I am trying to find a ‘value per volunteer to a charity’ for a funding application. Can you help?
Asked by Nicky Goldman
Thanks for the interesting question, Nicky.
The short answer is no, I’m not aware of such a figure. I’ve looked and there just doesn’t appear to be anything like this in the UK. The closest thing I can think of would be the work done around the Volunteer Investment and Value Audit which was first developed in 1996.
Having checked with some colleagues who work in volunteer measurement I think we all agreed that this is a teachable moment to educate the relevant funder on volunteer value. As one colleague said to me:
“Something to the effect of...volunteers play a variety of roles with the organization such as (role A, B, C, D) and each one brings a unique set of skills, connections, talent, and expertise, which makes it difficult to assign a standardised value.”
We also discussed the opportunity this gives to highlight the outputs/outcomes of the organisation and then articulate the ways that volunteers contribute to those results.
Taking a step back, what you’ve hit on is what I have long felt is a vital missing piece in the puzzle of volunteer engagement: the lack of connection and conversation we in the volunteering movement have with funders. I don’t mean individually per se, but as a wider sector.
Consider the Vision For Volunteering in England, a great piece of work, but it is totally silent on the vital role funders play in effectively supporting the Vision’s goals and the engagement of volunteers across the UK. The Scottish Volunteering Action Plan does at least have a section explicitly on funding, stating:
“Volunteering is largely 'invisible' as a discrete funding opportunity; it's often viewed as a 'side-benefit' of a larger project instead of having strategic value in and of itself.”
“With limited visibility it's challenging for organisations to safeguard their volunteering investment or demand additional funding to unlock its full potential. We must make the impact of volunteering visible and valuable. This includes measuring the impact of volunteering on our organisations and communities, as well as on volunteers.”
“We must involve 'funders' as co-creators within solutions, through a consortium or similar structure. We must look to increase 'visibility' through tighter standards in relation to volunteering within third sector funding and increase sector engagement around impact measurement.”
There has been some exciting research into funding volunteer engagement recently, under the Initiative For Strategic Volunteer Engagement banner. One of the key points that struck me was that funders rarely understand the importance and impact of volunteers, and nonprofits rarely ask funders for money to cover the costs of volunteer engagement. It’s like the blind leading the blind! You can find this research and more information about the Initiative here.
That said, there are some funders doing great work in the volunteering space. In particular, the Leighty Foundation in the USA who have a whole section of their website dedicated to helping other funders understand how best to engage with volunteering. This includes a free downloadable resource, “The Funder’s Guide to Investing in Volunteer Engagement”.
Finally, I’d also suggest taking a look at these articles:
Funding for Volunteers and Volunteer Programs by Canadian colleague, Karen Knight
What is volunteer value anyway? by writer and thought leader Meridian Swift
A Contrarian’s Guide to Volunteer Value (Or an Ode to Volunteer Worth) by American colleague and leading thinker on volunteer value measurement, Sue Carter Kahl
Does Volunteerism Have a Low Value Proposition? which is also by Sue Carter Kahl
I also spoke with Sue for my Advancing The Profession podcast and you can listen to that conversation here.
I hope that’s all helpful Nicky.
Now it’s over to you.
How would you answer Nicky’s question?
Leave a comment with your ideas and don’t forget to ask your own question by emailing Rob now — rob@robjacksonconsulting.com, with the subject line “Ask Rob Anything“.