Getting Ready to Account for Volunteer Value

1. Getting Ready to Account for Volunteer Value OISE Certificate Course B.J. Richmond Faculty of Education, York University Bjrichmond@edu.yorku.ca February 9, 2004

2. Agenda: February 9, 2004

3. PRESENTATION

4. Presentation: Outline Getting Ready To Account for Volunteer Value • Levels of Reporting • Steps • Tips

5. Levels of Reporting: What Fits • Levels of accounting for volunteer value • To funders (Jane/Finch) • Other stakeholders (CBCF Ontario) • Social Statement (EVAS – What Counts) • In financial statements (CCI)

6. Levels of Reporting

7. Data Required on Volunteers • Contact Information • Task Descriptions • Hours • Non-reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses • Benefits, Skills retained by volunteers

8. Sources of Data • Financial statements • Quantitative data • E.g. How many volunteers, how many hours • Sources: tracking, surveys • Qualitative data • E.g. Skills, benefits retained by volunteers • Sources: interviews, open-ended questions on surveys, focus groups • Market comparisons

9. Data Needed for Reporting

10. Steps: Assess Hours, Role • Collect tracking information: • Hours by task, total including Board and Committees – What Counts, page 169 • Examine role, contribution for a better idea of what value to put on tasks: • Determine weight of contribution in org. • FTE for vols; for staff; ratio • In light of organization’s outputs

11. Steps: Value volunteer tasks • Assign comparative market values for volunteer tasks • By task if they diverge significantly – either in the range of tasks or in their weight in contributing to the organization • Include Board and Committees • Or use general social services figure – • See What Counts page 171

12. Steps: Value volunteer expenses • Assign values for volunteers’ non-reimbursed expenses • Use surveys, focus groups to determine • See What Counts page 173

13. Steps: Value volunteer skills, benefits • Assign values for skills development, other benefits • Use surveys, focus groups to determine • Skills could include: fundraising, technical, office, interpersonal skills • Assess negative experiences • See What Counts pages 174, 175

14. Steps: Verify Use survey, focus groups to verify information • Volunteer hours, tasks • Non-reimbursed expenses • Skills development, personal development, any benefits • This information can be helpful for volunteer management

15. Tips

16. Recap: EVAS - Calculations Required • Value of volunteer hours • Non-reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses – if available • Dollar value of volunteer skill development – if available In class 5, Laurie will show you how it the information is put together in an Expanded Value Added Statement (EVAS) …

17. Resources: Volunteer Management 1. Community foundations of Canada: Developing Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector • http://www.hrvs-rhsbc.ca/index_e.cfm

18. Resources … 2. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy Nonprofitscan: Resources: Volunteer management •  http://nonprofitscan.andornot.com/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll

19. Resources 3. Ontario Community support association: Capacity Builders: Volunteer management •  http://www.capacitybuilders.ca/volunteer_management.htm 4. United Way for Uway members

20. DISCUSSION

21. Discussion Questions 1. Any questions about the presentations? 2. Discussion Questions: • What are the pros and cons of attributing a value to volunteer contributions for the sector as a whole? • For your organization? • Do you anticipate opposition from any stakeholders, and if so, how will you deal with it?

22. GROUP EXERCISE

23. Group Exercise: 3 Steps – General Instructions • Your group has ½ hour to do the exercise, so time is tight • You will need some paper, a pen, and one calculator to do this exercise • You will need to prepare a short (5 minute maximum) report back to the class – so allot time accordingly

24. General Instructions: Note • Some group members may not have sufficient information to add their organization’s data into the totals* • That is anticipated and totally acceptable • All group members will be able to participate, assist with the calculations, etc.

25. Group Discussion: Step 1 – Practice Calculating • Total the volunteer hours for all the all the organizations in your group with data* • Calculate the full-time equivalent for this using 1,920 hours per year for FTE • Assign a value of $36.72/hour for volunteer contributions of Board members (HRDC: 2004: hourly, social service mgrs, York Region) • Assign a value of $ 14.53 per hour for other volunteer hours (NAICS: 2002: Ontario: social assistance)

26. Group Discussion: Step 2 – Assess role of volunteers • Briefly discuss outputs of organizations and using one or two examples from the group, the role of volunteers in producing the organization’s outputs • If possible, briefly profile the chief output or main mandate for each organization included in the Step 1 totals*

27. Group Discussion: Step 3 – Prepare Report Back to Class • # groups represented in totals* • Total group volunteer hours, value • # of volunteers, volunteer FTEs compared with staff (i.e. what is their weight in the organization) • If time, brief profile of outputs of orgs* (i.e. what do volunteers contribute to)

28. Groups Report Back • 5 minutes maximum for each group • A volunteer to total number groups, volunteer hours, volunteer value for all groups included in the reports • Finale: Volunteer produces the totals for the class. • Applaud yourselves.

29. AND FINALLY …

30. Things to think about • How ready is your organization to report on volunteer value – what more would be needed? • What human and material resources can you identify to assist your org? • What else can we address in a class like this to assist you?