Young North Carolina women volunteering at a Water = Hope event (Flickr Photo: Brande Jackson)
This summer, we're putting the finishing touches on NCGives' expanded Philanthropy of Community Pathways program, which will help North Carolina organizations and communities identify, measure, and grow all the forms of giving that are locally available to them -- including time and talent.
In the meantime, here are two additional perspectives on the giving of time and talent, and how our communities need to take these contributions seriously:
Volunteers Save Local YMCA
A YMCA in New York was on the verge of folding, when local community members stepped in to advocate for its continued existence. Ultimately, the Y was adopted by a local senior center, and the community is currently putting together plans for a revitalized institution. Read the Story
In fact, the author of the above article was so taken by this story that she's researching other examples of volunteers being used in "new and different ways." If you have an interesting perspective on how your organization's interactions with volunteers have changed over the past five years (particularly with the relatively young and old), please contact Nonprofit Quarterly author Ruth McCambridge, via email.
(Thanks to the NC Center for Nonprofits for sharing this opportunity.)
Tracking Volunteer Time to Boost Your Bottom Line (From Blue Avocado)
Tracking volunteer time: sounds like another chore? Actually it can help you meet match requirements, improve your financial statement presentations, and reduce liability. In this article, CPA Dennis Walsh of North Carolina explains why and how to include volunteer time in your budgets and financials:
An all-volunteer suicide hotline was having a hard time raising funds. Its total budget was $45,000, which paid for a small office, telephone lines, and advertising. It asked for operating support, overhead and other funds in its fundraising proposals. Unfortunately, many foundations and donors are allergic to those terms.
But when the hotline added up the time its volunteers spent answering phones, attending trainings and teaching others, it was able to show that it used 7,200 volunteer hours each year. Based on local wages for similar services, this came to over $140,000 in financial support!
As an accountant, I know that by portraying their group as a $185,000 nonprofit, the hotline leaders showed the scope of what the organization contributes to the community and the tremendous support it gets. In this context, needing only $45,000 to deliver this many hours of lifesaving support is a real bargain...
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