Skip to main content
Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation
Research and Reports
1 minute read

Measurement & Impact: Providing the Evidence that Volunteering is Good for Society and Good for You

Meeting National Standards and Strategy Seal Meeting National Standards and Strategy What's this?

Introduction

Often the focus is on providing the evidence to record, measure and showcase the impact of volunteering. While it has always been important for volunteers to know that their involvement has made a difference, volunteering can also be of great benefit to the individual volunteer.

Summary

This paper explores how we can measure impact through volunteer experience and how these experiences influence volunteers’ future opportunities and behaviors. It also discusses methods of tracking the aspirations and needs of the communities where they volunteer. 2020. It is free to download but asks for name, organisation and email. Available in English.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations

Volunteer organisations can benefit from this document by understanding the importance of measuring the impact of their activities. It provides insights into different approaches and methods for data collection, helping organisations to validate their contributions towards societal goals.

Application for Volunteer Management Practitioners

Volunteer management practitioners can use this resource to develop better strategies for monitoring and evaluating volunteer activities. By aligning volunteer efforts with high-level objectives like the Sustainable Development Goals, practitioners can demonstrate the tangible benefits of volunteering, thereby attracting more support and resources.

Downloads and sources

More about the author

International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) creates a more just and sustainable world by enabling the leaders, organizations, and environments that empower volunteers.

Contribute to the Gateway

Leave feedback

Was this resource useful?

Make a Suggestion

If you find a great resource that isn't in the directory or want to provide feedback on the Volunteering Gateway, drop us a line!

More like this

Information

A Guide to Work Health and Safety for Volunteer Organisations

A comprehensive guide covering the WHS duties of a volunteer involving organisation. This resource covers specific topics including volunteering from home, emergency service volunteers, and bullying, harassment and discrimination duties.
1 minute read
Safe Work Australia
General
Resources

Foundations of Volunteer Management: Manage and Promote Diversity

This online course teaches strategies for creating a respectful, inclusive work environment that values diversity. It covers communication, leadership, and creating effective diversity plans.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
Templates

Institute of Community Directors Australia Policy Bank

A range of policy templates that are free for any not-for-profit organisation to download and use, so long as it is for a non-commercial purpose and that the organisation is not paying a consultant to carry out this work.
1 minute read
Institute of Community Directors Australia
General
Volaby
Tech

Volaby

Volaby is an end-to-end volunteer and people management platform, enabling organisations to do more with less! Built from the collective voice of our volunteer managers using the platform, Volaby helps you automate and simplify the volunteer and manager experience to save time and scale impact.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
SEEK Volunteer
Tech

SEEK Volunteer

SEEK Volunteer helps connect people to volunteering opportunities that enrich their communities, lives and careers.
Recruitment
FreddyMatch
Tech

FreddyMatch

FreddyMatch is a web-based platform that facilitates and optimises the process of volunteering. We help match organisations and volunteers based on their unique interests, skill sets, location and availability using the “FreddyMatch” algorithm.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management
scheduled

2026 Volunteering NSW State Conference Regional

Attend the 2026 Volunteering NSW State Conference at a regional location. This hybrid event brings together sector leaders and practitioners to explore leadership, innovation and inclusion, and build knowledge and best practice in volunteering.
The Centre for Volunteering
Check Listing for Details
scheduled

Cybersecurity: Protect Yourself From Scams

This webinar helps you recognise and respond to online scams. Learn how to identify common scam types, detect warning signs and apply practical strategies to protect yourself and others in an increasingly complex digital environment.
Volunteering Tasmania
Free
scheduled

Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness

This webinar explores cultural sensitivity and awareness, including unconscious bias and its impact. Learn how to recognise bias, improve communication and build inclusive practices when working with diverse communities.
The Centre for Volunteering
Free