In August 2024, I started to track my personal-interest and volunteer time using the IPOOG time tracking tool. 472.25 ‘Interest Hours’ later tracking time has proven to be beneficial for not only the nonprofits I volunteer for but to also make sure I am spending my retirement on projects of greatest interest to me.
Continue readingThe IPOOG model attempts to organize the disparate activities of a nonprofit (or any small organization) into five core activities. A ‘citizen-science’ test-drive of the time tracking element of the IPOOG leads to three conclusions. The tool can work but it relies on underlying project literacy, and it could benefit from a better user interface.
Continue readingOriginally written in 2015, but never published. This blog (and series) discusses efficient SharePoint site management through the establishment of standards. It emphasizes the importance of creating a standards page to enhance user training, ensure consistency, and simplify maintenance.
Continue readingSmall nonprofits can benefit from free or heavily discounted software offered by large organizations such as Google or Microsoft. In addition to crib notes on how to access these resources, considerations for the hard implementation and challenges to maintain the software are considered.
Continue readingWhat are the various levels of involvement individuals can have with a nonprofit? Using an ‘I Care Scale’ to assess engagement. It highlights the challenges faced by nonprofits in maintaining interest amid competing distractions and emphasizes the importance of targeting marketing efforts to potential volunteers and donors effectively.
Continue readingThank you to a ‘friendly-peer review group’ for their feedback on a research project focused on tracking micro-time spent by senior volunteers. The discussion covered user interface importance, managing time granularity, and the complexity of capturing incidental volunteer activities.
Continue readingThe IPOOG session framework outlines event planning and risk management. Participants indicate their interest and possible future involvement based on attendance, ranging from indifference to active participation. Key topics include IPOOG Model complexity, time tracking, and discussion on improving tool effectiveness.
Continue readingA Citizen Science experiment to assess time-tracking for professional interests using the nonprofit planning tool IPOOG. Volunteer participants will contribute 3-4 hours providing feedback through peer review sessions, exploring the benefits and ethics of systematic time tracking. Results will be publicly shared in 2025.
Continue readingThe IPOOG model supports event planning and nonprofit management. It structures time tracking time and prioritizing tasks. This is an interim report on using the time tracking aspect of the tool over the past three months. Future improvements will be based on peer feedback.
Continue readingAt the end of this month, I will let my name stand for the president of SAPAA, an organization supporting citizen stewardship in Alberta. The following are my thoughts about what should be the organization’s priorities.
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