What Counts: Accounting for Social Value

1
What Counts Accounting for Social Value

• B.J. Richmond
• York University
• Bjrichmond_at_edu.yorku.ca
• Family Service Canada
• September 30, 2005

2
Outline Accounting for Social Value

• What it is
• Why it matters
• Who produces value
• Who is listening
• How to do it

3
Social Accounting What It Is

• Accounting for value of things not counted
• Does not pass through the market
• Social value (use value)
• Value in communities
• Nonprofit agencies, volunteering
• Co-operatives, mutual benefit organizations
• Raising families, helping neighbours

4
Why it Matters Project Work Example

• Project Work, an employment program for people
  with developmental disabilities
• Real work for fair pay rather than sheltered
  workshops
• Jerrys example
• Sheltered workshop
• Uniform Fit
• Job

5
Why it Matters Regent Park Example

• Regent Park, Toronto, stigmatized community
• 7,500 resident in 2,000 rent-geared-to income
  units now managed by City
• Re-development plan for mixed-income living
  starting in fall, 2005
• Parents thought of as uninvolved

6
Why it Matters Value Added in Regent Park

• Agencies and residents support student success
• Nutrition, tutoring, arts, sports and recreation,
  safe walk, better beginnings programs
• Pathways program from 60 dropout to 10 in 4
  years
• Value added by agencies residents to Education
  dollar
• Undervalued work, yet an invaluable addition

7
Who Produces Value

• Nonprofits
• In human services, arts, culture, sports,
  recreation, environment hundreds of thousands of
  volunteers
• Communities and informal organizations
• Vast infrastructure supports the economy
• Produce resources, not just consume
• Add to the quality of life

8
Who is Listening Policy-Makers, Funders,
Communities, Families

• Organizations, Programs, Volunteers
• 750 nonproft managers, staff, financial officers
• Nonprofit organizations such as CBCF-O, CCI
• Funders, Boards
• United Way, Frontier College
• Communities and Families
• Regent Park

9
How to Do It Comparative Market Value Method

• Look first to the private sector market for a
  match
• Next, to public sector programs
• Then look to another nonprofit sector program
• Be cautious with comparisons

10
How to Do It What Counts

• What Counts Social Accounting for Nonprofits and
  Co-operatives (Quarter, Mook Richmond, Prentice
  Hall, 2003)
• http//home.oise.utoronto.ca/volunteer
• http//www.imaginecanada.ca
• Lmook_at_oise.utoronto.ca
• Bjrichmond_at_yorku.ca

11
Whats New Volunteers Count

• Software for tracking volunteer hours, accounting
  for volunteer value
• Will be on-line
• Low cost, at cost
• In testing stage
• Watch for it

12
What Counts Workshop Accounting for Volunteer
Value

• Information on volunteer value
• Discussion, hands-on exercises
• Of interest to
• Agency managers, staff, board,
• Volunteers, volunteer co-ordinators
• Community members