Volunteering research

• A collection of facts and figures about volunteering in New Zealand
  To support promotion and publicity during  International Volunteer Day (5 December) and Volunteer Awareness Week, OCVS and VNZ compiled a summary of some key facts and figures about volunteering.

The past few years have seen some significant advances in building our knowledge of volunteering and its contribution to New Zealand society - however there is still much for us to learn.

Below is an outline of some of the research that has already been undertaken -  much of it as part of the Government Volunteering Work Programme.

• Study of the New Zealand non-profit sector
  This study has helped to provide a clear picture of the nature and extent of non-profit sector activity within New Zealand.
  Reports produced as part of this project include the number of volunteers within non-profit organisations and an estimate of the value they provide to New Zealand.
  » See the 'Study of the non-profit sector' page
• Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account
  The Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account shows that over one million volunteers gave more than 270 million hours of unpaid labour to non-profit institutions in 2004. When valued at a market wage, voluntary labour boosts non-profit institutions' economic contribution to $6.95 billion or 4.9% of NZ's gross domestic product (GDP).
• Research into Māori cultural obligations
  The OCVS has conducted research to identify motivators and cultural drivers for Māori which contribute to maintaining mana for the whanau, hapu- and iwi. This research indicates that Māori volunteering is based significantly on the notion of whanaungatanga (kinship). The report on the findings from this research, Mahi Aroha: Māori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations, was launched on 30 April 2007.
  » Read about Mahi Aroha: Māori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations

• Maori and Unpaid Work
  Te Puni Kokiri produces a range of fact sheets, trend sheets and other reports, which provide statistical information about Māori in New Zealand.
  » View the 2007 Quality of Life Indicators report covering unpaid work
  » See the full list of Fact Sheets 
  (Note: Fact Sheet 9 - Maori and Unpaid Work published in March 2000 may no longer be available.) 
• Research into Pacific peoples cultural obligations
  This research, undertaken by the Family Centre on behalf of OCVS, explored Pacific people’s motivators and barriers to volunteering, and the relationship with their cultural obligations. It included a series of 'projects of pride' to illustrate each Pacific group's perspective.
  » Contact: Iris Webster.
• Report on voluntary and ethnic communities
  In 2004, the New Zealand Federation of Ethnic Councils (NZFEC) and New Zealand Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NZACAB) undertook research to determine the reasons why ethnic people do not participate in volunteering at the same rate as others in our society. This research was funded by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Support for Volunteering Fund.
  » Download Volunteering and Ethnic Communities - A Dialogue with Ethnic Communities (Word, 690.5KB)
  » Download Volunteering and Ethnic Communities Executive Summary (PDF, 104.12KB)

• Research into the implications of population ageing for the community and voluntary sector
  The Older People’s Policy team in the Ministry of Social Development led a project to examine the implications of an ageing population. This included consideration of its impact on the community and voluntary sector, and whether there are likely to be volunteer shortages to support the older population.
  » This research was published in chapter 12 entitled Communities and Volunteering in the book Implications of Population Ageing
• Research into the motivation of volunteers in sports and recreational activities
  During 2006, Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) contracted Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd to conduct social marketing, qualitative research to provide greater understanding of what motivates people to volunteer in sport and recreation and identify factors that prevent them from volunteering. Quantitative research is now underway as part of phase 2 of this project.
  » The Finding and Keeping Volunteers: what the research tells us report is now online.

• Research into volunteers in sport and recreational activities
  Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) produced the Volunteers report, which contains the facts and figures about how active and inactive volunteers are in their leisure time and how active they want to be. Most of the information in this report comes from the combined results and Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s 1997/98, 1998/99 and 2000/01 Sport and Physical Activity Surveys.
  » To view the Volunteers report,  go to SPARC website

• Gender and unpaid work: findings from the Time Use Survey
  Based on the findings of New Zealand’s first national Time Use Survey, this article looks at unpaid work and how it varies for different groups. In particular, examines differences in participation in unpaid work between men and women.
  » To view the article go to Statistics New Zealand website
• Measuring unpaid work in New Zealand from the Time Use survey
  The economic statistics of work and production are used in developing public policy and in business decisions. So it is very important which activities define and measure as ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ because the reporting on the measured ‘variables’ actually affects our lives through practical government and business decisions.
  » To view the 2001 article go to Statistics New Zealand website
• 2006 Census: Work – status report
  This includes information on the unpaid activities of New Zealand’s population
  Go to Statistics New Zealand website
  » For comparison, see 2001 Census tables 45 to 50A

• Counting for Something: Value Added by Voluntary Agencies (VAVA)
  In 2004, the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO) and PricewaterhouseCoopers completed a project to help to quantify the economic value of the work of voluntary agencies. A report was produced to identify the contribution made by volunteers to ten major social services organisations over a one-year period.
• Counting for More (2007) examined the outcomes of two organisations – Literacy Aotearoa and the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. The pilot study provides the basis for understanding why value added by voluntary agencies builds on the contributions of volunteers and far exceeds the initial expenditure made by its funders, whether private or public.
  » Download Counting for Something or Counting for More

• Volunteering research stocktake
  In 2006, OCVS and Volunteering New Zealand  took an inventory of all New Zealand research that looks at volunteering activities. This inventory may help identify gaps and priorities for future research into volunteering. Please advise us if you know of any research that we can add to it.
  » Download the draft inventory (PDF, 179.57KB)
  » Download the draft inventory (Word, 139.5KB)
  » Contact: Diana Suggate

• Community-Government partnering to support volunteering in New Zealand. OCVS Policy Analyst Kat Paton highlighted some of the efforts and future challenges involved in supporting community participation in New Zealand in her presentation at the IAVE World Conference in India in late 2006.
• Community work a winner for all - article in NZ Herald, 15 Nov 2008.
  Staff volunteering on company time builds morale and expands an employee's skill base, writes David Maida. Allowing staff to do community volunteer work on company time can be a win/win situation - but only if proper practices are followed, says Susan Peterson, chairwoman of the Corporate Responsibility Council for ANZ National.
  » Read the article online.
• Employee Volunteering Observations from the Front-line: A report on community and business perspectives on employee volunteering in NZ - Dr Louise Lee, Massey University.
  This research report was released during Volunteer Awareness Week. It shows that businesses see improved staff morale, potential for attracting new employees, the importance of team building, and giving people opportunities they might not otherwise get to grow professionally.
  » Read a news story highlighting the report.
  » Contact Dr Lee about her research.
• New Dialogue, the publication of NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, explores sustainability in the community - examining the roles of volunteering and capacity-building in helping to create sustainable organisations.
  » Download this Dec 2008 issue online.
• Tax and volunteering: empirical evidence to support recommendations to solve the current problems surrounding the tax treatment of volunteers' reimbursements and honoraria in New Zealand - Working paper 58 by Letisha Tan now online at: www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/CAGTR/CAGTRworkingpapers.aspx.
• Tim Burns of Volunteering NZ talked about the recession's impact on volunteering and offered tips for museums that need volunteers in a recent newsletter from Te Papa National Services Te Paerangi
• The First Door That Opened: Experiences of Migrants in Wellington's Volunteer Sector, by Rebecca Gray.
  The Governor-General Hon. Anand Satyanand launched this publication in April. The book contains four in-depth interviews with newcomers to New Zealand about their experiences working in the volunteer sector. The book informs what the community and voluntary sector has to offer, and in turn what migrants have to give in terms of new skills, approaches and cultural enrichment.
  The book costs $15 and is available from Volunteer Wellington by emailing admin@volunteerwellington.org.nz or phoning (04) 499 4570.
• The theme for Issue 11 of Dev-Zone's Just Change magazine (Feb 2008) was Good Intentions: The Ethics of Volunteering.
  » Download a PDF of Just Change from the DevZone website.
• Volunteers: The Heart of Sport - The Experiences and Motivations of Sports Volunteers
  SPARC has published a 20-page report on this 2007 research
  » Go to www.sparc.org.nz to find out more.

• Australasia's People First -Total Solutions conducted the first Global Volunteer Management Survey in 2007-08.
  851 managers in 23 countries responded - providing information about themselves, their attitudes and their volunteer programmes. The results show volunteer managers' reporting lines, salaries,educationlevels and attitudes, etc.
  » The summary of results can be downloaded from www.pfts.com.au.
• Board matters - New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), UK.
  95% of people in the UK are unaware that they can support a charity by becoming a trustee, which helps explain why nearly half of charities have vacancies on their boards. NPC's report questions the strength of trustee boards in the charity sector, and argues that recruitment, training and evaluation of board members is frequently neglected because charities and funders do not prioritise governance. The report highlights a number of improvements that could help to strengthen trusteeship, including:
  - More action on recruitment from charities, funders and government, to build people's interest in trusteeship as a way of supporting charities and to increase the diversity of boards.
  - Better support once boards are established, such as more thorough inductions for new trustees and increased opportunities for trustees to learn from each other. NPC believes there is a need for a body responsible for trusteeship, which could co-ordinate efforts to improve standards, put information about charity governance in one accessible place, and encourage networking.
  - A stronger focus on boards evaluating their own performance, particularly those of large organisations. Regular appraisals and evaluations of boards are critical to long-term effectiveness. NPC thinks that funders could make a big difference by supporting larger grantees to undertake this.
  » Read this report online at www.philanthropycapital.org/download/default.aspx?id=994
• Growing membership in a recession - a presentation by Tony Rossell, USA.
  Discover the four key areas of expertise you and your organisation need for membership growth.
  » View the webinar presentation on the Membership Marketing Blog.
• Helping Out - A national survey of volunteering and charitable giving - prepared for the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office,  UK
• How will the economic crisis affect volunteering? An article by Susan J Ellis, USA.
  This article explores assumptions such as people can't afford to volunteer, become more self-centred, and withdraw due to financial worries during the downturn.
  » Read this article online.
• Involving volunteers from diverse cultural and language backgrounds in your organisation.
  Supporting volunteer involving organisations in attracting, recruiting and retaining culturally and linguistically diverse volunteers has been the combined focus of research and resource development by Volunteering Australia, the Australian Multicultural Foundation and Judith Miralles & Associates. New resources are now online.
  » Download the Practical Guide.
  » View the Training Manual for Recruiting and Supporting CALD Volunteers.
• Making the Most of Volunteers - Public/Private Ventures, USA.
  This analysis by Jean Baldwin Grossman and Kathryn Furano discovered that three functions - screening, training and ongoing management - are key to maximising volunteer value and minimising damage.
  » Download Making the Most of Volunteers.
• Manifesto for Change - United Kingdom.
  The final report from the UK Commission on the Future of Volunteering was published in January. It includes recommendations in the areas of raising the profile of volunteering, making volunteering open to all, modernisation of volunteering and reward and recognition for volunteers and volunteering.
  »Read Manifesto for Change.
• Neighbourhood Management: Empowering communities, shaping places: Review 2006-07 and Neighbourhood Management and Social Capital from the UK Department for Communities and Local Government
• Papers from Australia's 12th National Conference on Volunteering now available
  » Visit www.volunteeringaustralia.org.
• Supporting volunteering by civil servants - United Kingdom.
  The final report from the British Prime Minister's volunteering champion Baroness Neuberger is on employer-supported volunteering in the civil service. Recommendations include all government departments having some sort of employer-supported volunteering scheme in place by 2011, and civil servants being allowed up to five days a year to volunteer.
  » Download Employer-supported volunteering in the civil service
• The Report of the United Nations Secretary General on Follow-up to the Implementation of the International Year of Volunteers in 2001 is now available.
  The report outlines international progress in support for, and promotion of, volunteering since 2001. It includes five proposals on how the International Year of the Volunteer+10 (2011) might be marked internationally.
  » Download the report from the UN Volunteers website.
• Volunteering: An opportunity for the whole family - Volunteering Australia.
  This subject guide explores this unique and enjoyable group volunteering experience. It does not prescribe to any particular definition of who or what makes up a family, rather it seeks to celebrate the rich diversity of family involvement in volunteering.
  » Download this guide (and others) from the Volunteering Australia website.
• Volunteering as a route (back) to employment - Centre Europeen Volontariat General Assembly final conference report, Paris France, 2007.
  Good practice examples indicate that volunteering clearly plays an important role to develop peoples' potential in general and that it contributes to the improvement of self-esteem, including a feeling of usefulness, less solitude, a reduction in family tensions and the restoring of identity. Volunteering helps the creation of a personal network of support and, thus, of social capital. Volunteers develop competencies, and especially for young people, volunteering contributes in clarifying their career orientation. All these positive results of a volunteering experience may raise the employability of the volunteer.
  » Download this report from www.cev.be.
• Volunteering and social activism: Pathways for participation in human development - The joint publication from the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE), CIVICUS (the World Alliance for Citizen Participation) and United Nations Volunteers.
  This paper is based on a study undertaken by the three organisations in 2007-08.  The background study concludes that both volunteering and social activism are important strategies for fostering people's participation in social change and human development. The paper argues that volunteering, like social activism, can be purposeful and change-orientated. Volunteering can be directed at influencing agenda-setting, policy-making, decision-making and representation, and is also an important mechanism for promoting empowerment, personal transformation and social inclusion.
   » Read more or download the full report on the IAVE website.
• Volunteering and the State, The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZE), Bonn.
  This paper explores the capability of the state to affect the individual's decision to work for free - identifying three channels for crowding out of voluntary labor. Firstly, an increase in public social expenditure decreases the probability that the individual will volunteer (fiscal crowding out). Secondly, a political consensus between individuals and the government can induce volunteers to reduce their unsalaried activities (consensual crowding out). And finally, the more a government supports democratisation, the lower is the individual's engagement (participatory crowding out). Religiosity and a more unequal income distribution in a country increase individuals' willingness to volunteer.
  » Read this IZE report.
• Voluntary Work, Australia 2006 from the Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Why Volunteer? Evidence on the Role of Altruism, Reputation, and Incentives from The Institute for the Study of Labour
• Young People's Volunteering and Skills Development from the UK
• The Volunteering Australia Subject Guide: Young people and volunteering - take a closer look explores what motivates young volunteers, the benefits of involving them in your voluntary activity, ways to make your NGO youth-friendly, and tips for attracting young people to your organisation.
  »You can download the PDF file