Ten years ago, I bet no one would have imagined that today a ranger working in a remote location in Congo could post photos and information about his conservation work on a website which gets 20,000 visits a month from around the world.

Or that a Mumbai-based stray dog welfare organization could share videos of its dogs to be adopted with viewers across gigantic India and the rest of the world. (Others here here and here.)

Or that micro-credit recipients in, for example, Togo and Guatemala, could have their photos, stories, and business details posted by Kiva.

Why does it matter for volunteers? For one, volunteers can now learn about some amazing work being done from the comfort of their own homes, and that work can help shape their ideas about the field. It also means that there is some potential for potential volunteers to use their media-base