Post on 27-Dec-2015
transcript
Measuring the Value of Your Volunteer Efforts
Nikki RussellVolunteer Initiatives ManagerUnited Way of King County
Goal of Workshop
Explore the real value of volunteers
Discover how to measure results
Provide tools and strategies
The Nonprofit Volunteer Mantra…
“Volunteers are the heart of our organization”
How does your organization articulate the value of your volunteers?
What difference do volunteers make (what changes for your organization as a result of volunteer activity)?
Articulating Value
You are asked to present to your board/funders a review of your
volunteer efforts, accomplishments and impact in
your organization.
What do you tell the funder about the value and results of your volunteer
efforts?
Where’s The Impact?
5,871 volunteers put in 48,729.3 hours this quarter; that's an
average of 8.3 hours per volunteer, valued at $20 hour for a total dollar value of $974,586
Find the Results/Impact
Six RSVP volunteers are calling parents of children who have
been absent from school, unexcused for two or more days. The volunteers spend a combined average of 10 hours a week and called more than 60 families.
Since Implementation Absenteeism at the school has decreased by an average of 30 percent compared to the previous
three years
The Whole Story of Volunteer Value
Why do we engage volunteers?
To what end?
What are the benefits or what changes as the result of their
involvement?
The Whole Story of Volunteer Value
Leverage existing resources
cost effective
Credibility
Luxury of focus
Connection to community
Advocacy
Extend sphere of influence
Outside/inside perspective
Free to experiment
Bring resources and skills
Nine in ten nonprofits report benefits from volunteer involvement
Increase in quality of services or programs
More detailed attention to the people served
Increased Services or levels of service provided
Increased public support for programs
Leverage limited budget/resources
Increased Access to specialized skills
Balancing Act: The Challenges and Benefits of Volunteers, The Urban Institute, 2004
An Added Value…
For giving households, the average contributions were $2,295 from volunteers and $1,009 from non-
volunteers.
What about Cost?
Volunteers are not free
What is the real cost of involving volunteers in your organization?
Betty Stallings, 12 Key Actions of Volunteer Program Champions
Cost Vs. Value Added
Return on Investment
When the value that volunteers bring to the
organization exceed the costs of dealing with
recruitment and support of volunteers
So…How do you articulate the value of your volunteers?
By Evaluating Results
What is the measureable change resulting from our
volunteer engagement efforts?
Evaluation
The systematic collection of
information about the activities,
characteristics and outcomes of programs
How Do You Feel about Evaluation?
You Are Not Alone
National Study
Only 30 % of Nonprofits utilizing volunteers measure the impact
of volunteers annually
Volunteer Management Capacity Study, 2003
Why Don’t We Measure Results?
What gets in the Way?
Who sets the expectation?
The Value of Evaluation
What gets
measured gets done
If you don’t
measure, you
can’t tell success
from failure
If you can’t see
success, you
can’t reward it
If you can’t
reward success, you are probably rewarding failure
If you can see
success, you can
learn from it
If you can recognize
failure, you can correct it
If you can demonstrate results, you can
win public support
Excerpted from “Measuring the Difference Voluteers Make…”
Getting Started
It doesn’t have to be scary
Evaluation Design
Takes Forethought Is part of your planning
process Should be outcomes focused
3 Steps to Effective EvaluationStep 1: Plan for Evaluation
Decide what to evaluate (what outcome sought?)
Decide what information to collect
Step 2: Evaluate: Gather, Analyze Data and turn it into results
Step 3: Report the results
Planning for Evaluation
Start with…
Defining the results you expect from the volunteer,
program or project.
Ask “So What?”
Youth Mentoring Program
What are the goals/objectives/desired results for the activity?
Youth in mentoring program develop a trusting and positive relationship with an adult
Then…
Determine how to measure each result.
What information would tell us that the result is being achieved?
How will we collect it?
Measuring Results:
Define the Outcome Measure:
How many youth have developed a trusting and positive relationship with an adult?
Set a Performance Standard: 80 percent of youth, 70 percent of mentors and 75 percent of parents express satisfaction from mentoring relationship
Identify Information Needed
• Numbers, “quantity”, list of responses given.• How many teens reported a positive
relationship ?
Quantitative Data
• Data collected through open-ended questions: text, pictures, video, audio (anything other than numbers).
• Can you describe how you feel about the relationship with your mentor
Qualitative Data
Evaluation Instrument
Questionnaires or surveys
Documentation review
Interviews
Observation
Focus Groups
Collect Data and Turn Into Results
Determine how to collect your data:
Questionnaires to assess the relationship between mentee and an adult are conducted at three, six and 12 months
Collect, Analyze and Interpret data
Communicating Results
What is the context for the report?
What information is most important to communicate?
What action will be taken in response to the findings.
Report Outcome Results
Who do you report to?
How will you report the results?
Review
Plan! focus on outcomes/resultsDecide what to measureDecide what data to collectKeep it simpleCollect and AnalyzeCelebrate and communicate success
VolunteerInvolvement
Strategy
Mission and Vision
+Strategic Plan
Marketing and Recruitment
Screening and Placement
Orientation and Training
Ongoing Supervision and Management
Evaluation
Volunteer Management Cycle
It’s a Wrap