Data for Good - Waterloo Region’s Post

#TensionTuesday: Often, the volunteer data we collect are for compliance to an external partner. Less frequently do we consider, track, or report volunteer data that matter to those closest to the mission.   The things we report most tell us little about the things that matter most.     For those wanting to broaden their volunteer data from compliance to learning or storytelling, this could be an entry point for expansion. • Where are there opportunities to invite input from those closest to the mission? • What would program participants (or their loved ones) say matters the most about their experiences with volunteers? • What would the volunteers share? What is the experience of the paid staff? • What constitutes a “good” volunteer or volunteer experience? • How might these answers inform your volunteer engagement practices? • How might they shape the story you tell about volunteer contributions?   For those external funders or agencies wanting to support your partners in collecting and sharing meaningful data: • How might you shift your practices to make space for new or different data? • Do you include resources so your partners can track data? • Do you use the current data you collect? If not, do you still need to collect it? • What might you learn about volunteer engagement and the community if you allowed your agency partners to select nd report their own data?   ❔ How do you hold the tension between what you have to collect and what would be meaningful to collect?   #volunteerimpact #socialimpact #nonprofitmanagement #corporatesocialresponsibility

During workshops, I often hear from leaders who want to track and report more diverse volunteer data but are told by supervisors to stick with the industry standard of volunteer numbers and financial value. That's one significant consequence of a 'standard'. It carries an unspoken authority that can inadvertently silence other approaches, particularly when it comes from a respected organization like Independent Sector. Until the standards grow more expansive, we need other resources. The goal of the flyer below is to help start conversations about the benefits AND limitations of volunteer numbers and dollars as well as introduce alternatives. Beyond that, my hope is to encourage agencies to experiment with other forms of volunteer data that tell a fuller story about the results of volunteer time. Ultimately, I’d like to see volunteer numbers and dollars shift from being the sun to being a couple of stars in a bigger constellation. 💡 I’m curious about what has worked for you and what you would like to see. • What challenges have you experienced in trying to communicate volunteer value? • What resources do you need to support these conversations in your teams or regions? • For those who have been successful in reporting multiple data points, what was your approach? Please share your thoughts in the comments (or by sending a message). Let’s support each other on this journey. Thanks to Erin Rebecca Spink, MA (she/her/hers), Audrey Harrell, and Tim Kahl for their feedback on the flyer! #volunteerimpact #socialimpact #corporatesocialresponsibility #nonprofitmanagement

#MondayMusings This week's theme for the Volunteer Impact campaign is measurement. The shift to more meaningful data typically leads to the question: how do I measure that? The short answer is: we don't. Sometimes, the best we can do is witness volunteer impact. That's why I encourage words like "capturing" or "revealing" impact instead of "measuring" it because it allows for data that are not numerical. It expands our notions of impact rather than restricting them to what can be counted. Throughout the week, we'll explore tensions involved in capturing, revealing, or measuring volunteer data; offer a tool to generate ideas for meaningful volunteer data; and share blogs, tools, and other resources to support you along the way. If you're just seeing this for the first time, this content is part of a Volunteer Impact campaign I'm hosting on LinkedIn during April for National Volunteer Month. Follow me or #VolunteerImpact to access the content, which will be posted each weekday. (To follow a hashtag: click on #volunteerimpact, and then click on 'Follow'.) Join in the conversation by sharing your ideas and questions in the comments. #socialimpact #nonprofitmanagement #corporatesocialresponsibility

Gamifying Volunteer Hours: Boosting Impact and Fostering Healthy Competition As organizations strive to make a difference, data analytics can transform volunteer hours into a powerful metric. Here’s how: 1. Track Volunteer Hours: Use data tools to understand patterns and optimize scheduling. 2. Quantitative Metrics: Calculate total hours, average per volunteer, retention rates, and impact. 3. Qualitative Insights: Share heartwarming stories and highlight community impact. 4. Leaderboards and Challenges: Encourage healthy competition. 5. Rewards and Collaboration: Recognize top contributors and promote cross-team initiatives. 6. Feedback Loop: Continuously improve based on volunteer input. Remember, it’s not just about numbers—it’s about purpose and shared achievement. Let’s make volunteering exciting! 🌎🙌

#WritingPromptWednesday Now that we have assessed current volunteer data and generated new indicators, it’s time to think about where to share it. 💡The impact volunteers make on an agency, the people (animals or environment) it serves, the community at large, and even their own lives may seem obvious. However, it can easily get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of daily life. That makes it essential to share volunteer contributions in a variety of ways and to a variety of audiences. Grab your notes from last week about potential new volunteer data points and ways to capture them. ✏ Week 4 prompt: • How and with whom do you currently share volunteer data? • What is one new audience for volunteer data? What would be meaningful for them to learn? • What is one new vehicle you could use to share data (such as a grant application or report, social media, volunteer orientation, staff meeting, agency website, bulletin board, etc.)? • What is one action you will take in the next week to share volunteer impact? • What is one action you will take in the next month to share volunteer impact? Share your ideas in the comments! #volunteerimpact #socialimpact #corporatesocialresponsibility #nonprofitmanagement

The Final 'Fast Five' Ways to Recognize Volunteers: Track & Report the Value Volunteers Contribute You don’t need to publish a Volunteer Program Annual Report to get notice of volunteers' impact on your organization. Still, until you intentionally capture and report the outputs and outcomes achieved due to volunteers' support, it may be hard for an organization to “move from volunteers are nice to have” to “volunteers are necessary to deliver our mission.” Start small with roles that are easier to capture the outputs and outcomes. Consider engaging volunteers to help report metrics. Skill-based volunteer roles can help you track, analyze, and report on the value that volunteers contribute in meaningful ways to different audiences. PRO TIP: Choose a role to focus on each week/month to determine what you need to track, how you might be able to track it, and how you can communicate the impact meaningfully to others. Remember: if this doesn’t play into your strengths, it is a great skills-based volunteer role(s). Take it Beyond the Volunteer Engagement Professionals: Create opportunities to share the Volunteer Value with staff and volunteers. Add volunteer contributions and your organization's investment in volunteer engagement efforts to grant applications and reports Share the volunteer value with marketing and resource development so they can demonstrate how your organization leverages the skills and talents of volunteers to expand your budget. Our Service Enterprise-accredited organizations often see a $3 - $6 return on investment in strategic volunteer engagement. Learn more here! https://ow.ly/3HLT50RlxUQ #gvm #globalvolunteermonth #serviceenterprise #lovols #vmlearn #volmgt

#WritingPromptWednesday Sometimes I work with a team that says they don't have any volunteer data. As we discuss their work more, it turns out they do in fact have volunteer data (sometimes a lot!), but it isn't very useful to them. Perhaps they only track data out of compliance. Or they never stop to consider what insights their data might reveal. 💡 Each Wednesday in April, I'll offer writing prompts or exercises to help you think more critically and intentionally about the volunteer data you track and report (or could). Keep your responses handy so you can build on them each week. ✏ Week 1 prompts: • What volunteer data does your agency (or company) currently collect? (If you have a lot, it can be useful to identify where all those data points live as a starting point.) • Does your agency track the volunteer data for compliance, storytelling/education, and/or decision-making? • Where does your agency report and share these data (annual reports, board or senior leader meetings, website, social media posts, new volunteer orientation, volunteer appreciation, etc.)? For those of you reporting more than volunteer hours and numbers, please share highlights of what you track in the comments. Many leaders are interested in moving beyond these numbers but aren't sure what they might do instead. Hearing from our community can help get the creative juices flowing. #volunteerimpact #socialimpact #corporatesocialresponsibility #nonprofitmanagement

Out of the box Giving Season dashboards are just one more way that Deed makes our partners' data easy to access and use! Especially during busy times of the year like Giving Season and GivingTuesday, impact admins may not have the time to do their own data pulls and analysis. At Deed, we do it all for you! #givingseason #givingtuesday #csr #dataforgood

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#MondayMusings This week's theme for the Volunteer Impact campaign is pricing volunteer time. Scholar Lewis Hyde observes that in fairy tales, when a gift is priced or counted, it loses its magic. Assigning a price to volunteer time can be useful, but it also entails consequences that are worth considering. One consequence is the commodification of community. Pricing and counting volunteerism takes what is relational and interdependent and transforms it into something that is transactional and independent. It reduces acts of community to the same principles of profit and production that guide so much of our day-to-day lives. That reduction is a type of fragmentation of community. We lose something of the whole when we put it into practice, especially when we do so without question. We can mitigate these consequences by taking a critical look at our volunteer valuation strategies. Determine when and where it is appropriate - and when it is not. Share what makes volunteerism vibrant and dynamic, messy and powerful, even (and especially) if it can't be priced. If you're just seeing this for the first time, welcome! This content is part of a Volunteer Impact campaign I'm hosting on LinkedIn during April for National Volunteer Month. Follow me or #VolunteerImpact to access the content, which will be posted each weekday. (To follow a hashtag: click on #volunteerimpact, and then click on 'Follow'.) Join in the conversation by sharing your ideas and questions in the comments. #socialimpact #corporatesocialresponsibility #nonprofitmanagement