doGooder

Abstract

We developed an online system, doGooder, to foster volunteer social networks. Through an extensive usercentered design process, including interviews and a literature review, we learned that people experiencing homelessness face a wide range of issues. Most organizations helping the homeless depend heavily on volunteers to enhance their service capacity. One agency we studied was able to extend its budget by 30% as a result of volunteer labor. Research shows that social relationships play a key role in galvanizing potential volunteers and motivating existing ones. doGooder connects volunteers with opportunities and service organizations, and builds a community of volunteers to encourage each other. Preliminary usability testing indicates that doGooder will successfully help organizations to recruit, retain, and organize volunteers to meet the diverse needs of various populations facing homelessness.

Designing for Helpers: Identifying new design opportunities for digital volunteerism

“…Similar features can be considered for volunteering platforms as well. In building such online communities, it is important to set norms for inter-personal interactions and enable volunteers to build and express identities (Morse, Cerretani, Halai, Laing, & Perez, 2008).…”

Codesigning technology for a voluntary-sector organization

“…The design of any technology requires a deep understanding of the users and the nature of work of the users (Rogers, Sharp, & Preece, 2011). While the research on technology in private and for-profit sectors has made significant advancements in the last few decades, research on technology in the voluntary sector 1 remains dismal, with a few initiatives undertaken sporadically (McPhail, Costantino, Bruckmann, Barclay, & Clement, 1998;Morse, Cerretani, Halai, Laing, & Perez, 2008;Schümmer & Haake, 2010). A plausible reason for this could be that many routine tasks performed in voluntary-sector organizations are similar to those in for-profit organizations, so naturally, one could assume that technology used in the latter can be successfully adapted for the former.…”