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Quantifying volunteer impact: Challenges and recommendations
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
7
(4),
372-381
(2023)
Abstract
This paper explores research conducted by a fellow for the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and discovers the obstacles, barriers and potential pathways for quantifying volunteer engagement. It shows how initial assumptions were disproven, identifies issues with data confidence and the limitations that current databases pose for professionals tracking volunteer metrics. It concludes with recommendations for where to start with quantifying volunteer engagement and further research.
Keywords: volunteer engagement; metrics; quantify; data; tracking
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Elizabeth Mckee is the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement for the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Alumni Association, a role she assumed in 2021 after starting as the Director of Volunteer Engagement in 2017. Previously, she worked in Student Life at NIU for five years. McKee has spent the past five years building a volunteer programme for the NIU Alumni Association that engages and tracks alumni in one-time, recurring and annual volunteer opportunities via remote, virtual and in-person activities and catalogues nearly 1,500 volunteers annually. In this role, she also supports regional clubs and networks, affinity groups, the alumni association board and works with campus partners interested in engaging alumni. Throughout her career, McKee has earned recognition from the NIU Supportive Professional Staff Council, the Division of Student Affairs and her respective academic departments. She has published a chapter about the impact of images in education and has presented on best practices in volunteerism.
