A smartphone is enough for digital volunteering

Even the non-profit becomes smart, with apps and sites that want to make it easier to carry out small volunteer activities. Some function as match platforms between citizens and associations that need a hand, others connect people directly. Among these, Be my eyes is the app that best embodies the spirit of the times. A smartphone is enough to make yourself available to blind or visually impaired people all over the world, selecting the spoken language and the available times. At that point you will receive video calls from those who need a hand to orient themselves, read instructions, or even just the expiration date on a product in real time. Many opportunities for those who know more than one language. Tarjimly allows you to make yourself available with a mechanism similar to Be my eyes, but for live translations for immigrants and asylum seekers who need an interpreter. Translators without borders, on the other hand, helps non-profit organizations find volunteers to translate medical texts, websites and Wikipedia pages into all languages. TED Translators, on the other hand, is the virtual community of translators who transcribe the subtitles of TED Talks into various languages. For those with a particular eye for detail there is Distributed Proofreads, which converts copyright-free books into ebooks with the help of volunteers who have the task of checking the transcription in digital format of the texts, dedicating the time and schedules that they prefer. Book share does something similar, but to make titles accessible to people who cannot read on traditional media. Instant wild brings together all animal lovers around the world. From the site you connect to videos and photos taken by wildcam installed in every part of the planet, and you contribute by “tagging” the animals identified, and reporting their number. A precious help to trace the populations of animals at risk, their movements, the presence in the different areas. The European Union, Greenpeace and the United Nations all have their own program aimed at those who can and want to lend a hand remotely, both by directly helping organizations (for the creation of online campaigns, site management, processing of graphic materials, texts and videos) , both by providing its own remote consultancy in specific areas, such as the legal one. At the Italian level, Ayni Cooperation launched the #volontariacasa project during the first lockdown, which thanks to its success continues even now that travel restrictions are loosening. In fact, there are many activities that a volunteer can carry out remotely, making use of their skills. Non-profit organizations can be supported from home by making their time available for fundraising campaigns, creation and management of web pages, graphic contents, translations. Their portal has a classifieds section dedicated to remote volunteering activities. Similar in operation is Happy Angel, the first Italian platform entirely dedicated to digital volunteering. And if we want to go beyond the remote experience, but do not have the time to engage in long-term activities, it is possible to subscribe to the Volunteers for a day project, the largest online “matching” platform between volunteering supply and demand. Present throughout the national territory, since its inception in 2011 it has seen almost 17,000 volunteers involved in the implementation of more than 2700 activities proposed by over 650 registered associations. A leaner and more accessible formula for volunteering, which allows you to try experiences and learn more about the non-profit world.