Volunteer Management Resource Library

Toolkits and Guides

Empower your volunteer management with our toolkits and guides, fostering impactful engagements.

	NCSS Volunteer Development Guide The NCSS Volunteer Development Guide offers insights into the various aspects of volunteer development, including creating enhanced volunteer roles (eg. Volunteer Leader) and defining development pathways for volunteers to progress as they continue their contribution in the agency. It also addresses how to plan volunteer learning and development, ensuring a fulfilling volunteering experience with ample opportunities for growth. Find out more with our guide, templates, and infographic.
	Skills-Based Volunteerism Toolkit for Organisational Development Volunteers play an important role in augmenting the manpower capacity of the non-profit sector while providing a stronger support system for those in need. With the current increasing trend in skills-based volunteerism, we have partnered with social service agencies to develop the Skills-Based Volunteerism Toolkit. This toolkit aims to support organisations in building volunteer management capabilities. The toolkit includes templates for users to plan and carry out skills-based volunteering projects for their organisation. Find out more through our infographic.
	Volunteer Management Toolkit 2.0 Updated in 2020, this toolkit provides SSAs with practical tools and guidelines to help you build your volunteer management framework. News article 2014 - NCSS to develop framework for volunteer organisations.
	Volunteer Management Maturity Matrix (VMM Matrix) The VMM Matrix is a digital self-assessment tool that enables your agency to ascertain strengths and gaps in your volunteer management (VM) practices, and receive recommendations to better strategically plan and engage volunteers. Read more about the VMM Matrix. Watch the video of the VMM Matrix webinar. News article 2022 - New assessment tool helps social service agencies manage, retain volunteers.
	Volunteer Management System – Selection and Implementation Roadmap (VMS-SIR) The use of digital system for volunteer management is an important approach to improve productivity. Core stakeholders in volunteer management unanimously agree that a Volunteer Management System (VMS) is necessary for effective and efficient volunteer management. However, many face challenges in identifying their specific needs and requirements for a suitable VMS. Hence, the Volunteer Management System – Selection and Implementation Roadmap (VMS-SIR) aims to guide Social Service Agencies (SSAs) through the process of selecting and implementing a suitable VMS. Read more about the VMS-SIR and VMS-SIR Self-Assessment Tool.
	Learning & Development Roadmap (LDR) for Volunteer Management Practitioners The LDR aims to strengthen the capabilities of Volunteer Management Practitioners (VMPs) by providing guidance on the skills and competencies required to perform effectively and optimise volunteer resources. It also shows potential development pathways and learning opportunities for VMPs. Besides VMPs, the Roadmap may also be used by management and HR staff of SSAs as a guide to develop these VMPs and recruit candidates for volunteer management roles. VMPs may use the digital self-assessment tool to identify their proficiency gaps and find relevant training courses.
	Volunteer Role Redesign (VRR) Guide The VRR Guide provides a structured approach for SSAs to create new volunteer roles or adapt existing volunteer roles to better fit agency needs, adapt to new trends and enhance volunteer engagement. The guide includes templates to bring users through the planning and change management implementation for the role redesign. Find out more through our infographic. Watch the video of the VRR engagement session: Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3 \| Part 4
	Volunteer Continuity Planning (VCP) Guide The Volunteer Continuity Planning Guide guides SSAs to develop a personalised Volunteer Continuity Plan (VCP) for their organisation. It aims to help SSAs plan for continuity of volunteer activities during service disruptions by diversifying volunteer resources or equipping volunteers with relevant skills that will be in demand during a crisis. The guide includes a workbook with examples to assist users in the development of their VCP. Find out more through our infographic. Watch the video of the VCP session: Session 1:Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3 Session 2:Part 1 \| Part 2 \| Part 3
	Service-based Corporate Volunteerism Guide A guide for corporates who are interested in developing and implementing service-based volunteering programmes within their organisation.

Reports and Infographics

Gain actionable insights from our reports and infographics, shaping effective strategies for volunteer management.

	Driving Change Through Dedicated Volunteer Managers As social needs become increasingly complex and greater workforce challenges arise, strengthening volunteer management will be increasingly important for Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to build organisational excellence, and improve their service delivery. In 2020, NCSS rolled out the Enhanced Volunteer Manager Funding Scheme (EVMFS), a 2-year seed funding scheme for 50 SSAs to hire dedicated Volunteer Managers. With strategic management of volunteer resources, the SSAs onboard EVMFS saw a 58% increase in volunteers, 153% increase in regular volunteers and established 918 service-based volunteerism partnerships, with expanded manpower capacity to serve 121% more service users during the 2 years. This report features achievements and insights from the EVMFS, showcases success stories and best practices, and underscores the value of having in place robust volunteer management processes and systems. Enhanced Volunteer Manager Funding Scheme (EVMFS) Impact Report \| EVMFS Impact Report Infographics
	NCSS FY2022 Volunteer Management Impact Report In this VM Impact Report for FY2022, we look back at how NCSS and our SSAs have worked hand in hand to foster progress and development within the sector in the following areas: Strengthening Organisations in Volunteer Management Building Stronger Volunteer Management Practitioners Forging a Stronger Volunteer Management Community Enhancing Volunteer Management Practices Through Data Advocating the Importance of Volunteer Management NCSS FY2022 VM Impact Report \| FY2022 VM Impact Report Video
	NCSS Social Service Sector Survey on Volunteer Management 2021 The inaugural NCSS Social Service Sector Survey on Volunteer Management (VM) was launched in 2022 to provide sectoral insights for Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to inform their VM strategies. Through the survey, we found that SSAs who have volunteer management practices (eg. VM framework, VM system, dedicated Volunteer Manager) in place yielded stronger volunteerism outcomes (eg. able to recruit more volunteers, able to recruit higher quality volunteers). Included within the VM survey publication are also recommendations derived from the survey data and insights which we hope will enable SSAs to strengthen their volunteer practices and to work effectively with ecosystem partners – for expansion of overall organisational capacity to scale and sustain services. VM survey publication \| VM survey infographics
	Transforming the Volunteer Experience in the Social Service Sector "Transforming the Volunteer Experience in the Social Service Sector ", was done in collaboration with SMU Lien Centre for Social Innovation and it provides insights and recommendations on how the social service agencies (SSAs) can develop data-backed volunteer management strategies to improve volunteer experience for more effective outcomes in attracting and retaining volunteers. Through the perspectives of volunteers and volunteer managers via surveys and in-depth interviews, this report reveals a framework depicting five key features that contribute towards a quality volunteering experience. The study also makes recommendations on the actionable steps and strategies that SSAs can adopt to engage their volunteers more strategically, so that they can play a more significant role in delivering enhanced quality services to service users. Full Report \| Brochure
	Driving Change Through Volunteers This publication features the change journey of 16 SSAs on the VMCD Consultancy Project where they had the chance to better understand their strengths and piloted meaningful initiatives in identified areas to improve their organisational capabilities in volunteer management.
	NCSS VRO FY21 Impact Report Themed "Journeying Together ", this report showcases the collective effort and achievements NCSS have made together with our SSAs and community partners in strengthening volunteer management and catalysing sustained volunteerism to improve service delivery and organisational health.
	Volunteer Management Insights Infographic Insights from NCSS Social Service Sector Survey 2021 NCSS drew key insights on volunteer management from the NCSS Social Service Sector Survey 2021 and produced this infographic to inform VMPs about the sector's and givers' plans and perceptions in relation to volunteer management.
	Measuring Volunteers' Satisfaction Insights from NCSS Volunteer Engagement Tool (VET) 2021 The Volunteer Engagement Tool (VET) is an online tool for SSAs to measure volunteers’ satisfaction more efficiently. The VET provides a standardised measurement of volunteer satisfaction using a survey which enables statistical analysis through a live dashboard to track the satisfaction levels across the sector at any given time. The responses from 633 volunteers across 27 SSAs, from January to December 2021, has been collated to form the sectoral report on volunteer satisfaction. NCSS VET 2021 Infographics
	101 ideas to enhance volunteers' experience In collaboration with NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), NCSS provided guidance and support to a group of students for their final-year project (FYP) – The Valued Volunteer (TVV), a communications campaign from August 2022 to April 2023. The key objective of this campaign was to increase the retention rate of volunteers in social service agencies (SSAs) through the enhancement of their volunteers' experience. As part of the campaign, the students conducted a survey to understand volunteers' sentiments towards their past and current volunteering experiences with SSAs. The research report with the findings and insights gathered together with a booklet, 101 Ideas To Enhance Your Volunteers' Experience will provide the SSAs with invaluable ways to improve the experiences of their volunteers. TVV's research report

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