The Centre for Volunteering Research Report – November 2009

November 2009 | Tony Frew, The Centre for Volunteering

Reimbursement & Valuation of Volunteers

Reimbursement & Valuation of Volunteers research project examined the practices of reimbursement of volunteers in NSW NFP organisations. Additionally Volunteer roles were compared with relevant paid jobs to determine an authoritative and current means of determining the in-kind value of their work. A maximum of ten roles were selected for each segment reviewed with a further ten roles common to the NFP sector also identified. Pay rates utilised are adult permanent staff and adult casual. The pay rates are listed as wage per week (excluding allowances) and an hourly rate for each identified role as an equivalent full-time position (EFT). These rates are specific to NSW, however the Australian Government Workplace Authority was used in some pay calculations.

Supply and Demand of Volunteers in the Not-for-Profit sector in New South Wales

The Supply and Demand of Volunteers in the Not-for-Profit sector in New South Wales research project investigated the supply and demand for volunteers in the NFP sector of NSW. The project combined a literature review, a summary of available Australian statistics, an analysis of trends and interviews with volunteer managers from four major NFP organisations. The study concluded that the issue is not a simple one of supply and demand. Complex issues are involved. Many adjustments are required if sectoral needs and volunteer aspirations are to achieve a better match. Major recommendations include:

Government and the sector should consider development of consistent definitions. The NFP sector should examine and address changing demographics which may impact on their future supply of volunteers. Infrastructure funding should be sought to assist the NFP sector to upgrade the professionalism of its volunteer recruitment and management practices. Infrastructure funding should be sought for promoting and recognising the value of volunteer work. Special attention should be focused on attracting younger volunteers to facilitate intergenerational change. Infrastructure funding should be sought to improve training for potential volunteers, to assist their preparedness for voluntary work, particularly those approaching or in retirement. The Centre for Volunteering should work with the NFP community to identify areas of need and develop further research in this area. The Centre for Volunteering policy unit should debate with the NFP sector and Government the requirement for additional research in this important area.

The above research project reports will be available on The Centres website soon.

Governance of NFP Boards in NSW

The purpose of this study was to develop a baseline understanding of Governance in NSW's NFP sector. This project is closed and the collected data is being analysed. It has revealed that there is considerable information available, not only when it comes to the structural and operational aspects of NFP boards, but also on improving their efficiency and effectiveness. The research surveyed 700 CEO's or Board members with a 20% response rate and sought information relating to aspects of board operation, such as:

• Aspects of good governance, e.g. strategy and direction setting, mission and values, risk management, accountability, legal aspects, performance measurement
• Aspects of the board e.g. recruitment and retention of directors, time and effort required, experience and training, performance of directors
• Relationship of the executive with the board
• Relationships between board members and board members and chair
• Effective controls and communication, e.g. role of the chair, effective reporting, networking

A full report will be available for this research early in 2010.