Summary

• In order to facilitate the discussion on the value of volunteering and the management and measurement of its impact, this paper presents an analysis of the current situation on the matter in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Serbia and the United Kingdom. 

• It aims at building evidence for advocating for the development of a European framework of volunteering that includes the development of homogeneous and comparable indicators to measure its economic and social impact. 

• The paper includes an overview of techniques and tools used to measure impact, in particular tolls for social and economic impact assessment of volunteering. Strengths and limitations of the tools are also highlighted. 

• The first chapter provides an overview of volunteering legislations in the above countries, while the second chapter sets the methodological basis for impact measurement and the measurement of social impact. The third chapter shows what the common practices around measurement in the above countries are and provides case studies of impact management conducted by different organizations.