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Blog - The Real Value of Volunteers

January 8, 2010

So what IS the value of volunteering? There has been a lot of talk lately about the value of volunteerism, the need to express its value and whether or not we should place an economic value on it. There are perhaps valid reasons why we should do this, but I’m going to argue that we absolutely should not.

Let’s look at a recent survey on volunteering. When asked why they volunteered, respondents gave the following top 3 answers:

1. A belief in the cause supported by the organization. (96%)
2. A desire to use their skills and experiences. (81%)
3. Personally affected by the cause the organization supports. (69%)

Look at the bolded words. These are value-based statements. They are personal attitudes, and they speak to one’s own priorities in life. If we look at the dictionary definition of value, we see it also talks about what it means to the individual: “Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; utility or merit.”

Let’s look at it from the perspective of the organization. Organizations might ask themselves the following question: “If we had all the money in the world, would we still have volunteers?” According to Susan Ellis in From the Top Down, it had better be yes. She lists a number of reasons why and how volunteers bring enormous value to organizations, none of which have to do with money. They are objective, they’re more free to criticize, it makes a difference to the recipient, and they add credibility. These are just a few of the reasons.

So why not attach an economic value? First, there’s no consensus on the definition of the word “volunteer”. Is pro-bono work volunteering? If you got a stipend for volunteering, is it volunteering? If you shoveled a neighbour’s sidewalk, did you volunteer?

Another argument is that we don’t know what number to use. And who determines what that number is?

Finally, we risk devaluing the work that a volunteer does. If we tell a physician who volunteered her time for a vaccination clinic in the inner-city, do we offend her if we tell her that her time was worth $15 an hour? Is that work any more or less valuable than the volunteer who brings Meals on Wheels on Christmas Day?

So let me take a crack at the real value of volunteering. I think the value of volunteering lies in the loss that is experienced once it is removed.

German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, has a quote that parallels this. “We place no particular value upon the possession of a virtue until we detect its complete absence in our adversary.” Or how about Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

In the end, the most compelling reason why we should not assign an economic value is a cliché, and we all know that clichés are to some extent at least based on actuality – because it’s priceless.

Australian volunteerism guru, Andy Fryar, captures my thoughts on the subject very concisely. In a 2005 blog talking about tsunami relief efforts he said this: “The truth is that many volunteers work on a daily basis with individuals experiencing the worst day of their lives.”

Put an economic value on that? How dare we?

Posted by: Scott | In: IVC

What others are saying

  • Thanks, Scott, for bringing this issue forward on your blog. It is an issue garnering lots of attention and is one which Volunteer Canada believes is critical for the future health and long term perceptions of what volunteering means to our society.

    To be clear…I don’t think there’s any resistance to “measuring” volunteering. In the current environment, it’s essential that we are able to articulate impact – the difference made by volunteer involvement. The return on investment, perhaps.

    We live in a world that is largely measured by economic success so a tendency is economic measures is obvious and rather simple, and often very compelling. “Look at what it would cost us if we had to hire people to do all the stuff volunteers do!!” Definitely a wow-factor there when measuring volunteering, but unfortunately, that perspective misses out on “measuring” most of what volunteering is all about – giving back, free will – and almost all of what is gained by volunteering; that being things like social capital, human capital.

    And because of that, measuring volunteering has to be done within a framework of social values which encompasses, but is not limited to, economic assessment. Showing a return on investment is critical, but it needs to be a social return on investment, and that is the challenge ahead. We know what to measure, but we haven’t figured out how to measure it, at least not in a way that is as persuasive or influential as the economic one.
    Volunteer Canada hopes to keep this issue and the debate alive with a discussion paper and survey in the weeks to follow. Your readers are encouraged to provide their thoughts and viewpoints. We are all stewards of volunteerism and as such its essential that we safeguard how it is valued.

    from Ruth MacKenzie on January 11, 2010

  • Hi Scott. Well put. I was just having this diccussion with our new VE Coordinaotr. Personally I think contributing to your community on your own free will whether it be formally via an organization or informally like shovelling your neighbour’s walk is all of value. Not because of the dollar value but because it is the right thing to do.

    Nancy McCalder – The Support Network

    from Nancy McCalder on January 12, 2010

  • Many of the previous points are valid and correct. I would however like to broaden the discussion to include that putting a dollar value on the social contribution of volunteers is a useful strategic tool for the voluntary sector and the individual Manger of Volunteers. Accounting is just another tool to tell the volunteer story, and to a particular audience in specific circumstances. After all, we know that volunteering is not free, and never has been.
    Let me be very clear that I am NOT suggesting that one volunteer (activity) is more valuable than the other. Each activity is valuable as it contributes to the mission of the organization. Rather, I am suggesting that looking at the contribution of volunteers through a financial lens can contribute to the broader understanding of the significant and relevant contribution made by volunteers to the organization and the community at large.
    We are way past the days when good deeds done by “good” people described volunteering and knowing this was enough. It is an essential component of a just society and one which today is increasingly more complex and demanding. The engagement of volunteers requires a variety of resources, the least of which is financial. Therefore, presenting a financial case makes sense when volunteer programs are in danger of closing, underfunded and undervalued in their own organizations. It is a tool that can be used to advocate for the required resources for a sustained and stable Volunteer Program to upper management and potential funders.
    A concrete example is that of Volunteer Toronto member agency Manger of Volunteers who had to justify the budget lines for volunteer recognition, food and transportation in a projected deficit agency budget. Having tracked the number of and hours contributed by the special event volunteers, a cost benefit analysis could be presented. Long story short, the hundreds of volunteers who made a million dollar event possible, would “cost” the agency $8,000.00 which is a sound investment by any standards. The added value of this kind of analysis is that the leadership (staff and Board) cannot deny the concrete contribution of volunteers to the agency’s bottom line, and it is this bottom line that often threatens the existence of a Volunteer Program.
    Putting an economic value on the contribution of volunteers is simply a reframing of a value statement. It is part of the bigger story of community needs supported by the contributions of countless volunteers. Someone much more articulate and smarter than me said, “Facts don’t have the power to change someone’s story. Your goal is to introduce a new story that will let your facts in.” (A Goodman)
    Deborah Gardner, Executive Director Volunteer Toronto

    from Deborah Gardner on January 14, 2010

  • Scott I agree with you completely – we cannot measure volunteerism in economic terms. However, I do understand Ruth’s inference that “economic measurement” is simple and what our society mostly understands, but it misses the fundamental reality of volunteering which is to give back freely and willingly. For me volunteering is never about “what is in it for me”. Volunteering is doing something however small and insignificant it may seem to enhance the quality of life of others, without expecting or wanting anything in return except the satisfaction of seeing you have made a difference. For this reason, I really have to enjoy and be committed to whatever I do as a volunteer. The moment I cease to enjoy that particular activity, it is time to move on to something else. Therefore I agree that we have to measure the value of volunteerism, but we have to find a suitable way to measure it and the economic impact must as Ruth says “measuring volunteering has to be done within a framework of social values which encompasses, but is not limited to, economic assessment.”

    from Anna Attademo on January 15, 2010

  • Love this conversation! There are so many factors to take into account when considering the true value of volunteering. Here’s another take on volunteering that interests me as our health care system bulges at the seams.

    “As we each take ownership of this issue to the best of our capabilities, we can help to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to be as completely healthy as possible. We can do this by, for instance, taking part in our democratic processes, getting actively involved in our communities, promoting healthy choices and reaching out to individuals and groups in need of support. Volunteering, interestingly, in addition to the good work we may do, is associated with better health for the volunteer as well. Why? Health is more than merely the absence of disease or the presence of physical well-being. It is about having those basic, solid foundations for life and society in place, and ensuring we have community, connections, friendship, control over our lives and influence over our own destinies.”
    David Butler-Jones
    The Chief Public Health Officer’s Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2008

    How do we come up with a realistic value (in economic terms) of a healthy society as a result of volunteerism?

    from Don Lapierre on January 15, 2010

  • Well stated, Scott. I agree with you wholeheartedly. In fact, I believe that we undermine volunteerism when we place a dollar value on it. And yes, I understand the numerical thinkers out there and their need to see and understand economic value. However, it should not be proposed that this is the main frame of how we VALUE volunteers and their efforts. Volunteerism is beyond that; it is intrinsic, it is intangible; it is values put into action.

    from Susan de Seguin on February 11, 2010

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