Earlier this month the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published two new research studies around volunteering:
Promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in volunteering
Comparing national enabling environments for volunteering
Both are independent research pieces led by Basic Socials in partnership with New Philanthropy Capital.
Locally-led approaches can improve efficiency and outcomes in both the short and longer-term. A bottom-up approach means starting with the individual volunteer’s experience and appreciating that their motivation to volunteer is often specifically tied to their local community. Acknowledging and prioritising both of these factors in decision-making is likely to result in more positive volunteer experiences, improving engagement over time. Using pre-existing local infrastructure in the form of clubs, organisations and networks can also bring efficiency savings, as well as helping to ‘embed’ a scheme in a particular place.
Both publications are well worth reading if you work in the field of volunteering.
