Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers. This time, Dave looks into how you can measure the difference volunteers make to your organisation.
Measuring the impact of involving volunteers can be crucial for understanding the effectiveness of their contributions and ensuring that their efforts align with organisational goals.
Here are ten steps you can take to measure this impact:
- Define objectives and outcomes
Clearly outline what you aim to achieve by involving volunteers. This is far more than the specific tasks they will undertake. Think about goals that they will help accomplish and broader outcomes, such as community engagement or organisational growth.
- Identify outputs: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Determine measurable indicators that reflect the impact of volunteer involvement, for example, metrics like the number of volunteer hours contributed, tasks completed, funds raised, or the level of satisfaction reported by beneficiaries.
- Baseline measurement
Establish baseline measurements, ideally before volunteers start their activities or by taking a snapshot of where you are now. The whole point of impact evaluation is to see the improvements. You need a point of comparison to assess changes or improvements resulting from volunteer involvement.
- Regular reporting and tracking
Implement a system to track volunteer activities and their outcomes regularly. This could involve things like paper records, Excel spreadsheets, and other inexpensive or free tools. Before investing lots of money in databases or volunteer management software, use what you already have. Regular reporting allows you to monitor progress towards goals and identify any challenges or areas for improvement.
- Surveys and feedback
Collect feedback from volunteers, staff, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders to understand their perceptions of the impact of volunteer involvement. Surveys, interviews, or focus groups can provide valuable insights into areas where volunteers are making a difference and areas where improvements are needed.
- Counting numbers (Quantitative Analysis)
Analyse quantitative data collected, such as volunteer hours logged, tasks completed, or funds raised, to measure the tangible impact of volunteer involvement. Compare these metrics against your predefined KPIs to assess performance.
- Telling stories (Qualitative Analysis)
Consider qualitative factors such as the quality of volunteer contributions, the relationships formed with beneficiaries, or the overall impact on organisational culture. Qualitative analysis provides a deeper understanding of the broader effects of volunteer involvement beyond just numbers.
- Evaluate cost: Volunteers aren’t free
Evaluate the costs associated with volunteer involvement, such as recruitment, training, and management, against the benefits achieved. This helps assess the costs of engaging volunteers and can inform resource allocation decisions. Those costs will include the space, equipment, and tools that volunteers use, as well as things like expenses, celebration, and recognition.
- Benchmarking
Compare your organisation's volunteer involvement practices and impact against standards such as The Good Volunteering Standard for Nottingham, Investing in Volunteers, etc. Benchmarking can highlight areas of strength and areas for improvement.
- Continuous improvement
Use the insights gained from measurement and analysis to refine your volunteer programme continuously. Work with us at the NCVS Volunteer Centre to identify best practices, address weaknesses, and adapt strategies to maximise the impact of volunteer involvement over time.
By following these steps, you can develop a comprehensive approach to measuring the impact of involving volunteers and ensure that their contributions align with your organisation's objectives and make a meaningful difference to your community or cause.
Follow-up and take action on assessing volunteer impact by signing up for our new training course, Assessing the Impact of Your Volunteer Programme on Wednesday 12 June 2024, 10am to 12 noon.
For help, support, and resources, contact Dave at davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.
