Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 8

Why should I
use the toolkit?
This toolkit can help you
demonstrate the difference Internally Externally
that volunteering is making. identify what works well and how you can raise the profile of your organisation
It can enable you to: improve your volunteering programme demonstrate to other organisations and the
inspire and motivate volunteers and community what volunteers are achieving
staff by showing them the difference provide evidence to funders on the
volunteering makes difference volunteers make
use feedback from those who benefit provide evidence to attract new funding
from your activities to improve the into your organisation
services you provide showcase the social and personal benefits
better understand how volunteering of volunteering to attract new volunteers
makes a difference to your organisation share information with other organisations
provide evidence that can be used to get inyour field about what works so that they
more support and funding for volunteering canimprove their work as well
within your organisation provide information for local agencies and
policy makers on the role and importance
of volunteering, to help to influence policy
and legislation.
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 9

Stockport CVS Volunteer A diverse group of local organisations

was selected by approaching two large
Centre used the Volunteering

Planning the
voluntary organisations, two statutory
Impact Assessment Toolkit to bodies and two community groups.
demonstrate the difference Once these were on-board, the
opportunity was opened to other
that volunteering makes to

assessment
organisations.
the Borough of Stockport. A written agreement was drawn
up stating the aims of the assessment,
An impact assessment was carried confirming that the work would
out across eight contrasting be carried out by the Volunteer
organisations that involved Centre with minimal demands
volunteers. The work was led by on the participants and promising
a staff member at the Volunteer each organisation a confidential
Toolkit in practice 1 Centre, who identified clear goals individual report.
for the assessment, which were to:
A written plan was also put together
reveal the scope of volunteering that clearly identified different stages
across the Borough of Stockport of the assessment. The scope of the
demonstrate the quality and variety assessment was comprehensive in
of the contribution that volunteers that it included all the stakeholders
make to local life identified in the toolkit: volunteers,
discover how well local organisations the beneficiaries, the host organisations
were supporting their volunteers. and the community.
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 10

How does the

toolkit work?
The toolkit takes the simple Thinking about what This toolkit will take you through these In this toolkit, your work includes
tasks related to your impact, with a activities and outputs, and the
approach of: making a difference means particular focus on how you measure difference you make includes outcomes
thinking about what The most important thing about the difference volunteers are making. and impact. The example on the right
gives definitions of all of these terms
making a difference means volunteering is that it makes a difference. Many terms are used to describe the
and illustrates what they mean in the
Often, this is broadly referred to as the work that volunteers do and the
identifying to whom impact of your volunteering programme. difference they make. The Code of Good context of a volunteering programme.
volunteering makes a difference Focusing on and demonstrating this Impact Practice1 highlights that the most
identifying how volunteering impact is about more than measuring important distinction is between the
and evaluating, although this is important. work you do and the difference it makes:
makes a difference it is easy to focus on your day-to-day
It is also about planning and keeping in
providing a set of tools to mind the difference you want to make, work, when it is the impact you are
assess the difference that finding out whether you are making that having, and how you can have more,
difference, communicating your success that is more important.
volunteering makes. and learning from areas that havent
gone so well.

Reference:
1 NCVO (2013) The
Code of Good Impact
Practice. London:
NCVO.
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 11

Example:
Home-visiting volunteers
(providing practical and emotional support to families)

The resources The things you do The products or The intermediary The broad or
needed to operate with your resources services that the changes, benefits long-term effects
your programme programme or and other effects of the programme
Volunteer induction
or project project delivers that result from or project
and training
the programme
V  olunteer time Home visits Number of volunteer Reduced isolation
or project
S taff time and salary training sessions of families
Advertising and N  umber of Increase in social Improved life
recruitment families visited contact for parents chances of children
materials Increased access Greater awareness
Induction and to local services of volunteering
training materials for families
Volunteer expenses Increased
confidence and
self-esteem of
volunteers

INPUTS/
ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES IMPACTS
RESOURCES
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 12

Identifying to whom The users/beneficiaries those Identifying how volunteering Social capital more cooperative
who benefit directly from volunteering relationships between people, for
volunteering makes will depend on your organisation. makes a difference example new friendships developed
a difference This might include direct service Volunteering can make a difference between volunteers.
users and other beneficiaries such to these groups in different ways. There Cultural capital a sense of ones
The toolkit identifies four key groups to as families or, in the case of own identity and understanding of
whom volunteering could make a difference. environmental or conservation is no single way of categorising them
but this toolkit is organised around one others identity, for example, feelings
Volunteers the toolkit helps gather volunteering, the environment. approach: making distinctions between of belonging to a group, engaging
data from volunteers on the difference The wider community the toolkit four different types of capital. Capital in leisure activities and an increased
volunteering makes to them personally, can help to gather the views of local is used here to mean a stock of understanding of other peoples
including the development of residents and key individuals in the local something that is useful and can points of view.
confidence and transferable skills. community, such as councillors or those be created or built up over time. Toolkit users will find the matrix on
Your organisation the views of working with local community groups. page 13 helpful for identifying and
staff and trustees can provide useful Human capital peoples knowledge, prioritising the impacts they want to
information on the difference skills and health. This could include focus on. All the methods within this
volunteering makes to your understanding of an issue, an ability toolkit have been designed to reflect
organisation, including the connection to do new things, increased confidence these four different types of capital.
you have with the community and the and reduced stress levels.
economic value of volunteers. Economic capital benefits or
costs with a financial value, for example,
income that volunteers may get in the
future because of their experience or
cost savings to the community.
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 13

Human capital Economic capital Social capital Cultural capital

Peoples knowledge, Benefits or costs with More cooperative relationships A sense of ones own identity and
skills and health a financial value between people understanding of others identity

Volunteers Increased personal development, Increased access to training N  ew friendships, contacts B etter understanding
such as growth in confidence for which they would otherwise and networks of ones own identity
and self-esteem have to pay Greater involvement in Increased expression of ones
Increased transferable skills, Increased employment prospects local activities own values through cultural
such as IT, public speaking and future earning power E nhanced sense of trust in others and leisure activities
and teamwork Increased costs and greater frequency of working G  reater appreciation of
Improved health and wellbeing (non-repayment of expenses) with others to solve problems others cultures and interests

Organisations Increased personal development Increase in financial value/ More volunteers and staff Services are more reflective
and skills of staff increased costs to the organisation attracted to the organisation of cultural diversity
Enhanced work of paid staff/ of involving volunteers Greater connection with the within community
hindered work of paid staff Greater income for the community Greater diversity
Increased level of skills in organisation Enhanced reputation of organisation
the organisation Job creation/decrease in paid jobs of organisation

Beneficiaries Increased personal development Increased access to services New friendships, contacts G  reater sense of belonging
(confidence, self-esteem) that they would otherwise have and networks to a group and taking part in
Increased skills to buy Enhanced trust of others culture and expressing values
Improved physical and Increased employability and organisations Increased understanding of
mental health Improved financial situation for Greater involvement in local others cultures and values
Greater sense of wellbeing beneficiaries through services and activities, groups or clubs Increased opportunities to
among beneficiaries signposting provided practise or express faith

Community Peoples personal development Enhanced value for money Increased social networks Richer cultural life
Improved skills and more in public services Enhanced trust and participation Greater expression of
productive workforce Increased employment More organisations working individual identities and
Greater health and wellbeing Reduced anti-social behaviour together tolerance of others
of citizens
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 14

Tools to assess the difference The supplementary questionnaires The tools therefore include further The supplementary questionnaire asks
include a wide range of potential questions focused on peoples further questions around each of the key
that volunteering makes questions; you will need to exclude the experiences of volunteering and indicators (personal development, skills
The downloadable resource pack ones that are less useful. You may want to satisfaction with the services and general health).
(see page 7 for more information) add different questions to reflect your provided by volunteers. Using the traffic light system
contains a series of downloadable organisations work and needs. At the end of each questionnaire, there
and adaptable tools to help you assess The structure of the core questionnaires
The tools include questions on the are also about you questions that ask allows a scoring system using traffic
the difference that volunteering makes outcomes and impact of volunteering; respondents for some personal details
to the different groups: volunteers, lights, which can signal areas requiring
these are structured around the four including their age and ethnic group. The improvement or further research.
your organisation, users/beneficiaries types of capital. However, to develop core questionnaires include core about
and the wider community. a full picture of how the work of your you questions, while the supplementary The lead questions relating to each
These include: volunteer programme makes that questionnaires include additional personal of the four types of capital all have
difference, you also need to report questions, for example about religion. All their answers scaled AF to allow
core questionnaires for a basic on the outputs (the products or services of these questionnaires are designed for straightforward scoring. If the answers
assessment that the programme or project delivers). you to pick and choose the questions to a question are:
supplementary questionnaires As well as counting what is delivered, you want to use. If you plan to use your
for a more detailed assessment mostly A and B, award it a green
an important part of this is capturing impact assessment alongside the other light (very good/a strong effect)
topic guides for interviews and peoples experiences of your records you keep for registering or
focus groups mostly C and F, award it an amber
programme or service. For volunteers, monitoring volunteers, you should ensure light (quite good/a moderate effect)
volunteer diary template this might be measuring levels of the categories you use are the same.
volunteer investment and value mostly D and E, award it a red light
satisfaction with their training and Using the questionnaires (poor/little or no effect).
audit tool. support. For your beneficiaries, you
These tools can be tailored to make may want to assess how satisfied they The core questionnaires ask a lead For further guidance on using the traffic
them as useful as possible for you. are with the services provided by question for each type of capital, with light scoring system see page 41.
Some of the indicators and questions volunteers. People who have a positive three corresponding elements (a, b and
may not be relevant to your organisation experience of a service are more likely c). The following diagrams set this out.
these can be left out. to access it again, increasing uptake of The following example shows the
outputs and, therefore, increasing questions asked on human capital for
outcomes and impact. the core volunteer questionnaire.
 Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit 15

Volunteers Indicator Indicator Indicator

Example: Human capital Confidence a) Skills b) Health and

wellbeing c)
Core volunteer questionnaire Economic capital Training value a) Employability b) Costs c)
(human capital questions) Social capital Networks a) Trust b) Participation c)

Listed below are some of the ways that people gain personally Cultural capital Group/ethnic Religious faith b) Cultural life c)
identity a)
from being a volunteer. Have any of the following increased
or decreased for you? Please tick the box that applies to you. Organisation Indicator Indicator Indicator
Human capital Staff development Diversity b) Organisational
a) development c)
Economic capital Volunteer value a) Income raised b) Job creation c)
Social capital Staff retention a) Volunteer Reputation c)
retention b)
Cultural capital Diversity a) Appropriate Organisational
services b) culture c)
Beneficiaries/ Indicator Indicator Indicator
users
Human capital Personal Skills b) Health and
development a) wellbeing c)
Economic capital Services value a) Employability b) Financial stability c)
A B C D E F Social capital Networks a) Trust b) Participation c)
Increased Stayed Decreased Not Cultural capital Group/ethnic Understanding Cultural life c)
greatly Increased the same Decreased greatly relevant identity a) others b)
a My personal development Community Indicator Indicator Indicator
(eg confidence, self-esteem,
self-management) Human capital Personal Skills b) Health and
development of wellbeing c)
b My skills community a)
(eg from teamwork through Economic capital Services value a) Employment/ Financial savings c)
to computer skills) wealth b)

c My general health Social capital Networks a) Trust b) Participation c)

and wellbeing Cultural capital Group/ethnic Religious faith b) Cultural life c)
identity a)