Through Investing in Volunteers and with our subsidy scheme that’s now a real possibility.

Volunteer management is what you do well.  There are increasing demands on services and funding is always being stretched, yet you still give your volunteers the best possible experience.  You need to after all, you need them and they deserve the very best you can offer. Investing in Volunteers (IIV) isn’t just another recognition scheme with no real substance.  It deals with real volunteer management issues and it works with your structure and your organisation to consolidate the best of your volunteer management and further develop your practice. Through a series of simple steps, IIV allows you to reflect on the way that you currently manage volunteers, identify what can be further developed and put in place a plan of action which ensures that you meet a nationally recognised standard. 

IIV is a true national UK quality standard that is increasingly been seen as a “must have” for organisations of all sizes.  It is a recognisable brand that shows potential volunteers and funders that your involvement of volunteers is the best on offer. IIV is adaptable, practical, grounded in common sence and equally suitable for large nationals or entirely volunteer led organisations. 

In Edinburgh there is a unique support scheme too, funded the City of Edinburgh Council, which not only provides specialist support from us at the Volunteer Centre to help you achieve IIV, but also provides financial support which can help meet up to 90% the cost of IIV.

Why choose Investing in Volunteers?

"We had some very good and established recruitment, induction and training practices. IiV helped us to recognise the good things we did and highlighted where the gaps in our support to volunteers lay. Setting a timescale, allocating tasks/activities and learning from the best practice of other organisations was a real motivation for us." Edinburgh Subsidy Scheme Recipient 2006.

IInvesting in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for all organisations which involve volunteers in their work. The standard enables organisations to comprehensively review their volunteer management, and publicly demonstrates their commitment to volunteering.

"The IiV process has reaffirmed my belief in the need to invest in volunteer management. It has encouraged us to formalise a lot of its existing good practice, which means that the way we work with volunteers will be more sustainable in the long run."

"I think that the IIV process is extremely valuable and encourages organisations to focus on the importance of excellent practice in volunteer management."

100% of organisation who went through the IiV Process in Edinburgh so far would recommend IiV to another organisation.

Download Guidance Notes on Applying to the IiV Edinburgh Subsidy Scheme here

Download an IiV Edinburgh Subsidy Scheme Application form here.

Full details of IIV can be found on the Investing in Volunteers website.

FAQ

Are we not too small for IIV?

No.  It doesn’t matter what size your organisation is, if you involve volunteers you will benefit from meeting the IIV standard.  It doesn’t matter if you are completely volunteer led or if you have paid staff and volunteers.  IIV is just as relevant and attainable.  With our support and access to the subsidy scheme covering up to 90% of the cost … you can’t afford not to be IIV recognised.

What difference will gaining IIV make to my organisation?

The key difference of course is that it will allow you to make sure that every aspect of your volunteer management is as good as it can be.  Crucially it will also give you a structure to help achieve this, which can be really helpful.  It will increase awareness of the significance of volunteers among all staff and the board.  It will also give you a visable public brand that shows that your volunteer management meets the national standard – great for recruitment and increasingly important to funders, who are reassured by knowing that the organisation is IIV compliant.

Who runs IIV?

IIV is run by the four Volunteering Development Agencies in the UK, making it a truly National Standard.  In Scotland, IIV is managed by Volunteer Development Scotland.

What sort of volunteer management issues are taken into account?

There are 10 indicators, or areas of volunteer management that are taken into account for IIV.  Much of it is common sense and the standard practice you would expect to see, such as having a commitment to the involvement of volunteers, having appropriate resources such as staff and money to engage volunteers properly, etc.  Within the 10 indicators there are 55 different practices that you are measured against.  Although this might sound a lot, many of them will be simple “yes we do that and here is the evidence that we do” while others may require a little work.  Regardless, all the practices are sensible, practical examples of good volunteer management.

How will I know if we are ready to go for IIV?

If you are already successfully involving volunteers then chances are you are ready to go for IIV.  IIV doesn’t expect organisations to be perfect before they start.  Because of the way IIV is designed it allows you to assess what you are already doing and identify any areas for improvement.  It also gives you a structure to help make those improvements – and this is often reported as a great bonus by organisations as it really focuses the mind and helps provide a timetable for developmental work.    If you are in any doubt about being ready then have a look below at the list of areas of practice that it covers and consider what you do currently.  You might well be on the way to achieving the standard.  Naturally there are some organisations that may be at a much earlier stage of their volunteer management development and if this is the case for you, you can talk to us at the volunteer centre and we can help you develop your policies and procedures.  It’s designed to help you make sure that your volunteer management is all in place.

How long does it take?

To go through the IIV process most organisations will plan for up to year, however for organisations who already have great volunteer management this will probably be less time.  It is flexible too, so if something happens during the process that takes precedence, then IIV can extend the timeline.

How much will it cost?

The typical cost for an organisation is around the £1000 mark.  It can be more if you have a lot of volunteers or if you operate in multi locations, but for most organisations, £1000 isa good guide.  And in Edinburgh, depending on your circumstances, you can get up to 90% of this paid by the subsidy scheme. 

Who is eligible for the subsidy scheme?

The subsidy scheme is open to any volunteer involving voluntary or community organisation in Edinburgh with an annual turn over of less than £1 million.  It doesn’t matter how you are constituted, or if you have any paid staff, so long as you involve volunteers and have a commitment to the very best possible volunteer management.

What support is available?

If you are going through the Edinburgh subsidy scheme the volunteer centre will support you in the initial stages, when you are doing your self assessment and when you are implementing your development plan.  We then hand you over to the external assessor who will support you the rest of the way.

How does the process work?

There are 10 steps to IIV, but if we were to simplify that down into the key stages there is the “self assessment stage” where you look at what you are currently doing against the standard, the next stage is the “development stage” where you plan for any changes you needto make, you and then implement them.  The assessment stage follows where an independent assessor will review your practices and recommend achievement of the standard, as appropriate.

Who should be involved in my organisation?

We normally recommend that a small steering group is set up to oversee the process of achieving IIV.  Someone, usually the person responsible for the volunteers takes the lead, but we’d also suggest that a representative from the board, a representative from the volunteers and possibly other key staff, are involved. 

What happens if things change and I can’t complete the process?

IIV is very flexible and although every support will be given to help you complete the process within the usual 9-12 months, if because of major events you are not able to, we will work with you to help you identify a new timescale.

For how long does IIV recognition last?

IIV Recognition lasts for 3 years from when it is granted.  The process is designed to allow for you to plan for reapplying for IIV after 3 years. 

Can I find out more without commitment?

Of course you can, you can visit the IIV website (www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk ) and find out about the standard and what is involved in achieving it without any obligation.  You can even have a look at the actual standard and have a think about how closely you match it.  At the Volunteer Centre we can also take you through what you would need to do, the work involved and how we can support you, without any commitment at all.

If you want to find out more about how you can achive national recognition for your volunteer management and find out how IIV is right for you contact Jean Cuthbert on 0131 225 0639 or jean.cuthbert@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk