Tag: volunteer software Page 8 of 19

TeamTalk: Season 2 Episode 3 – Sport England

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On 11th October 2022

In News & Views, Sport, TeamTalk Podcast, Volunteer Management

For TeamTalk Season 2, Episode 3, Kristen Natale from Sport England joins hosts Chris Martin and Imogen Greatbatch.

Welcome back to season 2 of our TeamTalk podcast. This season, we are talking to thought leaders, customers and stakeholders from the world of sports and physical exercise. Join us as we dive deeper into sports volunteering and the volunteer managers who make it happen. 

In this episode, Kristen Natale joins us. Kristen is the Head of Volunteering at Sport England and her passion for volunteering shines through.

Co-host Imo Greatbatch also joins us. Imo is currently the Head of Volunteering at England Netball. She is passionate about volunteering in sports and is offering her knowledge and insight on the topic. 

About Kristen Natale

Kristen has over 10 years of experience in volunteer development, working with partners across various sectors. Although she didn’t plan for a career in volunteer management, she knew she wanted to do something rooted in communities and making lives better for people.

Now she is passionate about the power of volunteering and is the Head of Volunteering at Sport England. Kristen discusses her thoughts on the Vision for Volunteering and how she got to where she is today. 

About Sport England 

Starting out as The Sports Council, it was an independent body under the Department of National Heritage, established by the Royal Charter in 1972. The organisation now invests in sport and physical activity to make it a normal part of life for everyone in England. Two-thirds of their funding comes from lottery players, and everything the organisation spends ties into our vision that everyone in England should be able to participate in sport and activity.

Sport England believe they can be part of a bigger picture of work that helps to address many of society’s biggest challenges. Their Uniting the Movement strategy is a 10-year vision to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity. 

Visit their Website.
Follow on Twitter.
Like on Facebook.

Link to the podcast 

.

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TeamTalk: Season 2, Episode 2 – British Blind Sport

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On 4th October 2022

In News & Views, Sport, TeamTalk Podcast

For TeamTalk Season 2, Episode 2, we are joined by British Blind Sport’s Alaina MacGregor and Philippa Bass. Hosted by Chris Martin and Imogen Greatbatch.

Welcome back to Season 2 of our TeamTalk podcast. This season, we are talking to thought leaders, customers and stakeholders from the world of sport and physical exercise as we dive deeper into volunteering and the volunteer managers who make it happen.

In this episode, we are joined by Alaina MacGregor and Philippa Bass from British Blind Sport. We are also joined again by our co-host Imo Greatbatch. Imo is currently the Head of Volunteering at England Netball, she is passionate about volunteering in sports and is offering her knowledge and insight on the topic. 

About British Blind Sport 

British Blind Sport “prides itself on making a visible difference through sport as we know that taking the first step into participating in a sporting or recreational activity can change lives for the better”. The charity was established in 1975 under the name of BASRAB (British Association of Sports and Recreation Activities of the Blind) and was created to assist blind and partially sighted adults and children to access opportunities in sports. The charity organisation has now assisted over 100,000 visually impaired adults and children to access sport. 

About Our Guests

Alaina MacGregor is the Chief Executive of British Blind Sport. After a successful 16-year career in marketing, Alaina turned to charity work as she felt that she wanted to give back. Alaina became involved in disability sport as a volunteer advisor to British Blind Sport in 2010 but took up the responsibility of Chief Executive Officer in 2011. 

Our other guest is Philippa Bass, Sports Participation Officer. Philippa joined the team in September 2021, having worked in Disability Football for the past 8 years, where she has experience of blind and partially sighted provision. Philippa, is responsible for the coordination and delivery of their active programme, to get more people active and enjoying participation in sports. This includes the ‘Have a Go’ day programme.

Have a go days encourage everyone, no matter their previous experience in sport, to come along, make new friends and discover inclusive activities in their community. The ‘Have a Go’ day programme has introduced hundreds of visually impaired adults and children to new sports. 

As Alaina says, it’s an exciting time for disability sports but we need to get it absolutely right, we’re going to sprinkle magic and we’re going to make this happen. 

Some useful links and resources will be left below for those who want to learn more about what British Blind Sport do. 

 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to other episodes of our podcast:

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Useful links and resources:

British Blind Sport website: https://britishblindsport.org.uk/

British Blind Sport Twitter page: https://twitter.com/BritBlindSport

Email: info@britishblindsport.org.uk

 

 

Could ‘Quiet Quitting’ Have An Impact On Volunteers?

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On 29th September 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

What Is ‘Quiet Quitting’?

Since the pandemic, a current trend for workers at the moment is ‘quiet quitting’. Quiet quitting is essentially workers doing the bare minimum, they are doing just enough in the office to keep up and get the work done but aren’t going above and beyond what they had previously been doing. “Since the pandemic, people’s relationship with work has been studied in many ways, and the literature typically, across the professions, would argue that, yes, people’s way of relating to their work has changed”. So will quiet quitting also have an impact on volunteers? 

The Impact Quiet Quitting Might Have On Volunteers 

The ‘quiet quitting’ trend could have an impact on volunteerism. Volunteers may do just enough to complete their shifts and keep volunteer managers happy to not get dismissed. It is now said “volunteers that were at one time on fire and passionate about your mission, donating hours of their week, and stepping into leadership roles, are now stepping aside and letting the paid staff take back the work”. Typically volunteering involves extra work outside of your shift, helping out before and after and socialising with others. The quiet quitting trend could lead to volunteers not putting in the extra effort or going above and beyond. Instead, volunteers might complete their shifts and leave the rest of the work to others.

This trend could all depend on people’s motivations for volunteering in the first place. If they are volunteering to gain new skills or experience, then they might not put in the extra effort to make new friends or stay after their shift to help out.

Quiet quitting could also stop people from wanting to volunteer all together. People who are regular volunteers but are ‘quiet quitting’ at work may also lack the motivation to complete any volunteer work too. Being exhausted from the volume of work and lack of work-life balance hit many people during the pandemic. If people are remotely working and doing their job but nothing more they may not be bothered to leave the house after a day of remote work to go and volunteer in person.

How To Prevent Your Volunteers From Quiet Quitting 

If you think you might have a quiet quitter volunteer on your team or that it could affect your volunteer team in future then it could be because there isn’t a strong relationship between you and your volunteers. It’s important to create and maintain good relationships with volunteers, this way they will want to go above and beyond and spend extra time helping out as they are surrounded by people they trust and feel appreciated by. A friendly working community can also be built, which allows volunteers to be a part of a comfortable and supportive environment. To build this relationship you could have regular 1-on-1s with your volunteers, this way you can find out their interests and offer them support. 

Due to the cost of living crisis, volunteers may be cautious of having expenses reimbursed quickly so they aren’t out of pocket for an extended period of time. If the reimbursement does take more than a couple of weeks then volunteers may be more reluctant to put as much effort into their shifts or want to stop volunteering all together. However, there are quick solutions that pay off expenses such as vHelp which can enable you to pay off expenses within 24 hours. 

Key Takeaways…

People are becoming exhausted with work and may be feeling burnt out with a lack of motivation due to the pandemic, therefore this has maybe led to people wanting to ‘quiet quit’. This trend has the potential to affect volunteers too but volunteer managers can try their best to avoid this happening to their team. Ensure you are building strong relationships with your volunteers, and show your appreciation for them and the difference they are making to your organisation. 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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TeamKinetic 2022 Conference – The Schedule

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On 22nd September 2022

In Events and Conferences, News & Views

The TeamKinetic 2022 Conference will take place on Tuesday 27th – Wednesday 28th September 2022. The fully-online conference will take a look into volunteering and volunteer management in today’s climate, while also looking ahead to how it could change in the next decade. 

The conference is aimed at anyone involved in the third sector, specifically those who manage volunteers. 

Secure your place at the TeamKinetic 2022 Conference here

Day One

Day One of the conference will focus on TeamKinetic. What does the system offer to volunteer managers today? And how will our system adapt to suit the latest trends in volunteer management?

Agenda

9:30 – 10:00
Welcome: Feel free to join us at any time before our 10am start!

10:00 – 11:20
New to TeamKinetic: We have some exciting new updates coming to both the TeamKinetic web service and the mobile app. Rolf will talk you all through these updates.

11:30 – 12:20
Reporting with TeamKinetic: Steve will take you through the comprehensive set of reporting tools available to you in TK and what the data can help you uncover about your volunteering programme.

13:15 – 14:00
Session Choices

  • Session 1: How to Help Yourself
    Alex will talk you through the different support options available to you as a TeamKinetic user. Both internally and externally.
  • Session 2: Onboarding Providers and Volunteers
    Rolf will discuss best-practice for getting new providers and volunteers started on your TeamKinetic system.
  • Session 3: Super Admin Options and Customising Emails
    Steve will take you through how to use the different Super Admin options effectively, as well as how to customise emails sent from the system.
  • Session 4: Why use Roles? And How to Create Them
    Chris will outline how you can create Roles within your system and how they can be used effectively on your opportunities.

14:10 – 15:00
Are you taking advantage of opportunity restrictions? There are a number of ways to restrict your opportunities in TeamKinetic to ensure you get the right volunteer for the job, but are you using them correctly?

15:00 – 16:00
Networking / General Q&A: We’ll be sticking around for anyone who has any questions or wants a bit of a chat!

Day Two

Day Two of the conference takes a look at the wider world of volunteer management. We’ll dive into case studies and current volunteer management best-practice while also considering the future of volunteer management and how the next decade might shape up. 

Our Day Two sessions are as follows:

  • 10:00 – 11:00 Keynote, Rob Jackson
    Volunteering to 2030: What might the future look like?
  • 11:15 – 12:15 Session Choice (1/2)
    • Simon Dickinson, Digital Gaps / Digital Coproduction
      Volunteer Passports: Providing Verified Volunteers for Digital Services.
    • Dan McManus, Tempo
      Tempo Time Credits: Volunteer Retention and Impact in 2030.
  • 13:10 – 14:10 Session Choice (3/4)
    • Randa Bennett, vHelp
      Money – a dirty word in the volunteering world, how should we handle it in the future?
    • Stephanie Mallender, Sport England
      #iWill and the Vision for Volunteering: A Deeper Look.
  • 14:25 – 15:25 Session Choice (5/6)
    • Scott Jones, 123Internet / General Practice Alliance
      Homepage Design: Why It Is Important.
    • Allan Merrifield, First Advantage
      First Advantage Digital ID DBS with TeamKinetic

Read about our Day Two speakers by clicking here, or pressing page 2 below.

You can find out more about TeamKinetic through our website or social media:

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What Qualities Should You Look For In A Volunteer?

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On 21st September 2022

In Community, News & Views, Volunteer Management

When reviewing a volunteer’s application, it is essential to look for specific qualities so you can ensure they will be a good fit for the role and match the enthusiasm of others within the organisation. The qualities and skills the volunteer has are sometimes more important than the number of volunteers you have on board. If your charity has certain goals and values, volunteers should be chosen to meet these so that these goals can be fulfilled. Here are some essential qualities to look for when recruiting volunteers. 

Passion

Your volunteers should be passionate about what your organisation does and excited about getting involved. Passionate volunteers will be more motivated about doing the work and be better at what they do. If your volunteers are all passionate about making a difference then they will most likely get on well with other volunteers in your charity or organisation as they are like-minded. A shared love for volunteering is a good way to establish and build relationships with others.

Being A Team Player 

Most volunteering is done in a team therefore your volunteers need to be a good fit, get on well with others and be team players as working together is what helps to make a difference. If all volunteers are enthusiastic and positive about the work the organisation does then it’s likely that everyone will get along with each other due to having similar interests. This can also help increase your organisation’s volunteer retention rate as long-lasting friendships can be created meaning people are more likely to stay and volunteer for your organisation. 

Commitment 

Finding long-term committed volunteers can ensure your organisation or charity has ongoing supporters over time that will be devoted to helping make a difference. By recruiting committed volunteers you can increase your organisation’s volunteer retention rate. It is important to check before recruiting a volunteer that they can do the times needed for the shifts and have access to transport. If you recruit committed and reliable volunteers that you trust then you won’t have to worry about volunteers not turning up for their shifts or cancelling last minute. 

Interpersonal skills 

Having excellent social skills is a key quality to look for in a volunteer. As there are many different roles available in a range of environments with new people, so it is crucial to be able to adapt to these situations. If a volunteer has strong soft skills they can maintain better relationships with others and build trust. Interpersonal skills can also mean that the volunteer is a good leader. Leaders can communicate effectively with others in the team which is crucial for a volunteering role. 

Key Takeaways…

When recruiting volunteers for your organisation it’s important to look for these qualities so you are sure they will complete the volunteering tasks to the best standards. Ensure you recruit people who have knowledge about the organisation’s impact and are motivated to help make a difference.

 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Virtual VS In-person Volunteering

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On 14th September 2022

In Volunteer Management

Virtual VS in-person volunteering, which is best suited to you?

Virtual volunteering enables people to be able to complete volunteer tasks remotely via the internet.  There are many benefits of both, but it can depend on your lifestyle and what you want to gain from the experience. Some may think that in-person volunteering is the only way you can see the impact you’re making, but virtual volunteering allows for this too. While some people are better suited to face-to-face volunteering, others may find virtual volunteering is the best way for them to get involved.

Pros of Virtual Volunteering

Virtual volunteering, also known as online volunteering or cyber-service, has grown due to the pandemic as many volunteering couldn’t be completed face-to-face because of restrictions. There are now more opportunities for online volunteering than there were previously.
A recent benefit of virtual volunteering is saving commute costs, due to the cost of living crisis many organisations are struggling to reimburse volunteers for transport costs, resulting in volunteers potentially having to cover the costs themselves. Volunteering remotely, however, means that you don’t have to worry about any commute costs. 

Virtual volunteering is also time efficient, so it is a great option for people who don’t have the spare time to travel and commit to a timetable. This way people can be more flexible and help out when it’s most suited to them from the comfort of their own homes. People can also have access to a wider range of opportunities that are anywhere in the world and volunteer for organisations they might not have access to work for in person due to where they live or lack of access to transport. 

Most importantly virtual volunteering is accessible to anyone, so people with disabilities who may be discluded from volunteering in person can also make a difference.  All you need is a device and an internet connection and you are able to volunteer anywhere, as the UN website states, online volunteering is ‘by nature, inclusive. Anyone, anywhere, can help.’

Examples of virtual volunteering roles include translating and editing documents, over-the-phone and online volunteer counselling, completing admin tasks such as organising donations, sending out emails and many more. There’s now a large range of virtual volunteering opportunities as organisations had to adapt during the pandemic. 

Pros of in-person volunteering 

Some people may feel more comfortable volunteering online however you may gain more from volunteering face-to-face. In-person volunteering allows you to meet new people and build better relationships.

With in-person volunteering, you are able to develop social skills which you might not gain from virtual volunteering. However, due to the roles available with online volunteering, you may be able to gain more useful skills which can help with a career change in a different field of work. 

A big benefit of volunteering face-to-face is the immediate effect it has on the people you are helping, people who volunteer online may feel as though their work isn’t having an impact as they are not seeing the immediate reaction of the people they are helping straight away in-person. 

Key takeaways…

Completing virtual or in-person volunteering is a personal preference and it all depends on what you want to gain from the experience. You may be volunteering to gain new skills and meet new people or achieve a rewarding feeling of seeing your own impact help others.

Virtual volunteering can be a great solution if you are interested in volunteering but can’t attend regular in-person volunteering shifts because you don’t have time or don’t have access to transport. However, it may be easier to meet new people and build better relationships if you are volunteering in person. 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Encouraging Diversity And Inclusion In Volunteering

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On 31st August 2022

In News & Views, Volunteer Management

Diversity refers to the qualities that differentiate people as individuals. Within your organisation or charity, it is crucial to recruit a varied range of volunteers so they can bring different skills and values to the team.  Inclusivity embraces all people regardless of their race, age, gender, disabilities, or experience. Inclusivity is all about giving equal access and opportunities.

Diversity and inclusion for volunteer organizations are not just about the volunteers, but also the types of volunteering opportunities available. When creating opportunities, ensure that they offer a range of long-term or short-term commitments to the role. 

How your non-profit and volunteer organisation can become diverse and inclusive

It is important to be aware of barriers which could be preventing people from participating in volunteering opportunities. Barriers could include physical barriers such as opportunities not being accessible to wheelchair users or shifts that involve people needing to drive. Technology barriers could also put off people who aren’t as comfortable using technology, such as taking card machine payments in a charity shop or a shift that involves using a computer. 

Also, offering a range of volunteering opportunities that are short-term and long-term means your opportunities can be inclusive for people who only have time to volunteer for a short period of time.

To create a diverse and inclusive environment, the entire organisation needs to work towards this goal so a welcoming community can be formed. Make sure your volunteer managers and paid employees come from different backgrounds with different experiences and training is completed with examples of diversity so that the staff can become more culturally aware. 

Why is it important for your volunteer organisation to be diverse and inclusive? 

Introducing diversity into your organisation can increase your volunteer pool. By promoting diversity and inclusion within your volunteer organisation, people with different backgrounds and experiences can bring new skills and outlooks to your team.

Having a diverse volunteer team can produce a better image for the public to see. Diversity promotes inclusion and understanding and this is one of the goals for non-profits and volunteer-involving organisations

What are the benefits of being diverse and inclusive? 

  • Enhanced awareness within the organisation as a whole.
  • Being a diverse organisation can create increased social participation.
  • Produces a positive public image.
  • A broader range of skills and knowledge can be brought to the team.
  • Diverse teams make better business decisions 87% of the time.
  • Innovative ideas can be produced.
  • If volunteers in an inclusive organisation feel comfortable in the organisation then they will want to stay, therefore by becoming more inclusive and diverse you can create better retention.

Key takeaways…

Many benefits come with practising diversity and inclusivity in your organisation. A better public image can be created for your organisation and new ideas can be brought to your team. To ensure your organisation is welcoming to a variety of people, get rid of any physical barriers which could discourage people from wanting to volunteer. 

 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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Ethical and Sustainable Volunteering

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On 24th August 2022

In Community, News & Views, Volunteer Management

What is ethical and sustainable volunteering?

Sustainable volunteering is making a difference with long-lasting change without leaving a destructive footprint behind. Doing good by volunteering doesn’t always mean that you are having a positive impact on the environment around you. For example, many charities with shops could be working with suppliers who have not followed sustainable practices.

People who want to be ethical and sustainable when volunteering believe it is important to contribute to long-lasting change. You may think you are doing the right thing by volunteering but if your efforts and contributions are not making a long-term difference then it might not be worth volunteering for that specific organisation. It is crucial to do research into the charity or organisation as there are many that leave a community in worse conditions than they were when the organisation initially approached them.

The benefits of sustainable and ethical volunteering include becoming more aware of environmental issues and learning how to tackle them. By completing sustainable volunteer work, you are not only doing good for the environment but also doing good by helping others.

What makes a volunteer manager ethical? 

It is essential when wanting your volunteer work to be ethical and sustainable that your volunteer manager is also ethical when creating opportunities. Some ways a volunteer manager can achieve this is by: 

  • Ensuring criminal record checks have been completed for each volunteer. 
  • Making sure volunteers don’t replace paid employees.
  • Actively seek feedback from volunteers to be able to improve and maintain healthy relationships with them.
  • Giving up the time to train volunteers if necessary for the opportunity they are involved in, this also shows that the volunteers are valued.
  • Offer flexibility, so that if a volunteer wants to take time off they are able to. 

Sustainable and ethical volunteering opportunities 

There are so many charities and organisations with volunteering opportunities available in the UK that it can be hard to tell which organisations are influencing change and not leaving behind destructive footprints. Charities and organisations that work towards having a lasting impact on communities and the environment are just as important as having a primary goal of helping others.

There are many options for sustainable and ethical volunteering opportunities. An effective sustainable volunteering opportunity would be to get involved by helping out in your local charity shop. Research has shown the second-hand economy is more than just a means of achieving environmental sustainability. There are many accessible options for volunteering in local charity stores as they are in most UK towns. 

Other sustainable volunteering ideas are collecting and recycling rubbish or any other items that may pollute the environment. There are many litter-picking charities such as Cleanup UK and Keep Britain Tidy that have groups all over the UK with many available litter-picking volunteering opportunities.

Key takeaways…

If you are adapting to a sustainable lifestyle then it’s a good idea to also take part in volunteering that is sustainable and ethical too. You may think all volunteering must be ethical but that’s not always the case, many organisations leave behind a destructive footprint in communities they’re supposed to be helping. To confirm they are also ethical, ensure the volunteer manager is ethical in their actions and completes all the necessary measures before approving a volunteer.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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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.

Disciplining A Volunteer And Dealing With Poor Behaviour

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On 17th August 2022

In Volunteer Management

Discipling a volunteer is never an easy task. As volunteers aren’t paid employees, some volunteer managers may feel as though they don’t have a right to discipline or even dismiss them. However, volunteer managers can’t put up with problematic behaviour just because they may feel guilty for having to discipline them. Keeping a volunteer on board with poor behaviour also might do more harm than good for your organisation and other volunteers around them.

Before deciding if you should dismiss a volunteer it is essential to step back and find the main cause of the problem. The volunteer may not understand their job role or are going through something in their personal life which could be affecting their behaviour. Getting another person’s perspective on the situation may also help you make a decision. 

How to deal with problematic behaviour

The problem could be that the volunteer simply lacks a strong work ethic or lacks skills for the role so it can’t be completed correctly or they aren’t the right fit for volunteering for a particular organisation.

Once the reason for the behaviour is pinpointed then it’s important that the conversation had with the volunteer is face to face and not done over email. The conversation can be warning them about their behaviour and simply giving them a chance to improve or to dismiss the volunteer if they have extremely poor behaviour and it is affecting other volunteers within the organisation.

It needs to be upfront and direct and you should ensure you are not tip-toeing around the subject just because you may feel bad. Including some affirmations in the conversation may help you feel better when dismissing the volunteer.

For example, thanking them for their positivity for volunteering but letting them know their behaviour isn’t acceptable. A follow-up conversation is also a good idea to have after you have either dismissed the volunteer or given them a warning. 

As a volunteer manager, you should always document your volunteer’s behaviour, this way you can note down any behaviour traits before and after the conversation to see if the volunteer’s behaviour has changed and improved.

How to avoid this in future

Be careful not to treat volunteers the same as you’d treat employees. Employees are getting paid to give up their time and have access to a lot of employment rights which volunteers don’t have access to.

Due to organisations not being obliged to have a formal agreement with their volunteers, it is still important to create one for your organisation so volunteers are aware of how to act and it can help establish expectations.

Ensure you have a policy that states how you treat disciplinary action with volunteers and your expectations for volunteers’ behaviour. Having a policy also shows your volunteers that they are important to you.

Key takeaways…

Communicating with your volunteers is crucial to ensure you have a comfortable relationship with them. This way if they start to show signs of bad behaviour, it can be discussed easily and put to a stop. 

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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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 The Cost Of Living Crisis Will Affect Volunteering

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On 10th August 2022

In Community, Local Authority, News & Views, Volunteer Management

The ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in disposable incomes that the UK has experienced since late 2021. Due to this, the rising cost of living is already starting to have a big impact on volunteering and will continue to do so. The crisis makes the reimbursement of expenses for volunteers a more demanding issue. As fuel prices are rising, in some places as much as £2 a litre, volunteers who don’t normally claim expenses are now starting to.

Research completed by vHelp on volunteer expenses shows that 88% of respondents from volunteer leadership roles and organisations were aware of volunteers choosing not to claim expenses. However, this figure of volunteers claiming expenses is expected to increase. The rising cost of fuel prices could also affect charities and organisations that now have to reimburse a larger amount than before which could leave them struggling. 

Expenses

8% of charities still don’t reimburse volunteer expenses. This could put off people from wanting to volunteer for these organisations due to higher travel expenses and the volunteers refusing to pay for these costs themselves. This is why it is extremely important to reimburse volunteers’ expenses otherwise it can lead to a loss of volunteers for your organisation.

Organisations with a complicated expense claiming process, where reimbursement takes a long time can also put volunteers off. 44% of respondents from vHelps research show that ensuring volunteers get paid was a concern of theirs.

Here at TeamKinetic, we provide a quick way for volunteers to claim expenses on our system so they get paid back straight away. We also have a masterclass session for TeamKinetic customers on the ‘Expenses Module’ which will be taking place on the 4th of October so make sure you sign up now to secure a place.

The effect the cost of living will have on charities

The increase in expenses may also be worrying to charities. But volunteers bring much more value to your organisation than the cost of expenses. According to vHelp, the increase in fuel price mostly impacts volunteers who support charities in rural areas due to the only mode of transport to get there for their shifts is by car, which can cost more for the charity to reimburse compared to a bus ticket or no cost for travel at all.

Not only will charities and organisations be affected by the cost of living crisis due to struggling to afford to reimburse volunteers, but charities will also be affected by the decrease in donations by the public. The cost of living crisis means that people’s disposable income will be greatly affected so they might not have the funds to donate as much to charities as they did previously.

According to an article by The Guardian, a fifth of UK households now have an average shortfall of £60 a week between what they earn and what they need to cover essentials. This leaves people with the lowest amount of extra money in 5 years. The expected value of £20 that people usually donate will also be expected to fall to £17.20 by 2026. ‘Chance Changing Lives’ charity that relies on ‘In Kind Directs’ consumer product donation services said they “may have to have a cut-off point very soon as donations have slowed down to such an extent that there may soon not be enough to go round”.

Charities need to start planning now to tackle the cost of living crisis which could massively affect their organisation and their volunteers. Support from funders and the government may be needed in order to help the charity sector during this crisis. 

More support on how charities should adapt to the cost of living crisis can be found here.

You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to our podcast:

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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.

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