or donors, make it count. Make it creative and make it fun.  it will stick around, or be passed on to someone else who might call you because its too cute to throw away. Just ask Grandpa.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NAVTEQ. All opinions are 100% mine.

May is NAVTEQ’s Map Update Month. What does this mean for you? It is a gentle reminder to update your GPS system. Every year, new highways are built, streets are bypassed for new arenas and subdivision configurations change. It may not be critical if you stick within a three mile radius, but I know folks who took a cross country trip with outdated maps and they were really turned around. They were lost and it took an hour or two a few times to right themselves.

According the the NAVTEQ Navigation Benefits Study study, using a GPS device conserves approximately $200 in fuel per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 20%, and saves time. Time on the road saved in hours equals 4 full days per year!  How? Since a driver isn’t aimlessly driving around and looking for a destination in “hit or miss” fashion, less fuel is wasted and time is trimmed from trips.

For those of you who participate in volunteer transports, you know just how critical this is. Rescue transports are planned with precision, with only 15 minutes allotted for a bathroom break for the dog and to buffer traffic and delays.  Cats and rabbits really don’t get bathroom breaks on the trip, but it provides extra time to make sure that they have the water the supplies the need for the next leg of their journey.For more information, click on www.mapupdatemonth.com.  There is a list of downloads on the site for both independent GPS units and systems built in to various makers and models of cars.  It is a worthy investment before playing “around the world.”

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nexx Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yesterday, I was investigating a dog rescue group and a local thrift store. A friend of mine wanted an opinion on the rescue group, as they offered to take a large number of dogs from a county pound and she had never heard of them before. The thrift store is in my local area and benefits a charity I have never heard of. Upon performing basic internet searches, I was really surprised that these organizations were running their websites on free space, or were found on a url as long as Yao Ming’s arm. Pop ups, and very clumsy navigation made the groups look like fly-by-nights.  A group that looks rag-tag and disorganized is not getting my donations.

I am abundantly aware that operating a website for a group often is at the mercy of a volunteer and costs money. However, with the Unlimited Web Hosting specials I found at Nexx, there really is no excuse not to have even a simple informational website, attached to your own domain and free of popups. One would think that everyone has gotten the message by now, especially folks handling such important tasks of creating or preserving the image of a small nonprofit organization or grassroots movement, but many groups are still stuck in a website from 1998. One excuse made is, “Our volunteers are mostly seniors.”  My 88 year old great-aunt sends dirty jokes to my aunts via email on a weekly basis and zings around with her Webtv.  I’ll have to hire her out to them.

For $10 per month, the hosting plan includes a free domain name to get you started. To drive traffic to your url, they are providing a $50.00 credit to both Google Adwords and Facebook. Not familiar with Facebook advertising? When you log into Facebook, look at the column at the right hand side of your page. Your group could be there, and your ad would appear to people who were specifically targeted by keywords, or on pages that mesh with what you are about. Conventional wisdom dictates that someone has to see a message or concept three times before they act. If they see a Facebook ad, see a Google Ad and see your website when they click on one of those….Bingo!  If you don’t see major results, it didn’t hurt to try it for free. Free is my second favorite price to cheap. Free would be my favorite price, but I don’t always trust Free…unless it is thrown in as a bonus with something cheap.

A one year package at Nexx normally adds up to $71.40 per year, so it is a rock bottom bargain.  Some groups are reluctant to spend any money, but the potential a website has to drive donations is priceless and the savings is fiscally responsible.  No tech savvy? No problem. Nexx offers one-click installation for Wordpress and other blog platforms if a journal-type website is more your speed to constantly update your contributors and the world.

There must be a catch at this price.  Actually, upon my through investigation, there are no add-on fees.  The service guarantee is very equitable as well. There is a 30 day money back guarantee.  Within 30 days of activation or upgrade, a full refund is issued if you are not satisfied. Even if you have a site already, it is worth giving a new concept and new site a whirl. The investment is small to play around with a new idea.

This information is so timely. I was so frustrated I could spit yesterday when one of my other websites was down with no warning for about three hours. While it wasn’t a site that I depend on all the time, or play with everyday, it was a big disappointment. The service I was using frequently shorts out the server that the site happens to be on. I wonder if its just a hard drive under some guy’s desk that gets kicked when he was playing World of Warcraft. Darn ogres.

In the past two years, the ChipIn widget seems to have proliferated on the Internet. For legitimate non profit groups, it seemed to solve a few problems. It gave immediate access to donors to see exactly how close to a goal the group was in real or almost real time. However, since there are no real “checks” that the site does, it also allows for a lot of fraud.

This familiar widget can be created on the ChipIn site very easily, and the code can be tailored to a variety of formats that a wide variety of platforms can understand. Just be aware, that if using on Wordpress, you can only use it if you host your blog on your own domain as it is against Wordpress TOS. Also, the shockwave script only appears in “publish” or “preview” mode.Please do not attempt to actually donate to this one, because it won’t go anywhere. It is for illustrative purposes only. It is not connected to a Paypal address.

For a legitimate group, not only does it motivate donors, but the constant updates cut out the “middle man” and save time for volunteers seeking updates as well. Funds are processed through Paypal, which is very familiar to those donating on the internet already. A widget is best used if a small, reasonable goal is targeted as people like to be part of the “winning team” and feel that they are making a difference versus a small drop in a bucket that may never be filled.

However, the widget went from being used by legitimate causes to just about anyone. Because the address that is receiving the donations is hidden, it can easily create a situation where someone is falsely collecting funds. However, it was more frequent for individuals to not pretend that they were collecting for something they were not, but counting on you seeing so many widgets that you will get them confused. Another scenario is that because you do see a widget, you think they have been “checked out.” One young lady was asking for over $20,000 to build a “No-Kill Sanctuary for Dogs.” Behind the scenes, there was never going to be a shelter. She had made graphics to look convincing, but in reality, she was trying to gain trust with shelters in order to attempt to take unaltered dogs to start breeding and fighting them. She was “found out.”

The more innocent misuses are people using them to fund their savings goal, or dream of buying a boat. In of itself, if everyone is aware that they are gifting money to the person and it is not a donation, to each his own. Perhaps ChipIn should create a widget that clearly carries a disclaimer.

Technologically, the widget will not appear in Wordpress based blogs in draft mode and is sometimes only viewable when published. This is an improvement. The widget is compatible with blogger.

In my opinion:

From a technology perspective, ChipIn is a valuable widget and gets high marks. A s a consumer, you should do the same research of the person behind the widget as if they were handing you an envelope or asking for a donation in person.

I have worked with non-profit organizations that are small and very grass roots and some that are quite large. When small non-profits have speed bumps, it is easier to have several individuals hash out the problems and either decide to overcome or disband. Occasionally, they look to small scale  nonprofit consulting if they are at a crossroads, but many more small and good 501(c)3 groups fizzle for reluctance to expend a small amount of funds for the service, or more so may have the feeling of “meant to be.” Instead of even just bending an ear of a seasoned veteran, if doubt sets in, the founders determine that it wasn’t in the cards for them to go on. This is unfortunate, as there are so many good ideas out there and small networks of folks making a big difference.

With a larger scale organization, things are not that quite cut and dry. Changes involve calculated moves as they affect hundreds or even millions of individuals from volunteers, to help recipients to employees. Here is where consulting for nonprofits may almost be demanded by donors and it would be imprudent not to at least try.

The National Executive Service Corp (NESC) provides help to non-profit educational, religious, cultural and health-oriented groups at a fraction of the amount a for profit consulting firm would charge.  Services is at this time limited to the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area. Consultants are chiefly senior professionals who have experience in a specific sector to advise and mentor.  Risk assessment, branding, nonprofit executive search, board development and retreat projects, and fiscal management are just some of the areas of focus depending on the needs of the client non-profit.  If your group is at a crossroads or lacking a solid foundation in one of these areas, have you considered a little outside advice?  If so, what did you do?  Have you enlisted a consulting service or did you turn to another solution?

I know its not even Christmas yet, but the New Year is not far behind.  The hearts of many turn to creating a clean slate, or trying something new.  The impossible resolutions of the past often make way for the practical.  Volunteering for a good cause is sometimes one of them.  What prohibits people is often the time or money commitment involved.  In the past, I have presented general lists of ways someone can pitch in.  However, this year, I am looking to hear from grass roots causes and charities themselves on how people can assist them even if they only have a short amount of time to give.

Volunteer opportunities that are a one time gig, or require a time commitment of less than 2 hours per week are being sought.  Also, if the volunteer need not handle currency, that would be a plus. Opportunities that require even less are highly welcome to receive the most amount of volunteer interest possible.  Please submit your specific calls for volunteers, with the guidelines in mind.  The volunteer opportunity must be able to be filled by someone that fits this profile:

• The volunteer need not have a specific degree or certification.
• The volunteer does not need to own special equipment (i.e., sensor equipment, a dump truck)
• Gender of the volunteer does not matter.
• Age of the volunteer is 16 or over.  Upward age does not matter.
• Volunteer opportunity can be fulfilled as a one time gig, or in a time allotment of less than 2 hours per week.

There will be two categories: Live opportunities, where a volunteer needs to appear in person at a site, or needs to be in close proximity.  The second category is for virtual opportunities.  The volunteer CAN be in close proximity or further away, but the opportunity does not call for meeting regularly in person to fulfill their duties.

Please submit opportunities with the following information:

Name of organization or cause
Type of cause (if not obvious from the name. What are you all about?)
Physical location (city or locality)
Decription of opportunity
Time commitment
Dates of opportunity if applicable
If the opportunity is an ongoing need or at the volunteer’s convenience, indicate it.

Send the following information to: volunteers  at gmail.com.  The list will be published at the discretion of houndsgood.com.  Some opportunities may not be published due to space, complexity of the opportunity, or if the cause conflicts with the mission of Houndsgood.com.

Deadline for submiission  but will be rolling, but it would be super nice if you could submit by january 23rd.

From time to time, I receive notices called “DNA” notices.  They mean “Do Not Adopt.”  Conversely, “DNR” means “Do Not Rescue.”  It is to alert other rescues to deny an adoption to someone, or for a shelter to not let a rescue pull from their available dogs and cats.  It may be helpful in some cases to alert individuals who may not be aware of legislation against the individual for animal abuse.  However, take great care in making the decision to send someone’s name out on a list.  Before you consider alerting your friends, please consider the following:

1) Rarity of name.  If the person you are referring to is a John Smith, a Mary Baker, or another name that is common, your alert may prevent a perfectly innocent person from being able to adopt a dog or cat. People usually don’t walk around with

2) Personality conflict.  Is your decision based on fact, or is it because you just didn’t gel with them?  Sometimes people are quick to judge someone who appears very shy or abrupt.  There are people that treat their animals like queens and kings, but are not “people” people.  Observe them with the actual animals.  

3) They want the perfect dog.  Recently, I think I put my foot in my mouth.  A rescue on a list I am a part of alerted everyone to a potential adopter who wanted “the perfect dog,” one that is crate trained, housebroken, but is a puppy or a year old.  They implied to “watch out for this person.”  Well, we were all pretty ignorant until we learned.  People that had a dog growing up but never raised one from puppyhood may remember their dog as being fully housebroken.  In fact, their parents probably trained the dog before the individual was aware of it, or cleaned up accidents, not them.  There is no reason to flag the person for wanting “the perfect dog,” they just need to be educated that yes, there are housebroken dogs out there, but occasionally, if the dog is sick or not let out often enough, they will have an accident.  Steer them towards a dog that is well trained but lost their family rather than a newborn, or a dog that lived life as stray and is learning the ropes. I remember some promotional pens a law practice gave out that read “Practice makes perfect.” My dogs have made sure I have had lots of practice, but there was a time when “I didn’t know.” 

I am not saying that you have to adopt a dog out to them, but take a moment to educate them.  A short amount of time spent on education will save you from having to pick up a puppy they buy from the shelter later.   Also, what about recruiting them as a foster family for a decently trained dog?  They can get some real world experience for a short time, as long as they live in the rescue’s geographic area.

4) Are they unsuitable to have any pet whatsoever, or just for “your breed.”  There are many people out there that would be a less than suitable home for an older chihuahua, but would be a dream come true for an active young retriever, and vice versa.  Before spreading someone’s name around, think about that.

5) Fenced in yards.  Some rescues will not adopt out to someone without a fenced in yard.  No reason to blacklist this person to other rescues.  There are plenty of rescues who will adopt a dog out to someone without a fence.  A four pound Yorkie gets the exercise it needs, even in a house.  And a laid back older dog may be content with walks with their best friend. 

6) Other rescuers were not born yesterday. If the person’s application appears that they are blatantly unsuited for pet ownership, other rescues are going to pick that up right away too in their vetting process.    They don’t have time to go through big lists.  Keep your “DNA” alerts on REAL threats, such as someone who has been convicted of animal cruelty in your area and may be reaching outside of your area to adopt rather than about someone you didn’t hit it off with.

There are way too many dogs in shelters dying every day.  If someone can financially provide for a dog or cat, and has the love to give, we need to be careful about not turning them off to the idea of rescue entirely just because they don’t pass our muster.   They may not be suited for every pet, but with a little knowledge, they would be a good match for some dog or cat out there who wishes to live.

I fostered a dog once that was like oil and water with my dogs.  They couldn’t be just left to roam around with each other in the house.  The foster wasn’t aggressive.  She was just a big, friendly, overgrown pup who didn’t know her own strength or size. A tiny dog and a senior dog just were having none of it.  She went for walks with me because I didn’t have a fenced in yard.  She spent several hours at a time crated in the kitchen as I had to juggle dogs away from each other.  It wasn’t ideal. A wise person in rescue told me that it might not be “the perfect situation” for her – I didn’t have a huge fenced in yard,etc , but she was alive, fed, exercised and loved.   She ended up getting a great home.

Many animal charities have pet food, old towels, and a variety of other things on their wish lists. Those are easy for the general public to procure. What about vaccinations and other supplies or incidentals?

A great idea is to give a few lower denomination prepaid credit cards. This way, an organization can place them in the hands of volunteers for their gas money if the organizations transports pets from shelters to safety. They can also use it to send someone out to get supplies in a pinch. Of course, there are many times when people simply volunteer their time and resources, but sometimes people have time but no resources. With a prepaid credit card, they can put gas in the tank of a volunteer vehicle, or perhaps the organization’s donated van or Spaymobile. This makes it easier for volunteers knowing that they won’t have to be responsible for gassing up a group’s van, especially if they have the time to volunteer because they are unemployed.

The organization will also be able to make purchases online and over the phone. There are some wholesale companies that they may want to get supplies from, but cannot because the organization doesn’t have a credit card, so they end up paying more for things.

Of course, you can also get prepaid debit cards to help you budget. There is no danger of overdraft that way. When you are done you are done. For small organizations and loose bands of volunteers, they provide less red tape. They can simply be handed the card, and just keep track of their receipts versus chasing someone down for a check. It is especially hard if the check writer is a volunteer themselves and are working their “day job” at the moment one needs the cash. Another thing is that it helps a group hold onto the purse strings. It may be tempting to give more volunteers access to the cash, but prepaid cards insure that if someone proves unreliable, they cannot walk away with sensitive information, or very much.

If you are looking for a new idea, and the group you wish to donate to does a lot of pick ups, a prepaid debit in low denominations may be the perfect idea. Of course, a higher denomination is a great auction donation, but they will also do in a pinch for the day to day affairs.

I was looking for more ideas for auction items for a few upcoming charity auctions, both silent and live. I have been to a few where there were gift baskets, but they didn’t generate a lot of interest. I think it was because they were filled with items that were basically advertising specialtiessuch as mugs and mousepads with the logo of the business that donated them, or the items were very unrelated. The ones that were the bigger hit were those that featured liquor, or were nice enough for the winner to give as a gift to someone.

I found some inspiration over at Giftwish. The baskets feature a very tight theme, and the contents of some of them are quite luxurious.  What I never thought of before was making up or buying a gift basket that wasn’t actually a basket at all.  It could be a platter or a suitcase as well, like the one at left.   The site has other possibilities, too.  You can construct your own gift basket from the ground up, or you may buy all the different items individually. If you have ever received a gift basket, and then wish you had gotten more of a particular item, there is your chance.

Surely, there are items that you can pick up at your local better grocery store, but there are truly some things that the recipient might not normally try.  There are artisan cheeses, for example, that are very afforable.  The selection greatly expands on what might be available at the local store.  Also, sometimes folks are hesitant to commit to buying a large portion if they don’t like it, or don’t know what to try.  There are assortments that will make the process easier.  Of course, you can also buy one at a time.  How about putting a certificate up at the charity auction and then the donor buys three cheeses of the winner’s choosing?  That sounds like a gourmet would bid it up.

There have been some gift certificates given for a few charity auctions I have helped organize that entitled the winner to receive a massage. Sometimes, the gift certificate is given by the spa, but many other times, it is given by a very happy client of a massage therapist. They purchase the certificate and donate it themselves.  The results are usually overwhelmingly good as far as bids go.  They are typically the most popular item in the auction if started at a reasonable price.

They are easy to obtain from a therapist or spa, but if you are looking for something more instantaneous, The Tiffani Kim Institute has gift certificates available on their website. The lucky recipient has their choice of a variety of chicago spa packages

You choose the amount for as little as $25.00 or as much as $1000.00.  Then, you choose a design for the occasion, such as the examples at left.  There are popular selections and recommendations for special occasions.  After you choose a pretty picture, you can write your message.  The gift certificate, complete with bar code can be printed, or emailed to the recipient.

I know people occasionally misplace things in the excitement of an auction.  I have definitely seen it happen. You could make a nice card to place on the auction table, and then when a winner is determined, go home and purchase the gift certificate online.  Then, it will be conveniently emailed.  If they have a printing snafu or lose that one, they can always print it out again.  How convenient.  It also helps the charity, as volunteers won’t have to watch the coveted gift certificate with eagle eyes during the hustle and bustle of the event.   In addition, sometimes the massage certificate generates so much interest that people get bid happy and bid up other items too, or draws more people to the auction.   That works for you, doesn’t it?

When an organization moves, it is easy to change an address at the post office and not miss a letter. In the following six months, your supporters will have time to change their address books. Small organizations sometimes have a unique problem. The mail may go to the home of one of the founders, or is received at a personal post office box. When the person leaves and someone new fills their shoes, it often takes more work to switch the mail. The founder still exists at that address. Certain correspondence should no longer be directed to them.This is why address labels are so important. Return address labels can be purchased with not merely just the name and address, but perhaps “NEW ADDRESS.” People take notice. A standard address label as room for a name and three additional address lines. It gives you plenty of room to get the message across.

Right now, 123Print.com has them available for .02 or less a piece if you buy a roll of 500.  It certainly is worth the price to have all of your supporters follow you to your new place or mailing address.