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The Value of Volunteers

8/31/2012

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In the non-profit world it seems that there is overlap in job duties because each dollar has to be stretched to keep the agency on its feet.  When I was Executive Director of a small non-profit I did everything from program implementation to fundraising to board management, and everything in between.  Having volunteers provide their expertise in various areas was not only helpful, but necessary to keep the agency moving forward.

The most common use of volunteers in a non-profit agency is as board members.  These individuals usually serve on boards because they are committed to the cause, and at times they may provide an in-kind service to the agency such as accounting, marketing, or legal advice.

Other volunteers might be engaged to assist with program implementation.  They might work with clients of the non-profit, provide education or share a skill or talent.  Still others might provide administrative support such as answering phones, filing, or data entry

When developing a grant proposal budget, you can include volunteer time as an in-kind match.  The value of volunteering for your agency can be calculated based on the estimated hours times a rate that is determined by each state.  For example, in California the current hourly rate is nearly $25/hour. 

Describing how volunteers support your agency in a grant application can be compelling.  It demonstrates that there is community support for your cause, and that your agency is willing to take the time to engage volunteers in their programming.

According to the Corporation for National and Community service, about 63.4 million Americans gave 8.1 billion hours of volunteer service in 2010, valued at $173 billion.  Consider what enormous impact and value volunteers can have on your agency.  

For more information, check out these links:

www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.

http://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time

http://www.volunteermatch.org/


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    Marti Hess
    Aly Evans
    Pat Fitzmorris
    The MAPs Team is a group of professionals who have years of grant development experience.

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