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Alan Stevenson - The demonstration project
- 1. Campaign for Change Volunteer Scotland – 29th Sept 2015 Alan Stevenson Volunteer Scotland
- 2. THE RATIONALE, METHOD & CONTEXT What is the Demonstration Project?
- 3. The Demonstration Project Research Demonstration Scaling up Impact Understanding how to grow volunteering participation Developing 5 demonstration projects Roll-out Building on success Increased volunteer participation; Increased number, range & profile of volunteer opportunities Autumn 2014 Summer 2015 Spring 2016
- 4. Authoritative research Secondary research • Literature review • Digital research Primary research • Online survey • TSI interviews • Focus groups Concept development • Delphi Group • Online panel For data and analysis see Presi Presentation
- 5. Demonstration Project Approach Stakeholders Online Survey Online Panels Focus Groups Interviews Totals (TSIs)/Volunteer Centres 1 13 14 Volunteer Involving organisations (VIOs) 23 23 Current Volunteers 1081 317 56 1081 Lapsed Volunteers 282 54 282 Never volunteered 44 8 44 Private sector 1 1 Totals 1407 379 81 13 1446
- 6. Participation in volunteering is flat-lining Current Volunteers Lapsed Volunteers Non- volunteers Sources: Scottish Household Survey, 2013; UoS, 2015 Highly engaged (6%) Potential Returners (14%) Update (SHS, 2015) : Current Volunteers 27%
- 7. The need for change • Civic core of 6% (of pop.) provide 66% of volunteering hours • Volunteers are the engine house of the third sector • Over half (55%) of charities are run entirely by volunteers (Volunteer Scotland, 2013) CAPACITY ISSUE RELIANCE Majority of adult population (73%) do not or no longer volunteer formally Organisations rely on volunteers but don’t know how to (or feel unable) to get more of them involved. • Around 70% of charities are either not looking to involve any more volunteers or • Would like to increase volunteers but think this is unlikely
- 8. The Volunteering Opportunity • Volunteering is good for individuals. – Regular volunteers have greater well-being, happier, >life satisfaction, longer lives, +mental health, >self esteem, >confidence, >cognitive functioning, >social well-being, <social isolation etc. Most vulnerable + older benefit most • Volunteering is good for communities. – Volunteering strengthens communities, >social capital, >community capacity and resilience, >community responsibility, >social networks, >community well-being, services run by volunteers are more responsive • Volunteering is good for society. – Volunteering is estimated to contribute £2.6 billion to the Scottish economy Anderson et al, 2014 Boyle et al, 2010 Boyle, 2014 Brown et al 2003 Department of Health, 2011 Doyle, 2013 Egerton and Mullen, 2008 Farrell and Bryant 2009 Fujiwara et al, 2013 Greenfields & Marks, 2004 Hill and Westrip, 2010 Jung et al, 2010 Konrath et al, 2012 Konwerski & Nashman, 2008 Kwok, 2013 Leigh, 2011 Lumbomirsky, 2011 McMunn, 2009 Meirer & Stutzer, 2004 Milburn, 1995 Morrow-Howell et al, 2003 Morrow-Howell et al, 2009 Morrow-Howell, 2010 Musick & Wilson, 2003 Nazroo and Matthews, 2012 Nichols & Forbes, 2014 Obrien et al, 2008 ONS, 2009 Paylor, 2011 Ryan-Collins et al 2009 Schwingel et al 2009 Sevigny et al 2010 Sixsmith & Bonham, 2003 Sloane and Zimmeck, 1993 Thoits and Hewitt, 2001 United Healthcare and Volunteer Match, 2010 Van Willigen, 2000 von Bonsdorff & Rantanen, 2011
- 9. Policy Context The Community Empowerment Bill The Land Reform Bill It’s assumed that individuals can or are willing to do more volunteering in their communitiesThe need for change
- 10. THE VOLUNTEER PERSPECTIVE What the Demonstration Project tells us about…
- 11. The Volunteer perspective • Variances due to gender, age, socio-economic background, urban-rural location, employment status (student, self-employed, unemployed, sick-disabled). • With clear evidence of a lack of diversity in the volunteering population. • Rise in local activism, less professionalised approaches to volunteering (civic society paradigm) and volunteering as serious leisure, live alongside traditional, formal role- based volunteering. • A demand for different types of volunteering (more flexible roles, the rise of virtual volunteering, employer supported volunteering, increased uptake amongst the young and old). Who and Where New modes Different types
- 12. The Volunteer perspective Awareness of volunteering / opportunities A trigger e.g. wom + Perceptions of volunteering + Perceptions on commitment on time Ease around getting started Good ongoing experience of volunteering Some have much more to offer It’s also part of who they are Motivators - Enablers Barriers - Inhibitors Will I (continue to) Volunteer? On Balance… Make a meaningful contribution (Altruistic + Selfish) Job prospects Developing skills Gaining confidence Taking on a challenge A range of experiences Opportunities that “fit” Local to me
- 13. THE INTERVENTION & THE CHALLENGE What the Demonstration Project told us about…
- 14. 10k oppsVolunteer Participation 3.15m lapsed & non-volunteers 1.25m current Occasional volunteering decreasing Regular volunteering steady 137k unique searchers 7k ROIs
- 15. A Theory of Change ASK more people Moreanddifferentpeople areaskedtovolunteer Bettermatchvolunteersneedswith opportunities FIT with people’s lives Makeabiggerdifferencefor volunteers,organisationsandsociety EXPERIENCE that’s rewarding Improve,celebratesuccess,create asupportivecultureforvolunteering SHARE knowledge and values Increase access to volunteering Increase awareness of support available Explain why volunteers should contribute Address stereotypes and misperceptions Increase social connections Marketing: tailored, local and online Address (lack of) diversity in volunteering Base on core design principles Improve online systems Improve the quality of online opportunities Better by design opportunities Make volunteering fit with life, life events Fit with specific motivations and trends Consider growth through specific cohorts Offline matching and the ‘fit’ with online Recognise volunteers Avoid negative experiences Create positive experiences Experiences = continuity and retention Reduce barriers: make it easier to volunteer Focus on supporting volunteers Embed good practice through intervention Change management practices and culture Value volunteers and encourage reciprocity Volunteers to be asked and listened to Build capacity within organisations Better sharing of data and knowledge Sustain local volunteering networks Changing society needs volunteers Volunteering is the destination Theory of Change & Action Statements To increase the effective rate of volunteering in Scotland To provide a wide range of individual, community and societal benefits
- 16. How we can support Organisations
- 17. STAKEHOLDERS QUESTIONS POLICY-MAKERS How can we ask more and different people to volunteer? How can we make volunteering ‘fit’ with people’s lives? How can we create an experience that’s truly rewarding? How can we share our volunteering vision and values? How volunteer centric are we, really? FUNDERS INTERFACES ORGANISATIONS VOLUNTEERS If we agree, we must “give more and different people a great volunteering experience taking into account a very wide set of needs and motivations” then… Whose problem is it?
- 18. • VS has been conducting a conversation with key stakeholders • Scottish Government & Team Scotland • Cosla, Solace, Improvement Service • Local Authorities, NHS, Fire +Rescue Service, HM Prison Inspectorate • Third sector, VIOs /charities • Private Sector – SSE , Balfour Beatty • Organised a very successful Leadership Conference – there is an appetite for change Steps Taken
- 19. • Issues emerging from this work and programme of engagement: • Need for leadership • Need for partnership • Volunteer Scotland wish to build new partnerships & develop alliances • No one organisation can bring about a new approach • We are campaigning for change and we are asking you to join us Call to Action
- 20. Changing the Tide • Can we create a minimum 1% increase in Scotland’s volunteers each year for the next 5 years and change the tide? • That’s 44,000 new volunteers (who hadn’t volunteered in the previous 12 months) every year. • Accept we need to change • We need to work together
- 21. Thank You
Editor's Notes
- Health & Wellbeing Volunteers have better mental and physical health compared to non-volunteers (Brown et al. 2003). Some longitudinal studies found that volunteer engagement leads to positive mental health (Morrow-Howell et al, 2003) while others suggest improved physical health (Thoits and Hewitt, 2001). People who volunteer for more hours and for more than one organisation experience greater well-being (Van Willigen, 2000). In one study, volunteering was linked with lower mortality risk by more than four years and these effects were strongest among those who volunteered regularly (Konrath et al, 2012) These physical and mental wellbeing benefits of volunteering have been shown to be significantly beneficial for older people. A new study published this year by Anderson et al (2014) carried out a meta analysis of 73 peer reviewed studies to examine the health benefit of older volunteers (50 and over) in formal volunteer roles found: Volunteering reduces symptoms of depression, better overall health, fewer functional limitations and is associated with greater longevity. These health benefits tend to peak at 2-3 hours per week More vulnerable people (those experiencing chronic health conditions) may benefit the most from volunteering For volunteers, feeling appreciated or needed appears to strengthen the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial benefits Other studies have also found that well-being benefits from volunteering increase with age. Health benefits of volunteering increase with age and may help individuals maintain independence as they age (Van Willigen, 2000). Volunteering, not paid work or childcare, was also shown to be associated with less development of frailty in later life. Based on a cohort study, Jung et al (2010) found that this result was significant after adjusting for age, disability and cognitive functioning. For older people, volunteering can lead to more positive moods (United Healthcare and Volunteer Match, 2010), as well as less anxiety and fewer feelings of helplessness and hopelessness (Greenfields & Marks, 2004). Compared to non-volunteering retirees, older people who volunteer experienced less depression, better cognitive functioning, higher mental wellbeing and life satisfaction among a number of studies (Morrow-Howell 2010; Schwingel et al 2009; von Bonsdorff and Rantanen 2011; Morrow-Howell et al 2009; McMunn 2009; Nazroo and Matthews 2012) Studies have examined how volunteering impacts on the way people feel and how satisfied they are with their lives. There is strong evidence to suggest that volunteering is good for individuals’ subjective well-being; many studies find that volunteers are more likely to report feeling happy (Musick & Wilson, 2003; Thoits and Hewitt, 2001; Meirer & Stutzer, 2004) and have higher rates of satisfaction. Volunteering is rewarding for the volunteers in terms of higher life satisfaction (Meirer & Stutzer, 2004). The latest study by Fujiwara et al (2013) suggests that frequent formal volunteers have 2% higher life satisfaction than non-volunteers. This figure may be small to some but it is significant as life satisfaction will vary only between 10-15 percent when you take account of all people’s life events and circumstances (Lumbomirsky, 2011 cited in Fujiwara et al. 2013). Those volunteering for intrinsic life goals (to make a difference or help a cause) are more likely to benefit from higher satisfaction than those motivated to volunteer for extrinsic life goals – develop skills for a job. The reasons are not yet clear. But a number of prosocial behavior research studies support the notion that it is the underlying motivation to volunteer which brings about the benefits rather than helping behavior itself (Kwok, 2013; Meirer & Stutzer, 2004). Volunteering can also help shape individuals’ ‘perception of self’. For example, volunteers expressed that through contributing to a good cause, they gained satisfaction and felt good about themselves, and they also saw their participation as providing a sense of purpose and increased feelings of self-esteem and self confidence (Obrien et al, 2008). One study (and the only one that could be sourced) by Meirer and Stutzer (2004) is able to assess the impact of volunteering in a way that provides a causal interpretation. “After the breakdown of East Germany, a large fraction of the infrastructure for volunteering collapsed. In East Germany, where volunteering was widespread, many opportunities were linked with the old structures, e.g. sports clubs were connected with nationally owned companies. Due to the reunion, these structures disappeared and many volunteers were ‘forced’ to stop volunteering.” This presented an ideal opportunity to test the impact of volunteering on life satisfaction as people were forced to stop regardless of any underlying factors. It concluded that there appeared to be a causal relationship that ‘volunteering influences happiness’: those losing the opportunity to volunteer regularly experienced a 2% drop in life satisfaction – a similar effect of being divorced and a third of the effect of being unemployed. Not only does the study support the notion that volunteering influences happiness but also that happy people are more likely to volunteer: “The two causal directions are not mutually contradictory and can be interpreted as an indicator of a self-enforcing process. Volunteering increases happiness, which in turn increases the likelihood of volunteering” (p. 20). There is strong evidence to support the positive impact volunteering has on increasing social capital (Paylor, 2011; Hill and Westrip, 2010; Sixsmith & Bonham, 2003). Through meeting new people and creating and/or reaffirming social contacts, volunteers have a greater sense of belonging and feel better connected to their community – which in turn can help combat depression associated with loneliness (Konwerski and Nashman, 2008). Many studies demonstrate the positive impact volunteering has on reducing social isolation, exclusion and loneliness by increasing social contact, improved networks and (Sevigny et al 2010; Farrell and Bryant 2009; Ryan-Collins et al 2009). Intergenerational contact can be more effective in combating loneliness than contact with peers (Age UK) and volunteering projects are known to improve relations between young and old in communities (Department of Health, 2011). The social capital that informal and formal volunteering brings about may be different. One research study suggested that informal volunteering ‘bonds’ social capital whereas formal volunteering tends to ‘bridge’ social capital (Egerton and Mullen, 2008). Informal volunteering not only helps create and maintain social capital on an individual level but increases community capacity and resilience as people work together, help each other and draw from resources within their local community (Sixsmith & Bonham, 2003). Not only do volunteers have a more positive outlook on their neighbourhood and mix with more diverse social networks, many people volunteer to improve their social well-being – to meet people, make friends, and to ‘improve things’ – rather than for intrinsic goals (e.g. develop skills) (ONS, 2009). Volunteering strengthens communities - the majority of volunteers help out locally (84%) – and these volunteers help create collective capacity and increase community resilience to respond to change (Leigh, 2011; Paylor, 2011). For example: In a recent report, Boyle et al (2010) suggests that the involvement of local volunteers in shaping and delivering public services not only improves services to be more person-centred and responsive to local needs, but also fosters a sense of responsibility and community volunteering where people take control of their own lives and local services, develops social networks and stimulates resources and assets from the local community. This in turn strengthens community resilience, promotes well-being and undermines a culture of dependency on statutory services (Boyle et al, 2010). Volunteers are also critical in delivering local services and thereby improving community well-being. For example: The majority of charities delivering services locally involve volunteers, and 55% of these charities are run entirely by volunteers – that is, they have no paid staff (Doyle, 2013). Volunteering is a fundamental purpose in delivering public services, and what is needed is an increase in volunteering not the voluntary sector to strengthen communities and promote wellbeing (Boyle, 2014). Public services delivered by volunteers add value to community wellbeing in ways that professionals are unable to – for example, through peer-led activities and support in mental health and informal caring systems (Boyle, 2014). Evidence also suggests that people believe what they are told by volunteers more than professionals (Sloane and Zimmeck, 1993; and Milburn, 1995). More and more public services are being transferred towards volunteer delivery and the community benefits as public facilities remain open and are more responsive to local needs (Nichols & Forbes, 2014).
- As a network of volunteer centres we have a limited influence on the rate of volunteering ~10k opportunities > ~1.9k new opportunities/annum >3.2m lapsed and non-volunteers Do we engage 1% of the population? Many are unaware of any volunteering support organisations or the range of opportunities available Online brokerage is increasingly key to engaging and matching volunteers with opportunities Are we failing? Mismatch between what volunteers want and what organisations can offer. In 10 months, our site generated registers of interest from ~1% of (137,000 unique) searchers. Half of those enquiring hear nothing back within 3 weeks
- Do we agree there is a strong rationale for change? A 1% increase in volunteering equates to £26m of economic value for Scotland, each year A happier, healthier, connected population; better meet local needs – deliver on our policies Virtuous cycle (volunteers influence more volunteering, wom is a key trigger) We must change the nature of the intervention 1% increase in volunteering needs a more than ten-fold efficiency gain in our current model Now is the time to look at different initiatives with wider impact Work with our partners on a growth agenda; Nurture new networks and spheres of influence We must move away from our current approach to volunteering Create more sophisticated views of the volunteer; their motivations and needs and the ‘fit’ Value their contribution in the widest sense by listening to and acting on their needs and aspirations Adopt a Volunteer Centric approach