Volunteering action plan

Funding for success

Volunteers give their time freely - this is priceless. However, to unlock the aspirations of Volunteering for All, we must ensure that volunteering is appropriately funded. 'The Road to Recovery' report describes funding as a significant issue, deepened by both the financial uncertainty and the additional demands placed on volunteering due to COVID-19.^5] The speed of the funding response during this crisis also highlights what could be possible.

Currently, it's very difficult to measure the true financial value of funding applied to volunteering and the 'macro-level' impacts this generates. Volunteering is largely 'invisible' as a discrete funding opportunity; it's often viewed as a 'side-benefit' of a larger project instead of having strategic value in and of itself.

With limited visibility it's challenging for organisations to safeguard their volunteering investment or demand additional funding to unlock its full potential. We must make the impact of volunteering visible and valuable. This includes measuring the impact of volunteering on our organisations and communities, as well as on volunteers. This is still an alien practice for many with around half of large organisations and less than 10% of small organisations incorporating this activity.^[6]

Volunteering needs a longer-term 'investment' perspective, including funding the development of volunteer managers through Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) and funding the 'volunteering infrastructure' that enables and builds the capacity of Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) at a local and national level.^[7] Longer-term funding settlements must now be the default to promote sustainable volunteer engagement.

While volunteers should receive no financial reward for their time, out of pocket expenses should be covered; no one should be prevented from volunteering through financial hardship. Furthermore, volunteers and organisations will require additional resources to ensure 'truly' equitable access to volunteering opportunities in response to rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.

To tackle these issues and 'fund for success' we need action. We must involve 'funders' as co-creators within solutions, through a consortium or similar structure. We must look to increase 'visibility' through tighter standards in relation to volunteering within third sector funding and increase sector engagement around impact measurement.

Finally, we must be bold in our ambition for new ways of working, funded through 'experimental' actions with long-term impact.

Funding Actions

7. Volunteering Funding Consortium to fund 'complex' issues such as inclusive volunteering, and fund 'capacity building'; to agree objectives; to agree standards; reduce bureaucracy; and improve guidance.

8. Proof of concept 'experimental' funds - the opposite of large scale projects these are small scale 'tests of change' where learning is prioritised. Actions address more complex issues and where impact is less certain.

9. Funding Standards that focus on societal impact, employ standardised templates, make explicit the funds for volunteering, create agreed outcomes for volunteering impact and make 'impact measurement' a condition of grant.