Category: Volunteer Management Page 4 of 12

TeamKinetic has over a decade of experience working in the volunteer management sector. In these blogs we offer our insight and hope to shed light on new tips for volunteer managers everywhere.

With a main focus on digital solutions, we’ll take you through best-practice advice for volunteer management and operating in the third sector as a whole.

Engaging Gen Z Volunteers

By Alex Evans

On 8th February 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

This week is National Student Volunteering Week so it only seems fitting to discuss Keeping Gen Z engaged as volunteers. Research by Oxfam reveals that Gen Z is the most generous in donating their time to charity, followed closely by Millennials.

Around 63% of respondents up to the age of 25 said they have volunteered for a charity in some way compared to 55% of Millennial respondents. The British Heart Foundation has also published research that shows that people aged between 16 and 24 are more likely to have volunteered for charities than any other age group.

Gen Z are keener to volunteer than other generations because they are very socially conscious and want to positively impact their communities. Volunteering allows them to contribute to a cause they believe in directly. Due to the decrease in volunteers because of Covid-19, older generations are not returning to volunteering. So how can we continue to recruit Gen Z and keep them engaged in volunteering?

Keeping Gen Z Engaged

Feedback

Gen Z values feedback. In a blog post by Volunteer Strategies, it was suggested that an effective strategy for keeping Gen Z engaged was providing them with frequent ongoing feedback. This eases the pressure of an end-of-year review for the volunteers and keeps them updated on how their performance is throughout the year. Gen Z wants to hear feedback on their performance and impact on the organisation as they want to make sure they are making a difference, they want their volunteer work to have meaning and to see the results of their efforts.

Technology

Utilising technology can keep Gen Z engaged, as Gen Z are tech savvy they prefer using technology for communicating. When informing them about their roles, you can contact them using our system. With TeamKinetic you can use automated emails, SMS texts and system notifications to always keep in close contact with your volunteers.

Social Connections

Gen Z volunteers may be more engaged knowing that they will be making friends from their volunteering efforts. Volunteering provides opportunities to meet new people and form relationships with those who share similar interests and values. It’s less daunting going into doing something you’ve not done before knowing you’ll make friends whilst doing it. Alternatively, you could promote to Gen Z volunteers that they can bring their friends along too, this way they aren’t doing it alone and will feel more comfortable.

Making A Difference

Gen Z are very socially conscious and want to make a positive impact in their communities and know that they are directly making a difference. Volunteering allows them to contribute to a cause they believe in directly. Gen Z wants their volunteer work to have meaning and impact so allow your volunteers to see the results of their efforts. Highlight the impact that their volunteer work will have and how it will help others.

Key Takeaways…

Due to the decrease in volunteers because of Covid-19, older generations are not returning to their volunteer roles. Therefore we need younger generations such as Gen Z to be fully engaged in volunteering to better retain them. By providing feedback, utilising technology and emphasising the impact they are making on the organisation they can become better engaged.

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Retail Volunteer Recruitment

By Alex Evans

On 1st February 2023

In Charity, Hospice, News & Views, Volunteer Management

New data from Charity Finance Magazine’s ‘Charity shop survey for 2022’ reveals that there has been a decrease in charity shop volunteers since the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of volunteers at charity shops in the UK has fallen by 24% since 2019. People who took part in the survey said that they have struggled to operate as usual due to volunteers not returning to their roles once the restrictions lifted. How can retail volunteers be successfully recruited in 2023?

Successful Retail Volunteer Recruitment

An example of successful and efficient volunteer retail recruitment is an idea which came from Dorothy House. Dorothy House provides compassionate care and support for people in our community with life-limiting illnesses. They have 25 high street shops that sell pre-loved items which provide a large part of their income. Dorothy House have shared its success in recruiting volunteers for retail.

After the pandemic, Dorothy House found that many of their volunteers decided not to return or felt they were no longer able to continue volunteering. At the end of 2019, they had 674 volunteers however in 2022 this decreased to just 470 volunteers. Dorothy House started by reorganising its volunteer team in 2022 and engaging with its retail team to see what they felt was needed. They ended up recruiting a deputy shop manager from one of their shops to be their Retail Volunteering Support Officer. As the shop manager already worked in a Dorothy House shop they were able to understand the challenges and how crucial retail volunteers are to ensure their shops are running efficiently.

Their approach was to visit all 25 of their shops to access their needs for volunteer recruitment. They supported them with in-store recruitment such as putting up posters in the local community and identifying potential sources of volunteers. The managers for each shop were worked with closely so they could create their own ongoing plan for recruitment. The outcome of this is that Dorothy House has now achieved a net gain of a hundred extra volunteers since March this year.

Other Strategies To Successfully Recruit Retail Volunteers:

Attending community events and connecting with potential volunteers in person. This can include fairs, festivals, and other gatherings where you can set up a booth or table and talk to people about your volunteer opportunities.
Utilising word-of-mouth marketing. Encourage current volunteers to spread the word about opportunities to their friends and family.
Developing clear and concise job descriptions for volunteer positions, including responsibilities and expectations.
Having a clear and easy application process encourages people that it is a quick and easy process to become retail volunteers.
Offering perks for volunteers such as discounts, special offers, or early access to new products.
Being open to feedback and adjusting the recruitment strategy accordingly.

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Volunteer And Volunteer Manager Expectations

By Alex Evans

On 25th January 2023

In Volunteer Management

Volunteer Expectations – Do They Expect Too Much?

Volunteering is promoted to volunteers to give them purpose, improve their mental health and develop social skills. Volunteers might go into the experience with high expectations and hope that it will change their life forever. However, volunteering may not always be the experience people expect it to be. If volunteers don’t receive the right support from their volunteer managers or the organisation they are volunteering for then they might feel isolated and disappointed with their experience.

Volunteers may have different expectations depending on the organization and the specific role they are volunteering for. These expectations may vary from person to person and from one organisation to another. It’s a good idea to talk with potential volunteers about their expectations before they start volunteering.

Some common expectations Volunteers may have are:

Clear communication and expectations from the organization, including the volunteer’s role, responsibilities, and the organization’s goals.
Flexibility in terms of scheduling and location.
A supportive and positive environment.
Recognition and appreciation for their time and contributions.
Fair treatment and respect.
A sense of belonging and community.
Safety and good working conditions.
Reimbursement of expenses if necessary.

What Do Volunteer Managers Expect From Volunteers?

It’s possible that some volunteer managers may have expectations that are not realistic for volunteers to meet. However, it’s also essential to note that volunteer managers often have a wide range of responsibilities and may need volunteers to take on certain tasks and responsibilities in order for the organization to function effectively. Some common expectations Volunteer Managers expect are listed below.

Positive attitude and willingness to work as part of a team.
Willingness to learn and take on new tasks.
Flexibility and adaptability to changing circumstances.
Willingness to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Compliance with health and safety regulations and procedures.
Good communication skills and ability to work with different people.

It’s important for organisations to have clear and open communication with volunteers about their expectations, roles and responsibilities before they start volunteering. This can help ensure that volunteers understand what they can expect from the organisation and what the organisation expects from them, and can help prevent any misunderstandings or disappointment.

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Re-Engaging Volunteers After a Break

By Alex Evans

On 5th January 2023

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s not uncommon for volunteers to lose their enthusiasm and drive. As a result, it’s important to find ways to re-engage your volunteers and get them excited about volunteering again. So how can you start re-engaging volunteers after a break?

First of all, you should define the problem. Volunteer engagement isn’t always easy, especially if your organisation has had volunteers take breaks from their terms of service. But if you identify exactly what the problem is, it’s easier to come up with solutions tailored to you and your volunteers.

Secondly, you should set goals before you start. If your goal is to have more effective volunteers who stay longer than [x] months at a time, then that should be reflected in all aspects of their experience with your organisation. Starting with their onboarding process, through to training sessions and regular check-ins or evaluations.

Remind them of their impact

One way to reengage your volunteers is to focus on the impact that their work has on the organisation and the community. Remind them of the difference that they are making and the reasons why their contributions are so valuable. You can also highlight any recent successes or achievements that the organisation has made, and how your volunteers played a key role in making those achievements possible.

*Feedback for a volunteer left via TeamKinetic’s volunteer management system.*

Through TeamKinetic, you can reward volunteers through HourTrades, custom reward badges, or simple ‘Thank you’ communications.

Offer exciting new opportunities

Another way to reengage your volunteers is to offer them new and exciting opportunities to get involved. This could include working on a special project or event, taking on a leadership role, or learning a new skill. By providing your volunteers with fresh challenges and experiences, you can help them stay engaged and motivated.

You can also try to make the volunteering experience more enjoyable and rewarding for your volunteers. This could include providing regular recognition and appreciation for their hard work, offering flexible scheduling options, and creating a supportive and inclusive volunteer community. By creating a positive and engaging volunteer culture, you can help your volunteers feel valued and connected to the organisation.

With TeamKinetic, you can utilise our many opportunity creation options to create something that stands out to your volunteers and will help them feel excited about getting back into volunteering with you.

Reach out individually

Finally, consider reaching out to your volunteers individually to check in with them and see how they’re feeling. If you can put together a list of disengaged volunteers, you may want to consider asking them if there’s anything specific you could do in order for them to return. Perhaps they need more support than other volunteers with similar roles, or maybe they just need some time away from volunteering altogether.

This can be a great opportunity to listen to their feedback and address any concerns they may have. You can also offer support and guidance to help them overcome any challenges they may be facing. By showing that you care about your volunteers and their well-being, you can help them feel more engaged and motivated to continue volunteering.

TeamKinetic’s search filters allow you to find those volunteers who seem to be disengaged. Reaching out to them directly can help them feel valued and like their work for you makes a real difference.

In conclusion, re-engaging your volunteers after the holiday season is crucial for the success of your organisation. By focusing on the impact of their work, offering new opportunities, creating a positive volunteer culture, and providing individual support, you can help your volunteers regain their enthusiasm and continue making a difference.

See also: How To Retain And Engage Your Volunteers for tips on how to keep your volunteers engaged all year round!

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Have you enjoyed using TeamKinetic? If you could leave us a review on Capterra, we’d really appreciate it! We’ll even send you a little thank you.

How To Retain And Engage Your Volunteers In 2023

By Alex Evans

On 21st December 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

2023 could be a challenging year to engage and retain volunteers due to the cost of living crisis; people may not have as much time to volunteer as they did previously because now people may replace volunteering with paid work. Ensure you start the year off by providing a high level of support to your volunteers, when volunteers don’t feel supported it can lead them to feel unmotivated and unengaged in the organisation. Below are some ways you can help retain and engage volunteers in 2023.

Recognition And Rewards

Show your volunteers how they make a difference. In the previous blog post, we spoke about how to reward your volunteers at Christmas, but volunteers shouldn’t just be rewarded at Christmas time, they should be rewarded all year round too. Highlight your volunteers’ successes to show them how their hard work has helped your organisation. You could note down the things they have done to help make a difference and then let the volunteer know, this will make them feel seen within the organisation. Volunteers want to feel needed, appreciated, and that they’re making a difference.

Stay Connected

Keep in touch with your volunteers and communicate on a regular basis. Whether this is through emails, phone calls or text messages it would be a good idea to see how people are getting on and if they are enjoying volunteering for the organisation. Also, due to the cost of living crisis and the new year, people may be struggling with their mental health and could be facing money issues, you can support your volunteers by regularly contacting them so you are the first to know if they are feeling unmotivated or burnt out. It’s also important to be in contact with your volunteers so you can let them know if there are any last-minute changes to shifts.

Ensure that how you are communicating with the volunteers is personalised, by acknowledging the volunteers’ names and what they do you are able to connect with them on a much deeper level and they will feel noticed. Listen to what feedback your volunteers have to say, they can give you valuable information and important questions and concerns that you need to address.

Develop A Community

Build a sense of community among your volunteers. This way they can feel connected to each other and become better connected to you which can help with volunteer retention. If the volunteers build friendships and get to know others in the organisation then it will encourage them to stay and continue volunteering for the organisation as they are surrounded by a friendly and welcoming environment.

Online catch-ups with all of your volunteers or in-person social events can help them to feel comfortable around one another and develop relationships. Having fun catch-ups or socials with volunteers can also allow them to feel engaged and supported through their volunteering experience.

Training And Upskilling

Understand the motivations of your volunteers, this way you can help them to accomplish what they want to achieve. You can talk to your volunteers to understand what they would like to learn from their volunteer experience. This can help you provide value to your volunteers which can keep them engaged. Motivations could be people wanting to gain different skills or improve current ones. By training volunteers they can feel supported and volunteers can feel valued. Improving their skills can also benefit the organisation too as fully trained staff can help make an effective difference to the organisation. If volunteers are fully trained they can complete the volunteering to the best standards and feel satisfied with the hard work and the support they have been given.

Key Takeaways

Overall 2023 could be a very challenging year to engage and retain your volunteers, a combination of strategies may work best to keep people volunteering for your organisation. Flexible opportunities may be more suitable as people might not have the time to volunteer as they are picking up extra paid work elsewhere to help them through the current cost of living crisis.

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How To Reward Your Volunteers This Christmas

By Alex Evans

On 14th December 2022

In Christmas, Community, Holidays, Volunteer Management

It’s important to reward your volunteers all year round and not just at Christmas time, but if your volunteers celebrate Christmas, then it would be nice to say thanks for all the help and support they’ve given to your organisation this year. Due to the cost of living crisis, it may be a struggle this year for charities to fork out gifts for all their volunteers however, most of the ideas listed below are affordable.

Personal Cards

Writing a letter or Christmas card that is personalised to each volunteer with a unique message shows that you have recognised the work of each individual volunteer and are thanking them for the difference they have made to the organisation.

An inexpensive way of doing this is sending personalised emails to your volunteers instead this way you can save on printing costs. Ensure you keep track of the types of things each volunteer does throughout the year to keep your organisation going, this shows you have appreciated their hard work and have noticed the small things they do.

Certificates And Awards

Reward your volunteers with certificates to celebrate their hard work, you can be flexible to match the certificate to the volunteer. On the certificate, you can include things like how many hours have been completed by the volunteer this year to show how much they’ve helped the organisation and the difference they’ve made. These certificates could also be sent out via email to save printing costs.

Handing out physical awards could be a more expensive way to reward your volunteers however, you could handmake the awards to make them more affordable for your organisation. An easy alternative instead of buying awards is printing out what you want the award to say and framing it. Award ideas could include “Most Enthusiastic Volunteer”, “Most Motivating Volunteer” or “Volunteer Of The Year” and other similar personality traits that carry your organisation.

A Christmas Party

A Christmas party may be a struggle for most charities and organisations due to the cost of living crisis. Venue hire and catering may be out of budget so a cheap alternative is to have a virtual party over an online call involving a Christmas quiz with small prizes to be won.

Even though this is very lockdown-esque way to celebrate, it’s an affordable and easy alternative that doesn’t involve much planning to get all your volunteers in one place. There are many available Christmas quizzes online or you can have some fun and make up your own!

Homemade Gifts

Homemade baked goods or Christmas ornaments are an inexpensive way to reward your volunteers this Christmas. Who doesn’t like baked goods at this time of year, this is also a cheap option that anyone would be happy with. Some ideas for Christmas baked goods can be found here.

Making your own Christmas tree decorations or ornaments is a sustainable and affordable way to say thanks, this way volunteers can re-use the decoration each year and be reminded of the hard work they have achieved. There are plenty of ideas online for DIY Christmas decorations. Eight cheap and easy decoration ideas can be found here!

Give Volunteers Recognition On Your Blog

If your organisation has a blog, you could write a blog post thanking your volunteers. This means their work can also be recognised outside of the organisation. Similarly, you could create posts for social media with the volunteers’ names and a photo of their efforts. This is a free and easy way for volunteers to feel special and receive acknowledgement for their actions.

Make sure your volunteers feel appreciated and recognised all year round for their hard work – not just at Christmas time.

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How To Support The Wellbeing Of Your Volunteers

By Alex Evans

On 23rd November 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

To support your volunteer’s mental health and wellbeing, it is important to ensure all your volunteers are happy and content and you are doing all you can to sustain their wellbeing and create a supportive environment for the volunteers. Showing the volunteers that their mental health matters to you can also help retain volunteers. Ensuring you have a well-maintained relationship with volunteers means they will feel more comfortable raising any concerns with you.

Ways To Support Your Volunteer’s Wellbeing

Provide your team with information about bettering your mental health and wellbeing and letting them know that support is available. Mind offers some information about this on its website which can be found here.

Strengthen The Relationships With Your Volunteers

Make sure you have strong relationships with your volunteers. Well-maintained relationships can reduce stress and increase happiness, engagement and overall health. According to NCVO research shows that a feeling of belonging is important to people and can help motivate them.

You can strengthen relationships with volunteers by encouraging team-building activities and creating opportunities for people to come together in person and online for example socials or regular informal meet-ups. You can also keep in contact with volunteers by using our new automated emails feature in our 2.2 update which allows you to send automated emails so volunteers will get a message wishing them all the best on their birthdays and thanking them for volunteering. You can read more about what else is included in our 2.2 update here.

Create A Mental Health And Wellbeing Policy

Ensure you have a mental health and wellbeing policy. Having a policy shows what actions you’ll take to support staff and volunteers’ wellbeing. In the policy, you can include things like how you’ll respond to people who disclose a mental health problem. NCVO have suggested St John’s Ambulances policy as an example which you can gain ideas from for your own policy.

Use The Wellness Action Plan (WAP)

Volunteer Now suggests using the Wellness Action Plan (WAP) as a way for Volunteer Managers / Organisations to support the mental health of their volunteers.

WAPs are a personalised tool that can be used to help us identify what keeps us well at work and the support we would like to receive from our manager to boost our wellbeing. You are able to fill in a Wellness Action Plan template on the Mind website.

Connecting With Your Volunteers

Get to know your volunteers, ask them questions and show interest by asking what their hobbies are or what their motivations are for volunteering. This can help build healthy relationships and allow you and the volunteers to be more comfortable around one another and volunteers are able to feel more freely about voicing their concerns.

Have Regular Informal Catch-ups

Have one-to-one informal meetings or check-ups with your volunteers if possible or just regular check-ins via email and make sure to actively listen to your volunteers, and seek out their thoughts, opinions and feedback. NCVO have a one-to-one meeting template that you can use for inspiration.

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Volunteer-Friendly Language

By Alex Evans

On 9th November 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

It is important to use volunteer-friendly language when addressing and discussing volunteers. As volunteers are not paid workers, subtle differences in vocabulary can make people think volunteers are unpaid employees, this would mean they can have the same legal rights as paid employees which isn’t the case as volunteers aren’t included in employment legislation.

Rethinking Your Vocabulary

Karen Knight, a Volunteer Management strategist and mentor, recently posted a blog post discussing the language of volunteering and made some interesting points. In the blog, Karen proposed some problematic words in the volunteer world. These included referring to volunteers as “yours” and also referring to “using” volunteers. Both of these words could be objectifying and imply ownership of the volunteers.

Perhaps using words like “involving” and “engaging” may be more volunteer-friendly words. Karen suggests if you are unsure about if a word is problematic, have others in your organisation give their opinions on it. The more feedback you can get the better.

NCVO and Volunteering England put together a document with volunteer-friendly words. The document gives tips such as don’t borrow vocabulary from employment, human resources or work experience policies without making sure it applies to your volunteer programme and ensure you re-read what you have written from the perspective of your volunteers. Using volunteer-friendly vocabulary can give people a clearer idea of their legal rights or responsibilities.

Examples of volunteer-friendly words and phrases

Ensure you’re using volunteer-friendly language

To ensure you are using volunteer-friendly language, avoid using the word ‘contract’ when discussing the volunteer’s agreements. Referring to the agreement as a volunteer contract can mean the volunteer may be entitled to claim workers’ rights. When providing the volunteers with information about what they will be doing, it would be better to use the term “volunteer role” rather than “job description”. The definition of a job description is a “written description of the exact work and responsibilities of a job”. Volunteers may think that the role is formal employment.

Try using the phrase “informal chat” instead of an interview during the recruitment process. “Informal chat” is a more suitable word than “interview”, which is used when applying for paid work. The phrase “informal chat” can also put the volunteer at ease.

Share these tips with other volunteer managers and people in your organisation so that we can make a change in the world of volunteering.

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Creating A Volunteer Strategy

By Alex Evans

On 2nd November 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

A volunteering strategy sets out what you want to achieve with volunteering and how you want to do it. A strategy articulates what needs to be done to achieve the purpose of an organisation, group, programme, and so on. Creating a strategy is important as it explains how volunteers will contribute to the organisation’s aims. It can also include how it will find, recruit and support volunteers. The strategy helps everyone understand your vision for volunteers and why you’re involving them.

You may think being a busy Volunteer Manager that you may not have the time to write a strategy however a well-thought-out strategy may save you time in the long run and be beneficial to your organisation.

Important Things To Consider When Writing A Strategy

Important things to consider when writing your strategy are speaking to others in your organisation and taking a look at some important resources to help you. Engaging with everyone and having lots of collaboration and feedback is necessary when writing the strategy so use the opinions of others in your organisation. People to include could be paid staff within your organisation or existing volunteers as they may have valuable suggestions.

To ensure your strategy supports your organisation’s aims, you should think about the following questions NCVO have put together as useful advice when writing a strategy.

*Think about these questions when writing your strategy*

After you have created your strategy it is essential to review it. Reviewing your strategy will help you respond to trends and changes in volunteering. You should do this annually with the people you consulted when you initially wrote it to see if it is still up to date with your organisation’s aims and if there are any other suggestions for it.

Useful Resources To Help You Write Your Volunteer Strategy

Volunteer Scotland runs a one-day course on, “Developing a Volunteer Strategy”. This includes learning an understanding of how to put together a strategy, having time to reflect on what is needed and preparatory work. Volunteer Scotland also has a list of suggested useful resources for developing an effective volunteer strategy which can be found here.

NCVO have some useful resources including reports and research about volunteering and the voluntary sector to help you write your strategy. You can also bring in an external consultant to help develop your strategy. To find out how NCVO consultancy can help your organisation you can fill in their short online enquiry form.

There are also some examples of volunteer strategies available which may help guide you, however, strategies must be unique and tailored to the needs and ambitions of the organisation. Royal Parks have a volunteering strategy that may be useful which can be found here and a volunteering strategy agreed by the city’s public agencies and the third sector produced by Edinburgh Compact can be found here.

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The Effect Of The Cost Of Living Crisis On Volunteering – Part 2

By Alex Evans

On 26th October 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

The ‘mini-budget’ was announced by the Chancellor on 23rd September (2022) due to the rapidly escalating cost of living crisis. Sadly the budget meant that there would be little in the way of support for people and communities. A further budget is now expected on 31st October 2022.

On October 17th (2022), the government announced support within its Growth Plan to protect households and businesses from high energy prices. The Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme are supporting millions of households and businesses including charities with rising energy costs, and the new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt plans to continue to do so from now until April next year. However, Jeremy Hunt now says that any support after April will only be targeted to those most vulnerable meaning many households and organisations could be struggling in April 2023.

Due to the crisis, people are having to turn to charities for help, yet charities need the funding to ensure they can continue running. Charities expect their energy bills to rise by anywhere from 200% to 1,700% over the next six months.

How This Could Affect Charities

The scheme may provide immediate relief to charities, but when it hits next April, charities are likely to face problems. The charity, Family Space from Cheltenham, said the government’s energy price cap would not be enough help for the most vulnerable.

For struggling families, it was “a welcome relief, but not a solution”, the charity’s manager Sarah Avery said. Family Space has a new project called #FeedCheltenham, which involves Local Charities, Schools and Churches working in partnership across the food support network to feed people in Cheltenham. Increasing numbers of people are using the service, but fewer are donating.

Due to the significant effect the cost of living crisis will have on communities and government support which will only last until April, the role of charities and volunteers will be more crucial than ever. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Turn2Us have also highlighted how people will be impacted by the lack of further financial help combined with an increasingly severe benefits system.

NCVO suggests charities should plan when budgeting and be aware of the impact of reimbursement delays on volunteers’ finances. NCVO have also stated in their Government policy and funding round-up that ”We’re hearing about volunteers increasingly claiming expenses, alongside concerns some will prefer face-to-face opportunities that provide refreshments and a warm place to go over the winter months”

The Effects on Volunteers

A new report by Volunteer Scotland was released on the 27th of September discussing the impact the cost of living crisis will have on volunteers and volunteering. Increased demand for volunteers is needed for charities that focus on giving support to tackle the financial, health and well-being of the cost of living crisis.

There may also be a reduced number of volunteers as a decrease in disposable income could stop people from volunteering as their free time now needs to be used up by working another job. However, volunteering may be more attractive as people can take the opportunity to ‘get out of the house’ and take their minds off the crisis during this stressful time. The health and well-being of volunteers may be largely impacted as the cost of living crisis could cause financial stress and uncomfortable living environments.

The cost of living makes the reimbursement of volunteers a vital issue. If charities can’t afford to reimburse volunteers then it could have a large impact on the inclusivity and diversity of the voluntary sector as it can mean only those who can afford to be out of pocket can volunteer.

What Extra Support Is There?

NCVO have cost-of-living help and guidance, including support, webinars and training opportunities. They also have a small charity helpdesk if any extra information or advice is needed. On the 30th of November 2022, they will also be hosting a webinar on “How to manage rising energy costs” where they will be sharing ways to help you keep costs down during the energy crisis.

More on the cost of living crisis and extra support can be found here.

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