Charities have to remember to say “thank-you” to volunteers so they feel valued and continue; and government should be cautious about telling people to volunteer, an NCVO policy officer has advised.
Allen was speaking at a NCVO policy meeting involving government representatives, on its recent report Pathways to Participation, which explores how and why people get involved, such as volunteering or donating, over the course of their lives.
Allen suggested a simple way to encourage participation to continue was to remember to say “thank-you” to volunteers – a common theme in the fundraising world, where fundraisers are often reminded to thank donors.
He also said that the role of messaging, when trying to encourage volunteering, was vital:
“A minister should not tell people they should volunteer,” he said. “People should develop their own reasons for volunteering. If government tells people to volunteer because of the Big Society it’s counter-productive.”
The follow-up report from NCVO which looks at the implications for its project on the national policy agenda says that initiatives such as the Community Organisers programme has a good chance of success, but adds:
“If people feel that an external (government) agenda is being imposed, it is likely to negatively affect their feelings about participation as it runs counter to the heart of voluntary action – that is about free choice and coercion.”
The report also says National Citizen Service could provide a valuable entry point to participation for young people, but adds that formalised engagement may not appeal to all young people.
On giving, the report says if government wants to encourage more donors, it needs to better make the case for why people might want to.
“The Giving White Paper does not put enough emphasis on the link between giving, need and personal motivations,” says the report.
The advice on implications for policy-makers concludes that NCVO’s research did not find that people cited bureaucratic obstacles to volunteer or donating money as major barriers, rather the practical barrier of not having spare income was the main reason for not giving or not giving more.
