Research on Volunteering

| Share |

Long-time, Dependable Journal of Extension Free to All

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 18:36

.

We are generally primed to get excited by things that are new. But it's important to remember that traditional materials can remain useful, even vibrant. One great example is the Journal of Extension (JOE), the official refereed journal of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System (which includes 4-H, Master Gardeners, nutrition advisors and other volunteer-centered programs). As of June 1994, JOE has been published exclusively on the World Wide Web at www.joe.org. And the full contents are accessible to any site visitor at no charge.

Volunteering by Migrants: One Step toward Social Inclusion

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 21:55

Increased migration – by choice or by force – throughout Europe has created economic and social concerns in many countries.  Last year, through the impetus of the European Year of Volunteering, Portuguese academic Henrique Pinto invited a range of scholars and practitioners to write articles about the connection of volunteering and migration for a special theme issue of Migrações Journal, “Migrantes e Voluntariado.”  It was published in December 2011 with half the chapters in Portuguese and half in English.

September 25, 2011: International News From the Field

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 09/25/2011 - 00:00

This week you can participate in a research project surveying leaders of volunteers about the scarcity of men in our field. Gwen Stein has been a volunteer manager for over 15 years in a variety of nonprofit and governmental agencies as well as President of Directors of Volunteers in Agencies (DOVIA) of the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado. She is also presently a graduate student in Organizational Communications at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). Here is her message to you, with links to the survey questions – one for men and one for women (the survey is open to colleagues anywhere in the world).

Our job is challenging and rewarding – so why are there so few men choosing a career path in this field? This topic has intrigued me as well as the professors for whom I am conducting this research.

I would like to invite you to participate in a research study I am conducting at UCCS that I hope will gather insightful information in response to this puzzling question – and

April 3, 2011: International News From the Field

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 04/03/2011 - 00:00

3 April: The Global Corporate Volunteer Council (GCVC) established its GCVC Global Corporate Volunteer Research Project to create new knowledge that will "help global companies extend and strengthen their employee volunteer programs; and help companies and their nonprofit partners strengthen employee volunteering worldwide."

The research project draws on the experience, perspective and insights of leaders in corporate volunteering worldwide. There are two components – the Global Companies Study and the State of Health Study - and results were reported at the IAVE World Volunteer Conference in Singapore in January 2011.

Available now is the 19-page Executive Report, titled "The State of Health of Corporate Volunteering," which can be downloaded for free in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. It highlights the major learning of the studies to "disseminate them quickly and efficiently to a broad audience.

March 27, 2011: International News From the Field

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 16:58

27 March:The Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies (CCSS) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have announced the release of a new manual to help statistical agencies around the world track the amount, type, and value of volunteer work in their respective countries.

The Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work (68 pages, PDF) – available free of charge – is a unique, internationally sanctioned guide to generating reliable, official data on volunteer work using a common definition and approach. Previous research by CCSS has found that even conservative estimates of the value of volunteering is roughly double the value of donations of cash and other contributions by individuals, foundations, and corporations. Their press release on the release of the Manual is titled “Counting the Volunteers the World Counts On.”

Supported in part by the United Nations Volunteers, the manual includes a definition of volunteer work as well as a cost-effective means of

February 27, 2011: International News From the Field

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 21:07

27 February: The Directory of Social Change, which has provided essential information and training to the voluntary sector in the UK since 1974, conducts a variety of monthly “Quick Surveys” on many nonprofit subjects. Their February 2011 question was:

Which would most benefit your organisation, a £10,000 cash donation or an equivalent value in volunteers (or volunteer hours)?

They received 1,004 responses, including 604 written comments – with 91% choosing the cash.  See their February 2011 Quick Survey Analysis for a summary of the main themes. Very interesting reading! For example:

Many people commented that they had plenty of volunteers – even too many to properly make use of – and they needed resources to train, manage and accommodate them properly.

This often required cash, which is in short supply...The 9% who opted for the volunteers had some excellent comments we all can quote.

February 20, 2011: International News From the Field

Submitted by Susan J Ellis
on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 21:00

20 February: The Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) has released its 2011 survey report, “The Status of Minnesota’s Volunteer Programs in a Shifting Environment.” As Minnesota is gradually coming out of the recession, MAVA conducted a follow-up study to its 2009 report on the status of volunteerism and volunteer programs during challenging economic times. In late 2010, 350 leaders of volunteers and nonprofit managers across the state responded to a survey. Six themes emerged in the findings:

  1. Volunteers have a real impact in tough times.
    • 30% reported volunteers helped preserve organizational services.
    • 54% reported increased reliance on volunteers compared to two years ago.
  2. Volunteering plays an important role for the unemployed.
    • 66% of those organizations experiencing increased inquires about volunteering indicated the increase was primarily driven by unemployed people.
    • Job seekers are reportedly gaining references, skills, contacts and other benefits through

Copyright © 2012   Energize, Inc., 5450 Wissahickon Ave., Philadelphia PA 19144, 215-438-8342, Fax: 215-438-0434