ABOUT MEASURING THE GOOD
Charities in the UK are facing increasing pressure from funders, donors, beneficiaries, government and the general public to deliver value for money. The first step to greater efficiency is for an organisation to focus on its mission and measure its results. Measuring the Good helps organisations do just that by matching skilled volunteers with charities that are looking to better understand and communicate the impact of the important and necessary work that they carry out. Measuring the Good offers a volunteer-based, practical and cost-effective solution that leverages the resources of experienced professionals and combines their expertise with those of the charity’s leadership.
The programme offers a step-‐by-‐step, structured framework for a skilled volunteer to support a charity in their impact measurement, by acting as independent facilitator and applying their management expertise.The project is implemented over 3‐6 months, with the need for each party to allocate approximately 25 hours overall for meetings and preparation. The role of the volunteer can be undertaken alongside full-‐time employment or other commitments.
For more detailed information, please refer to our Measuring the Good Handbook
In order to register your interest, please send email measuringthegood@cfefficiency.org.uk
“We felt very well supported throughout the process. Our volunteer very
quickly understood our charity and its current challenges and helped us really think about every aspect of what we do and what we could measure to evidence our benefit.” – Charity feedback
“Rewarding, intellectually stimulating and challenging. It tested my interpersonal skills and my business knowledge… and gave me exposure to strategic leadership and non-‐executive management.” – Volunteer feedback
BENEFITS OF TAKING PART
Long term, the programme helps improve the organisations’ services and their communication to funders and external audiences. It also provides an incentive to staff, volunteers and beneficiaries as it becomes clearer how their work makes a difference.
For the organisation, the project shows how senior management can work with skilled volunteers to identify and improve metrics to measure progress and demonstrate results.
The project stimulates positive cultural changes and the benefits to the organisation can be far reaching as they become better able to demonstrate to key stakeholders the difference they make.
For the skilled volunteer, the project provides a structured framework for business professionals to apply their management expertise, developing skills and experience in a different sector and ultimately make a positive contribution to society.
Volunteers can work either alone or in pairs and act as independent facilitators and advisors, using their business experience and external perspective to provoke discussion and offer their insight.
For the business providing volunteers, the project is a learning and development opportunity for staff which will support some of the essential skills required in the business: communication, facilitation, interpersonal, negotiation, diplomacy, motivating others, analysis and strategic thinking. It also provides a model to engage with the community and undertake meaningful CSR.
Impact
- Since 2013 the programme has enabled 43 organisations with a new round of matches now underway in 2016.
- 88% of CEOs felt confident about impact measurement (compared to 23% before)
- 75% felt that the skills they had developed/improved would be useful in their professional work
The programme welcomes applications from skilled volunteers and any organisation (charity, social enterprise, CIC, CIO, IPS, etc.) that exists to fulfil a social mission.
In order to register your interest, please send email measuringthegood@cfefficiency.org.uk