Beyond Volunteer Hours: Revealing Volunteer Impact

How do you tell the story of your organization’s volunteers making a difference? Offero and VQ Volunteer Strategies teamed up to make a guide that shares ways to go beyond counting numbers of volunteers and hours, to transformative ways to track impact. "Revealing Volunteer Impact In Your City: The Playbook" will help you audit your current measurement practices, learn new ways to track impact, and develop a plan for success.

Why Volunteer Impact Matters

Sharing the positive difference volunteers make is more important than ever. Recognizing their impact isn't just a formality; it's a powerful tool for strengthening communities and attracting more volunteers to join the cause. Communicating the impact of volunteers is a vital strategy to:

· Effectively steward city resources: When citizens contribute their time and skills to a community, it's crucial to ensure that these resources are utilized effectively. By measuring and communicating the impact of volunteers, city officials can allocate resources more efficiently, directing them to areas where volunteers make the most difference. This not only maximizes the return on investment but also makes sure volunteers' efforts align with the community's needs and goals.

· Recruit and celebrate volunteers: Recognizing and celebrating the contributions of volunteers is a powerful way to inspire more people to get involved. Volunteers often seek opportunities where they feel valued and see the tangible difference they make. By sharing stories of impact, you can attract new volunteers who want to be apart of something meaningful and feel a sense of pride in their work.

· Provide meaningful ways for residents to shape their communities: Volunteering empowers residents to take an active role in shaping their communities. When people understand the real impact of their contributions, they are more likely to stay engaged and become long term advocates for your organization. Effective communication of volunteer impact encourages community members to be active participants in shaping their neighborhoods.

What's In the Playbook?

The playbook includes easy to use resources to support your journey. You'll find strategies, case studies that highlight successful volunteer impact stories, practical tools and templates for data collection and reporting, and a curated list of recommended resources for further reading and learning.. Download this guide to go beyond counting hours alone and transform the way you measure and communicate volunteer impact.

Sneak Peak

Coming soon! The final installment in our series of guides, designed to offer specific, actionable steps for improving citywide volunteer engagement strategies, is on its way. Discover more about this upcoming guide, including why it's important to map your journey, how to create a roadmap, a success story from Flint, Michigan, and a step-by-step guide to use these strategies.