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It’s getting a lot easier to volunteer in Erie County.

United Way of Erie County and The Nonprofit Partnership launched its new online volunteer database this morning at a news conference.

Get Connected, or getconnected.unitedwayerie.org, matches aspiring volunteers with local opportunities based on their skill set and availability. Users can also follow local nonprofits and receive alerts when new volunteer listings are posted.

“This is the biggest idea that Erie has yet to get connected to,” said Bob Wooler, executive director of The Nonprofit Partnership, during the news conference. “This is the convergence of need and services.”

Wooler said Get Connected services both youth and adults, highlighting event work, short-term engagements and long-term projects for highly skilled volunteers.

Maj. Les Walter, of the Salvation Army, said the website launch will be especially helpful as the holiday season approaches. The Salvation Army is experiencing what Walter called “volunteer burnout,” as many longtime volunteers have “retired.”

“We’re hoping through this effort, more volunteers step up,” said Walter, during the news conference. “Even if money is tight, you can still give a few hours of your time.”

United Way of Erie County President Bill Jackson said the nonprofit is also looking to expand Get Connected”s reach into local schools. It can be used as a resource to help students fulfill volunteer hours, said Jackson.

Karen Seggi, executive director of Second Harvest, said she plans to use Get Connected with her two children.

“I want (my children) to learn that philanthropy is important,” said Seggi.

To learn more or make a volunteer profile, visit getconnected.unitedwayerie.org.

Image is a screenshot of Get Connected

Philanthropy meet the Internet.

The Erie Community Foundation is hosting the second Erie Gives day, which encourages residents to make online donations to the local nonprofit of their choice, on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Donors must give at least $25 dollars and can give to up to 10 nonprofits per transaction. Donations can be made at ErieGives.org.

Participating nonprofits are members of The Nonprofit Partnership or have an endowment with The Erie Community Foundation.

They will share a pro-rated match pool of $101,000 sponsored by The Erie Community Foundation and GE Transportation. Essentially, the more money a nonprofit raises, the more it will be matched.

In 2011, 213 nonprofits received an additional 14 percent on each dollar raised.

“The goal of Erie Gives is to encourage philanthropy to a younger generation of donors, to increase online giving and utilization of social media, and to provide added value to members of The Nonprofit Partnership and those who have endowments at The Erie Community Foundation,” said Mike Batchelor, president of The Erie Community Foundation, in a news release.

See the list of participating nonprofits and make your donation at www.eriegives.org.

Logo courtesy of Erie Gives

The Watson-Curtze mansion

A common piece of advice in creative writing–or any writing for that matter–is “write what you know.” The Nonprofit Partnership seeks to use the essence of that message through what they call “skilled volunteering.”

The Nonprofit Partnership discussed the concept of skilled volunteering at a YEP! (Young Erie Professionals) social event at the Watson-Curtze mansion on Thursday evening. Speaking to the room of professionals from a range of disciplines, The Nonprofit Partnership director Robert Wooler emphasized that volunteers should let their “interest drive [their] engagement.”

In a lot of ways, skilled volunteering leads to a quid pro quo relationship.

The Nonprofit Partnership is a membership-based organization providing education, training and tools to area nonprofits. Its members range from the American Heart Association to the Erie City Mission to the Erie County Historical Society (hence the event at the Watson-Curtze mansion.)

The partnership pairs professionals with specific skill sets (think web technologies, marketing and communications, finance, etc.) with the needs of its member organizations.

Wooler described volunteers’ work as “small bites.” Oftentimes, the work is project-based, but volunteers can make more permanent commitments.

At the end of the volunteer experience, there is a tangible product that the volunteer can add to his or her resumé.

“Each member of the team gets what they need going forward,” said Wooler.

For professionals looking to forge a deeper relationship with an area nonprofit, the partnership recruits nonprofit board members.

The Nonprofit Partnership is hosting a training dinner for potential nonprofit board members on April 25.

To lend your skills to The Nonprofit Partnership, contact Robert Wooler at rwooler@thenonprofitpartnership.org.

Photo courtesy of City Profile