The recruitment of volunteers into a community programme for older people: lessons learned

The recruitment of sufficient volunteers is a key challenge that many non-profit organisations face. There remains a lack of research exploring the implementation of best practice processes to recruit appropriate volunteers into relevant programmes. This paper details the processes underpinning a volunteer recruitment strategy for a community-based programme, reflects on the outcomes of recruitment, and discusses key learnings and implications for practice to guide other researchers and non-profit stakeholders to effectively recruit young adult volunteers.

Saving with a Social Impact: Evidence from Trento Province

In this paper, we investigate the determinants of investing, focusing on its potential social impact. In particular, we consider whether there is room for expanding impact investing through social savings. The increasing trend in the demand for social finance makes the topic of unique interest, particularly when data on preferences for social saving can be collected at the individual level. We investigate the determinants and drivers of saving with a social goal running a survey conducted in Trentino-Alto Adige in which respondents are asked to allocate their portfolio to possible social investments. In line with the evidence collected in the Netherlands by Riedl and Smeets (2014), our results show a strong preference for a lower return, with the condition that the return is invested in a community programme, and little interest in the monetary return of the investment. Respondents are either inclined to put their entire portfolio into saving for the community or not to invest at all. This result suggests that there is a consistent demand, only partially accommodated by the supply, for financial products investing in the community, rather than for a monetary return.

An Evaluation of the Operations of Micro-credit Schemes in Poverty Alleviation of the Rural People in Northern Ghana - Case Study of Ghanaian-Danish Community Programme (GDCP)

The purpose of the study was to examine the sustainability of poverty alleviation activities, utilisation of the funds, the adequacy of credit given to the beneficiaries, level of savings and the degree of attention given to non-income-related issues. The study used questionnaires to capture responses of beneficiaries of the Ghanaian Danish Community Programme (GDCP) Micro-credit scheme as well as secondary data from the annual financial reports and statements of the scheme. The data were analysed with the ratios of the interest income to operational cost, operational cost to loans disbursement to arrive at operational sustainability and cost of money lent respectively. Tables and charts were used to provide the pictorial analysis of the interest income and the operational cost. The study revealed that the schemes were on course to sustainability but were characterized by high operational costs because of the nature of their activities. The study also revealed that the credit services provision had a positive impact on the beneficiaries overall lives, family nutrition and savings and there was evidence of proper utilisation of the funds. These merits were however, impeded by the inadequacy of the credits amount and limited attention given to non-income-related issues. Finally, the researcher made some recommendations and suggested steps for their implementation. Keywords: Sustainability; Beneficiaries; Poverty alleviation; Savings; Impact; Micro-credit scheme

Free To Dance

The Free To Dance project run by YDance (Scottish Youth Dance) aimed to encourage teenage girls who had opted out of physical education and sports in school and community, to become more physically active and to realize their potential as individuals through positive dance experiences. It was run in three locations in Scotland, and was taught by dance artists from YDance. Participants fell into two categories: (i) those who did less than five hours physical activity, and (ii) ‘hard-to-reach’ teenagers who had previously faced barriers preventing them from joining in physical activities. Free to Dance involved three main types of programme delivery: a schools programme, a community programme, and a dance leadership training programme. The participants learned street and contemporary dance techniques, sometimes leading to performances. The study considers the participants’ view of the impact that the project had on their life, in terms of self-image, confidence, physical fitness, and ambitions.