On this page, we'll explain all the steps involved in making a match once you post a project.
Need help posting a project? Use our skills gap assessment
These are the common terms we use on MovingWorlds:
Non-profits, start-ups, social enterprises, or community based organizations based all around the world. The Host has a specific project or need and is looking for an Experteer. In exchange for free skills, hosts are asked to provide some sort of in-country benefit, like housing, language classes, meals, and various forms of cultural integration and unique experience.
Operates this matching site, will make suggested matches, and will facilitate an introduction when both parties approve. MovingWorlds will then provide you a planning process & template so you can work together to plan your own trip.
Working professionals from all over the world who are willing to donate their time and skills - pro-bono - to a Host Organization. In exchange for the skills, Experteers appreciate housing, a unique experience, and/or other local benefits. They can create a sustainable impact by working on projects that hosts don’t have the capacity or know-how to complete, and/or by training local staff in new skills.
Once you post a project, there are some things you can do to increase the chances of finding the best Experteer.
To improve the likelihood of finding match, use our "Promote Your Project Toolkit"
Re-visit your project description and think about ways to improve it. Put yourself in the shoes of an Experteer reading about your organization and project for the first time.
Use the browse too (you must login and post a project to access this tool) to find Experteers and request introductions to the ones you find most fitting.
By this step, MovingWorlds has already gathered information on the Experteer and asked you the Host Organization to clarify the details of the project you want the Experteer to work. Now it is important for you to gather enough information about the Experteer, and for the Experteer to gather enough information about you, and the project, to determine if it is a good match from both sides.
Schedule a call where you can discuss the project and decide on whether the Experteer is the right fit. Use the time at the initial meeting to introduce yourself to the Experteer and learn more about the Experteer, their skills and their Experteering desires – think of it like an informational interview.
Share with the Experteer helpful information about your organization. This information includes but is not limited to:
At the center of every engagement is communication. If you can’t communicate clearly, the field engagement won’t work. Use this time to get to know each other and trade stories. Be transparent, transparency builds trust and is a crucial foundation to a long lasting partnership.
After your call, do extra diligence. Examples include:
After speaking you should have enough information to determine if the partnership is a good match for you. As soon as you make a decision, email our matching team (match@movingworlds.org) to let us know whether you have confirmed a match or not.
In addition, you can use the email templates below to communicate your intention with your Experteer:
Congratulations! Let the Experteer know. Here is sample email template you can send to the Experteer.
Write to the Experteer, thank them for their time, and inform them why you felt it wasn’t a good match. It's OK to be honest, that information is important for the Experteer. Also remember to email our matching team to let us know the match didn’t work and why so we can help you find a better match. Here is a template to get you started.
That’s OK! Plan another call with the Experteer to ask more questions. Here is a sample email template you can use to set it up. When you speak together again, talk more about the project, working conditions, outcomes, the team, and deliverables.
When you are matched with your Experteer, MovingWorlds will send you and the Experteer a link to a customized version of the MovingWorlds Experteering Project Planning Guide.
We know this document is a lot of work, however working through it at this phase will ensure great impact from your Experteer.
We find that most people work on it collaboratively / together while on their series of planning calls.
Once complete, sign and submit it to MovingWorlds to confirm the formal match and start off your Experteering engagement. Please note it is strongly suggested that the Experteer Planning Guide is completed before the Experteer has booked an airplane ticket to the Host Organization.
We recommend you setup a recurring series of calls with your Experteer to have a touch base every week and/or every other week before the in-the-field project, or at least until your planning guide is finished. You don't have to be on all calls, and perhaps other team members of yours will join the Experteer. However the idea here is that you will all get to know each other better and even start working on some of the project so that once the Experteers arrives to your location real work can start right away.
When you are matched, you will receive your own copy of the Hosting Preparation checklist.
Make sure to complete the checklist so that you are fully prepared to make the most of your time with the Experteer.
Use the MovingWorlds Host Organization Resources for some interesting reads and free learning resources that might help in you with Hosting an Experteer.
Invite the Experteer to dinners and events.
Make recommendations for local experiences.
Make introductions to other interesting professionals and organizations so the Experteer can expand their network.
Have you, your team, and the Experteer get active on social media. Posting pictures and sharing first-person stories will help create more attention for you and your organization.
Make sure to tag MovingWorlds and #Experteering so that we can amplify your stories. Alternatively, you can email us updates at match@movingworlds.org and we can promote these on social media for you.
When you are finished hosting the Experteer, you'll want to do these two things to help get extra attention for your organization:
After the Experteer returns home, take the time to send an Experteer a thank you email, card, or small gift as a way of making the Experteer feel valued for the work they have done.
If the Experteer had support from their boss or company back at home, send them a thank you note, too.
We find that feeling valued through acts of kindness and verbal affirmation is especially appreciated by our Experteers and makes for stronger relationships in the long run.
Write a blog post, press release, article, or medium post about how great your Experteer was. Tag the Experteer so that they are notified. Here's an example from LAFF.
Make sure to tag MovingWorlds and #Experteering so we can help promote,\ or send us a quick note via email to match@movingworlds.org
Complete your "Storytelling" worksheet so that we can learn about your project, write about your organization on our blog, and then feature your story on our website — it will help others learn about your great work, and will increase interest and trust from our Experteers for your future needs!