
I’m in the process of choosing how I want to offer my current allocated time for volunteering. I have a certain amount of my time that I have set aside in my schedule to give back to my community. I do have some minor continual charitable interests but have just stepped down from over ten years volunteering for our own Habitat for Humanity affiliate where I served on several committees and the Board of Directors as chair, vice chair, and past president. So, the obvious question is why do I donate my time to helping others? Primarily, because I feel privileged in my life and others are not so as fortunate. I want to give back in some capacity. As Habitat says, I prefer to provide a hand up not a handout.
Volunteering reflects our values. What we care about, our vision for our community, our notion of justice, and our sense of responsibility for the planet and all those with whom we share it. Volunteering also generates value for organizations, neighbourhoods, businesses, society, and for those volunteering.
How do we begin to demonstrate the complex value of volunteering? It has become common place to use a wage replacement formula, multiplying the number of volunteer hours by an hourly wage and to come up with a dollar value for the volunteer time. Others have tried to calculate the fair market value for the service provided. While talking about the thousands, millions, or billions of dollars worth of time or service given captures peoples’ attention, it still falls short of capturing the full story.
Volunteer Canada
The Board of Directors of Volunteer Canada adopted the following policy statement:
Volunteer Canada recognizes the need to demonstrate a clear measurement of the value of volunteer time and volunteer programs and that in doing so, valuing volunteerism will take many forms. Determining the impact of the contribution of volunteerism is complex and multifaceted and Volunteer Canada believes that any measurement on the value of volunteer involvement must be framed with a social return on investment that integrates both qualitative and quantitative measurements. Both aspects of measurement must be considered equally valid and compelling and each measurement presented in isolation of the other presents an incomplete picture of the true value of the contribution of volunteers.
While it assists charitable organizations to place a dollar value on a volunteer’s time, I thought it would be a little more tangible to discuss how volunteers provide intrinsic value to many parts of society. Here are a few:
Value to organizations
Volunteers provide value to organizations through their leadership and governance, setting strategic direction, raising needed funds, forging alliances, and executing fiscal oversight. Board members can raise the profile of the organization, open doors, and bring pertinent perspectives from members and stakeholders. The value of a board’s role goes well beyond the number of hours spent preparing for and attending meetings. Volunteers also bring cultural competencies to an organization that expands its capacity to serve diverse populations and creates a bridge with new communities. The value of this is well beyond the volunteers’ time. And of course, many volunteers provide direct services that increases the impact of their programs.
Value to neighbourhoods
Neighbourhood associations, both formal and informal, provide a platform for people to shape the places and spaces where they live, work, and play. Areas with high levels of community engagement tend to be safer and more resilient. Whether we look at value through the lens of concepts such as social capital, the value of people forming bonds with one another and bridging to the community at large. Or look from a community asset-mapping perspective, space, resources, peoples’ commitments and talents. Volunteering has high value and it is well beyond the hours neighbours spend cleaning the park, flipping burgers at the BBQ, or taking a shift in the homework club.
Value to businesses
One third of the 12.7 million Canadian volunteers indicate that they received support from their employers through paid time to volunteer, group volunteering activities, and donations made to organizations where they volunteer, to name a few. Employee volunteering programs, in addition to contributing to the community, help businesses recruit top talent, enhance employee engagement, improve workplace morale, and augment their profile and credibility. The value to businesses goes beyond the cost of the hours that employees volunteer.
Value to society
Volunteers lead important public policy campaigns that have had significant impact on our society in areas including impaired driving, end-of-life support, and the use of pesticide in public spaces. The impact of these legislative changes impacts peoples’ health, wellbeing, and saves lives. The value of volunteers goes well beyond the hours they spend meeting with politicians, organizing rallies, and writing to policy makers.
The bottomline
While volunteers give their time to contribute to the community, many report on benefits such as learning new skills, gaining experience, feeling connected to their community, and improved self-esteem. Many volunteers attribute their success in their education and careers to the experience and connections they have made while volunteering.
Studies have shown that volunteering improves brain health and prevents social isolation in older adults. These benefits go beyond the hours volunteers give to communities. It goes towards Keeping Life Current.