Measuring the Difference Volunteers Make: A Guide to Outcome Evaluation for Volunteer Program Managers
by Melissa Eystad, Editor
With permission of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, this
extremely useful 1997 guidebook (now out of print) is available
free of charge in electronic form. (Thanks to Melissa Eystad of
World Spirit Consulting for sharing this copy.)
Volunteer Management
Audit of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement
Though centered on assessing
how Canadian agencies are applying their Code for Volunteer Involvement,
much of this 90-page document is univerisally applicable and thought-provoking.
W.K.
Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook
Excellent introduction
to the why and how of program evaluation, written to guide organizations
in self-evaluation without an outside consultant. Includes
the importance of volunteers as an information source and as users
of the evaluation results. (116-page PDF)
W.K.
Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
A companion publication
to the Evaluation Handbook above, this guide introduces
a "program logic model" – a picture of how your
organization does its work, to facilitate thinking, planning, and
communications about program objectives and actual accomplishments.
The 72-page PDF integrates volunteers into the variables studied.
Economic Impact Of Volunteers Calculator created by the Points of Light Foundation estimates the appropriate wage rate for volunteer time based on what the person does and the value of specific tasks according to market conditions as reported by the US Department of Labor. A starting point for organizations to determine the value of the time their volunteers give doing a wide variety of volunteer jobs.
Innovation Network Online
Tools
http://www.innonet.org/pointk
Innovation Network’s Point K Learning Center offers collaborative tools and resources for assessment, planning, and program improvement.
Investing in Volunteers Project (UK)
http://www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk
Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for all organizations which involve volunteers in their work. The Standard enables organizations to comprehensively review their volunteer management, and also publicly demonstrates their commitment to volunteering.
Measuring Performance
http://hrca.ns.ca/volunteer/manual/section7/section7.htm
Chapter
7 of the Volunteer Manual from the Halifax Regional CAP Association
(Canada )
Online Evaluation Resource Library
http://oerl.sri.com/index.html
This site, although not specific to the field of volunteerism, offers resources for
professionals seeking to design, conduct, document, or review project evaluations
Outcome Measurement
Resource Network
http://national.unitedway.org/outcomes/library/pgmomres.cfm
United Way of America
collection of free articles on many aspects of outcome measurement.
Program Management
Evaluation
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/work/staffguide/
evaluation.shtml
Student Staff Guide excerpt
from the Swearer Center at Brown University, including tips for
getting feedback from volunteers and other participants.
VIVA - The Volunteer
Investment and Value Audit
http://www.ivr.org.uk/vivahelpguide.htm
Description of VIVA, a
measurement tool that assesses the 'outputs' of volunteer program
(the value of volunteers' time) in relation to the 'inputs' (the
resources used to support the volunteers), from the Institute for
Volunteering Research in the UK.
