Organization is formed to accommodate growing need for help.

Volunteers serve as the backbone of many Maui events. To hire a staff of 50 temporary employees for an event—including recruiting, training, supervising and managing—can be overwhelming, not to mention cost-prohibitive. Keith Ranney has taken the complexity out of finding volunteers by structuring an online clearinghouse that matches organizational needs with volunteer interests and skills.

For the past eight years, Ranney has headed the volunteer ranks for numerous organizations and events islandwide. With his new Web-based volunteer clearinghouse and staff of trained volunteer managers, his goal now is to expand his services statewide to accommodate the growing need for volunteer help.

“Since its inception in 2000, Ranney has brilliantly coordinated the 300-plus volunteers that ensure each year’s Maui Film Festival at Wailea runs smoothly from start to finish,” said Maui Film Festival Co-director Barry Rivers. “He is a master of organization, clear communications and diplomacy. And, better yet, does it with a ‘glass is always half full’ attitude that sets the tone for those lucky enough to work with him.”

Art of Volunteering LLC, a community resource for event planners and volunteers, can be accessed through a Website that enables potential volunteers statewide to register so that when an organization or business has a need, they can easily be contacted and mobilized for service. It also gives businesses and organizations guidelines on how to create a successful, cost-effective event through the use of his volunteer organization.

To register or to find out how to take advantage of Art of Volunteering services, follow the easy step-by-step process (the Website includes a tutorial for the electronically-challenged or technophobic) at www.artofvolunteering.com.