Joy Perryman

As a busy Communications major at Northern Illinois University, it wasn't easy for Joy Perryman to find a volunteer opportunity that would work out. But from her studies she knows that getting publicity for small nonprofits can be particularly challenging.

"The inspirational stories and work of so many groups are hidden without more media coverage," she said.

Perryman was anxious to use her energy and new skills to help where she could. When she discovered Media Volunteer through its dramatic "Make a Difference in 12 Minutes or Less" postings at VolunteerMatch, she knew it was for her.

"It was the first time I have found a volunteer opportunity that ties into my field of study!" she said.

Media Volunteer is dedicated to helping non-profits obtain the media coverage that they need to make a difference. Their approach to building a good press list is a fresh one: thanks to a few minutes of help from thousands of online volunteers, Media Volunteer updates and maintains an affordable and accessible list of reporters and producers for the nonprofit community.

For a nonprofit, updating a list of several hundred reporters can eat up weeks of staff time, but a thousand volunteers making just one or two calls can get the job done in a flash. Volunteers like Perryman use Media Volunteer to pool and coordinate their efforts making phone calls and checking data.

"I can't wait to keep updating information because I believe this is such an important cause," she said.

Through her work as a virtual volunteer, Perryman is making a big difference by contributing her skills a few minutes at a time. "And I never would have discovered this opportunity without VolunteerMatch."