Volunteering fundraising in Health and Social Care

Volunteering Fundraising in Health and Social Care

Research on the needs of volunteer fundraisers in health and social care.

This research was supported by the Time for Health partnership and was stimulated by findings of research undertaken by the Institute of Fundraising (‘Fundraising Volunteers – Promoting Recognition’ – 2008), which highlighted:

Volunteer fundraisers frequently raise more than 50% of the organisations fundraised income

85% of these health & social care organisations felt that the potential of volunteer fundraisers was yet to be realised

Only 21% of respondents felt that the investment that they had was sufficient

Currently volunteering organisations raise many millions of pounds if their fundraising efforts to support the delivery of health and social care. For examples Attend’s member groups alone raised £27m in 2007-08, most of which was used to fund and enhance NHS services.

In fact in the wider Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) 65% of current volunteers are engaged in raising or handling money (NCVO UK Civil Society Almanac 2008).

However, it is widely accepted that there is unrealised fundraising potential within the sector and even a modest increase in capacity would have a significant impact both on the extent of funds raised and the subsequent benefits to patients and service users through enhanced service delivery.