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Throughout the country volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs are launching communications programs to recruit volunteers. Below are resources to support your efforts.

Volunteer-Recruitment Portals - browse this list and post your volunteer job descriptions in multiple sites.  
* ServeIllinois -    http://www.serve.illinois.gov/
* VolunteerMatch - http://www.volunteermatch.org
* ChicagoVolunteer.net - http://www.chicagovolunteer.net
* Idealist - http://www.idealist.org
* Chicago Program Links - http://tinyurl.com/ChiTM-Program-Links
* Additional on-line volunteer search web sites http://tinyurl.com/T-MC-Volunteering 

Volunteer Recruitment Ideas - http://tinyurl.com/TMC-Recruitment-Ideas  

While each non profit is trying to find volunteers, not all have the advertising and marketing strength needed to do this effectively. Look at these ideas of ways leaders in business, religion, colleges and media can use their own communications to help mobilize volunteers AND donors. http://www.tutormentorexchange.net/leadership-strategies
 

Providing on-going support and coaching to help volunteers build relationships and learn to be effective tutors and mentors is essential at every program. Here are links to some sites with training ideas.

* Tutor Training links - http://tinyurl.com/T-MCLibrary-tutor-training
* Mentor Training links http://tinyurl.com/T-MCLibrary-mentor-training    

Do you have a section of your web site that points your volunteers, students and donors to on-line resources where they can learn more about why your organization is needed, ways they can be involved, or what types of activities they might do each week?  Do you look at the web sites of other tutoring/mentoring organizations to learn how they support volunteers and communicate their ideas?

Two sections of the Tutor/Mentor Connection library:  

* Homework help map http://tinyurl.com/TMC-HomeworkHelp-map   

* Research section. Articles to read - http://tinyurl.com/TMLibrary-research

Problems with Tutor/Mentor Connection library:     

Due to a change in the hosting platform we're not able to add or update links on the Chicago Program Links or the Library on the T/MC web site.  The existing links still work and this remains a rich resource for everyone.   

For many years we've been using the Discussion forum to add links to new ideas and that section is still working. You can log in and submit new information to any of the categories just as you would respond to a discussion board. For those hosting conferences or events this is where you can post announcements.  

We're constantly updating this information and we don't have much money or manpower to do this. If you'd like to help email tutormentor2@earthlink.net

The map above shows areas of London recently targeted by gangs of youth bent on violence and vandalism. I wrote about it on this blog. http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com/2011/08/london-riots-use-of-maps.html

This is one of many ways visualizations can help focus attention on places where youth and communities need extra support.   In Texas, this web site is being developed as a statewide resource to connect people who can help with places where help is needed. See Texas Connector http://www.onestarfoundation.org/page/connector

The Chicago Tutor/Mentor Program Locator at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net uses maps as part of an ongoing effort to draw volunteers and donors to the various tutor/mentor programs listed in the Directory.  However, we've not been able to find consistent volunteer or philanthropic support to keep this updated and to add additional features. We hope that by creating the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC we can attract partners and investors from other cities and states who will help us build and sustain this resource.  Email if you want to help.

Volunteers, parents and donors can also browse the list of links to the nearly 200 Chicago area youth organizations that we know of at: http://tinyurl.com/ChiTM-Program-Links
 

by Daniel F. Bassill

The Tutor/Mentor Connection is now organized by Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC, which is not a 501-c-3 non profit, but a social enterprise that seeks to generate revenue from multiple sources including fees and sponsorships for conferences and training events, and an annual Chicagoland Tutor/Mentor Volunteer Recruitment campaign. 

Invest in Future. Become a sponsor, contributor and supporter of Tutor/Mentor Institute. Read more.

Follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/tutormentorteam
Linked in group on volunteering - http://tinyurl.com/TMC-LinkedIn-Volunteering
Tutor/Mentor Institute on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/groups/225694987463116?ap=1

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