Presentation from Holyrood's "Next Steps for Improving Volunteer Management: Recruitment & Retention" conference on 28th August 2018

1. Thinking differently about volunteering
David McNeill
Digital Director, SCVO
@david_mcneill

2. Hello! I’m a volunteer

3. 3 in 10 adults provide unpaid help at least once per year
75% of volunteers give up to 10 hours per month
1.2 million people contributing the equivalent of £2 billion to the
economy
Role for both formal and informal volunteering
Volunteers are amazing

4. Volunteers are amazing

5. Number of people volunteering is static
Average volunteer hours in significant decline
Youth volunteering is high, working age participation is low
Under representation of men, urban dwellers, those on lower incomes
& other forms of disadvantage
Mismatch of supply and demand
The problem

7. What charity service will most people in this room
use weekly, or perhaps daily?
It’s mostly run by volunteers.
It disrupted a 250 year old industry and made a
Microsoft product irrelevant.

10. The internet is disrupting traditional business models…

11. It’s not the strongest of
the species that
survive, nor the most
intelligent, but the one
most responsive to
change
- Charles Darwin

12. The failure to adapt…

13. People now support each other in different
ways…

14. Thinking differently about what volunteering is:
the modern world is built on volunteer effort

15. Thinking differently about what volunteering is…
E-befriending & mentoring
Using unused assets Connecting people
Micro-volunteering
Remote / skills based
volunteering

16. A note of caution…

17. Third sector haven’t maximized the potential of
technology?
Why did Uber change the world of car
sharing?
Why aren’t there community
transport solutions?
The sector is slow to engage with the
‘sharing economy’

18. Employer supported volunteering
Tech giant with employer
supported volunteering days… saw
its staff of world-class user
experience designers, developers,
lawyers and accountants put to
work… painting a wall.

19. Addressing the barriers… start with people,
not organisations?
The motivations for
volunteering are diverse
and vary amongst
individuals and groups.

20. What are we doing?
Employer
Supported
Volunteering

21. An outcomes framework for Scotland
Evidence and
analysis
• Ensuring the
approach is
evidence led
and to more
effectively
assess, evaluate
and improve
policy.
Communities of
interest
• Ensuring those
currently facing
barriers to
participation are
engaged in the
development of
the vision and
approach.
Infrastructure
and innovation
• Provide
improved
accountability
and clarity of
responsibilities
for strategic and
delivery
volunteering
stakeholders.
Communication
and engagement
• Celebration and
recognition; Call
to action - how
can the third
sector help
mobilise for
greater
participation?
The Scottish Government are developing a Volunteering Outcomes Framework that will:
Set out clearly and in once place a coherent and compelling narrative for volunteering.
Define the key outcomes, and supporting outcomes, desired for volunteering in Scotland over the next 10 years.
Identify the key data and evidence that will inform, indicate and drive performance at a national and local level.
Allow debate and decision about the optimal combination of programmes, investments and interventions.

22. The takeaway?
Do we truly understand what existing
and potential volunteers want from the
experience?
Do we adapt effectively and design the
experience round them?
Or do we do it ‘the way we’ve always
done it’?