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SHARE Detroit: Matching volunteers to nonprofitsFree Access


The newly launched SHARE Detroit could be considered a matchmaker of sorts.

The platform, which was introduced in southeast Michigan in February, makes it easy for hopeful volunteers to pair up with nonprofits seeking help — a win-win for anyone looking to make a difference.

SHARE Detroit is modeled after SHARE Charlotte, which was created by a woman in Charlotte, N.C., who wanted to make it easy for people to find and engage with local nonprofits, whether donating money, volunteering time, attending an event or buying much-needed wish list items. Investors, including Paul Vlasic, further developed the idea into the SHARE Good platform, which currently supports six cities.

“Detroit was slower to roll,” SHARE Detroit Executive Director Janette Phillips said, noting that while talks began earlier, the pandemic put everything on pause until late 2020.

Eventually, a team was organized, including Volunteer Specialist Karen Boyd; Marketing and Social Media Support Katie Shubnell; Director of Community Impact Karly Moore; Analytics, Stories and Nonprofit Support Pam Debono; and Phillips.

“We started in January-February, Pam, Karly and I,” Phillips said. “Our focus was getting enough nonprofits together to launch in February. We had wanted 25; we launched with 22. Since then, it’s been progressing. Now we have 233 and we’re adding more every day. It’s catching on and it’s been a lot of work, but we have a really great team.”

The website — sharedetroit.org — is clean and easy to use. Visitors will immediately find options for nonprofits, volunteering and “Shop for Good.” Each nonprofit page includes a summary about the organization, interesting information and its Give Shop wish list, as well as any volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, photos and videos.

The list of nonprofits is randomized with each visit, Phillips explained, noting the website mixes the order so participants are not alphabetical, listed by size or how long they’ve been on the platform.

“So even the smallest organizations have equal footing with the larger ones,” she added.

Each nonprofit also self-designates who or what it impacts, as well as the causes to which it’s connected. A list of filters — Who it Helps, What it Impacts and Causes — also are listed on the page, making it easy to find exactly the opportunity for which one is looking.

“Our motto is in five clicks or less, you’ll find what you want,” Phillips said.

The search is just as easy for those looking for volunteer opportunities, which are listed according to date. Filters sort through opportunity type, whether its for an individual or a group, if it’s suitable for children and other factors.

When a person clicks to volunteer, the information goes straight to the nonprofit. SHARE Detroit also gets a notification and makes sure the nonprofit sees the email.

“We’re actively trying to make sure those matches happen,” Phillips said. “We want to make sure everyone has a good experience and to increase the number of volunteer opportunities.”

Another way guests can support nonprofits is by visiting the “Shop for Good” page, where more than 100 nonprofits post wish-list items. By clicking on an item, guests are taken to their own Amazon accounts, where they pay for the item, which ships directly to the nonprofit.

With the approach of Giving Tuesday, Nov. 30, and the holidays, now is the perfect time for people to “Shop for Good,” Phillips said.

A fourth pillar of SHARE Detroit is its events listing, which is ordered by date and includes posts up to a year out.

“If a person wants something fun to do, click here,” Phillips said. “We list all the events for all nonprofits in one easy place. The website is clean and easy to click through.

“I’m really proud of the fact it’s easy to use — for the nonprofit to build it out and for the community member to come and zone in or just look around,” she added. “We’re trying to make it easy for the community to get to know the nonprofits. We’re also a 501(c)3, but it’s not about us; it’s about the 233 nonprofits.”

Not only is the website easy to use for the viewer, Phillips noted, but the process also is simple for nonprofits looking to join SHARE Detroit. At the bottom of the homepage is the question, “Are you a nonprofit?” Underneath it is a button to apply.

“It’s easy to start a profile if you are a nonprofit,” Phillips said, noting there’s no charge to join. “It’s clear on the backend, too, on how they upload information. … We’re not editors on their content. They need to build it out themselves.”

There are a few requirements and restrictions. Organizations must be in business a minimum of one year and must have a working website, for example.

Also at the bottom of the homepage is a link to visit other SHARE communities. Though six cities currently are involved, Phillips said she hopes some day to see names like SHARE Chicago, SHARE Los Angeles or SHARE Dallas.

“Our hope is when people say, ‘I want to help,’ rather than Googling ‘volunteer opportunities in Dallas as a mentor,’ they visit SHARE Dallas. Or they come to SHARE Detroit to look around and learn. We want to have them everywhere.”

While SHARE Detroit currently focuses on Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, a handful of nonprofits in Washtenaw and St. Clair counties are in the mix. Phillips anticipates the site to stretch beyond the tri-county area as well.

“We’ve been at it for 10 months,” she said. “We’re really focused. This is a good amount of nonprofits for visitors to come and find. Obviously, we want to add to that, but it takes time.

“Now we really need the community to know about us, especially with Giving Tuesday and the holiday season approaching,” she added. “Maybe make it a family event. Go on sharedetroit.org as a family during Thanksgiving weekend and find one or two places to give back, look at wish lists or make a $25 donation.”

For information and inspiration on where to donate time, talents or treasure, visit sharedetroit.org.