Sparked is a mobile volunteering platform allowing for the crowd-sourcing of volunteer talent in short amounts of time and done online.  (Disclaimer: I’ve actually worked with Sparked on two separate occasions  – and had an awesome experience.) Jacob Colker presented at the recent 2011 Millennial Donor Summit. While it may sound like a sale – it’s free for nonprofits and sells itself.

Here’s how it’s changing the volunteering experience, dynamic and the power of the process

1. It combats the biggest barrier – 73% of Americans don’t volunteer because of the long process it takes to engage. Engaging virally & mobily, volunteers can log on and lliterally start helping (the whole reason they’re there) in a matter of seconds.

2. It’s global – You can tap the resources of volunteers around the planet in a matter of seconds.

3. It doesn’t compete with offline volunteering – it’s a different dynamic, different audience and different skills

4. It adds a social element – 10-30 people can work together on a project at once

5. With Twitter and Facebook, some organizations broadcast needs and it can de-value their network and voice. Sparked allows people to engage the masses in a truly participatory way where they bring their skills to the table in a whole new way.

Want more? Check out these other great post by my live-blogging friends

10 Essential Truths about Social Media – Katya Andreson

Millennials and Mobile Marketing at #MDS11 – Kivi Leroux Miller

Exploring the latest in Millennial Research – Amy Sample Ward