Towards communicating the value of volunteers: lessons from the field

Abstract

Well-managed volunteers are assets that charities insist they cannot do without. Nevertheless, few charities publish the value of their volunteers' efforts in annual reports. Charities' current practices in communicating volunteers' value reflect the regulatory environment, but not their increasing professionalization. Valuing volunteers can assist charities in services planning and to build their reputation in their communities. However, charities' managers must also accept that judgement is required in negotiating the sensitive nature of defining volunteers' value.

Keywords:

• Charities' annual reports
• charity
• communicating value
• valuing volunteers

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the co-operation and interest in this research by the participants and those who provided feedback on this project at the International Association for Volunteer Effort World Volunteer Conference (Singapore, 2011), the European University for Voluntary Service (Basel, 2011), and Volunteer Wellington members.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carolyn J. Cordery

Carolyn Cordery is a senior lecturer in the School of Accounting and Commercial Law, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Sarah B. Proctor-Thomson

Sarah Proctor-Thomson is a lecturer in the School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Karen A. Smith

Karen Smith is a senior lecturer in the School of Management, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.