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| Welcome to SCAVA |
SCAVA's newsletter, Volunteerism Network appears six times a year. We print the following to whet your appetite and hope to entice you to join us to receive this benefit of membership. To obtain a copy contact Newsletter Editor, Pamela Robinson at 803-777-3405 or e-mail
Robinson@law.law.sc.edu.
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| Recent Newsletters: | ||
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Issue 2003-5
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| Issue 2003-4 | ||
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| Issue 2003-3 | ||
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| Issue 2003-2 | ||
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| Issue 2003-1 | ||
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| Issue 2002-5 | ||
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| From Issue 02-6 | |
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What is the Value of Volunteer Time?The answer is easy. Priceless. Each year countless volunteers clock in their hours and complete timesheets. Each year managers of volunteer resources are asked to turn those piles of numbers into a public relations bonus. Many organizations translate volunteer hours into hours saved by the organization. Reality meets rhetoric when organizations must allocate a dollar figure to that priceless time donated. These calculations show up as money saved by the organization or agency. But is it really? Would the services provided by volunteers be performed by staff? Probably not; most volunteer service in addition to basic service. In fact the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits replacing a paid employee with a volunteer to provide the same or equal service.But where do we get the dollar figure? Steve McCurley explains that the ideal way to measure the value of volunteering is to "first determine whom you wish to present the results and then determine what item will show them what they are most interested in." This could be total number of hours, number of volunteers, or even money raised. Three basic methods can be used for calculating the dollar value of a volunteer hour. They are the minimum wage method (use the minimum wage for your state and multiply it by the number of hours) and the equivalent wage method (establish what a volunteer performing a particular job could earn and multiply it by the number of hours). All three methods have positive and negative aspects. The most widely used method is to assign the Independent Sector calculation to the donated hours. In 2001 that number is $16.05 per hour. Independent Sector first developed the methodology in 1980. The dollar figure is not arbitrary; it is based on the average hourly earnings to private nonagricultural workers as determined by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure is then increased by 12% to reflect the estimated fringe benefits. For more information on Independent Sector check out their web page at: www.independentsector.org. For details on Steve McCurley's discussion check out his book "Volunteer Management: Mobilizing all the Resources of the Community." Editor's Note: 2002 value is $16.54. | |
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| From Issue 99-2 | |
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Clemson Extension Service Presents Volunteer Management AwardsThe Clemson Extension Service recently presented its "Volunteer Management Excellence Awards." What is significant about these awards to deserving paid, staff members who have advanced volunteerism through demonstrated skills are the perks that are presented to the recipients. Bob Guinn of Beaufort received a membership in AVA and an all expense paid trip to the AVA Conference in Chicago.The 2000 Award recipients were also named. They are Georgeanne Kirven [member of the 1999 SCAVA board], Sumter; Jane Edwards, Marion; Mark Brown, Darlington; and Gloristine Williams, Colleton. These recipients receive SCAVA memberships and a trip to the 2000 SCAVA Conference. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to the Clemson Extension Service for its leadership in professional development.
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Why Web Sites FailMichael Gilbert is the author of the Nonprofit Site Analyzer Reports. At a recent workshop for nonprofits in California he offered the following information. In analyzing thousands of nonprofit Web pages Mr. Gilbert noted the following patterns or syndromes:
Mr. Gilbert also offers this quick checklist for analyzing the front page of a Web site:
For further reading on whole system Internet design, check out the following: | |
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| From Issue 99-1 | |
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From the Journal of Volunteer AdministrationThe Winter 1999 Journal of Volunteer Administration features the following articles. If you would like a copy of an article contact Pam Robinson at 803-777-3405. Past issues of the Journal are available through interlibrary loan from the State Library through your local library.
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| From Issue 98-6 | |
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Corporate Volunteers In the NewsCharities@Work, a coalition of federations that raise money for nonprofit groups has undertaken a study of donations and volunteering at 91 large businesses.
Among the finding:
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| From Issue 98-5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Keep On GivingThe IRS recently released some interesting charitable giving statistics for South Carolina. Based on the number of itemized returns and the amount of money deducted for charitable donations the IRS ranked states by generosity. South Carolina ranks 9th. Arkansas was #1 and Mass. hits the bottom of the chart as #50. SC had a 6.7% increase in total contributions between 1995 and 1996 ($1, 130, 652, 493 to 1, 206, 735.000). The amount of contributions per return also rose from $2,944 to 3,012. The August 27th, 1998 article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy notes that "the generosity index is a crude by telling" analysis of giving trends. One commentator noted, "the Southeast is considered extraordinarily generous, not only because of the Bible belt but because we associate warmth and generosity more with Southern culture that Northeastern cultures."In a related article the Chronicle noted that charitable contributions to the nation's most popular charities were on the rise and by a stunning 13%. This increase follows a 12% rise in 1997. Here are the top winners:
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| From Issue 98-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Child Abuse PreventionThere is a new tool in the arsenal to prevent child abuse that is specifically for church settings. It is a manual from: The Good Shepard Program, 418 Troutman Parkway, Ft. Collins, CO 80526.Call 888-639-8788 or visit on the Web at: www.webcom.com/nexussol/gs.html
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Where in the World Do People Volunteer?The Lions Clubs' Global Survey on Community Service discovered some interesting results.
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Other results:In India, adults with lower incomes are more likely to volunteer than those with higher incomes. Churches in Brazil are the source of service information for 1/3 of the adults. In France the majority find their own charity experience; in the US an organization is the source. 43% of the volunteers surveyed in Germany do it for the opportunity to socialize; 15% for religious or education reason. 43% in India volunteer because they enjoy helping others; 54% in the US for the same reason. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| From Issue 98-3 | |
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Sticky/Staff/Volunteer Problems?When problems between staff and volunteers do not rise to the level of sexual harassment but are complicated and disruptive, do you have a solution? A committee of staff members at the Chicken Soup Brigade in Seattle, WA, developed a set of guidelines for those 'gray areas' that generally are of a personal nature. Dating was a hot topic. Examples of solutions, clarification of potential consequences and rationale for the language in the guidelines were provided. The Code of Conduct solution is a good example of excellent volunteer management. Define the problem, develop a solution, implement the policy--in essence deal with the problem in a consensus building manner.For a free copy of the Code of Conduct, contact, Deborah Witmer, Care Coordinator at Chicken Soup Brigade: deborahw@csbrigade.org or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Deborah Witmer, Chicken Soup Brigade, 1002 E. Seneca, Seattle, WA 98122.
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Free ResourcesIndependent Sector of Washington, DC is going on the road with a new message with free resources for non-profit organizations. Giving Voice to Heart provides groups with a framework for communication to help the public gain a better understanding of the non-profit sector. For a free copy of the material call Independent Sector at 888-860-8118 or e-mail: givingvoice@indepsec.org
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Internet ScamWant to keep a check on the most common Internet scam? The Federal Trade Commission has this information at the location: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/9807/dozen.htm | |
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This page is maintained by
Thomas Rourke The person responsible for this web site server is Patrick Harris ©1998 Strom Thurmond Institute |
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