Recent research into the role of training and development carried out by The Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia reported that the situation in the NFP sector is not as good as we think, especially when it comes to the volunteers’ professional development.

According to the data gathered by the research, volunteers around the country don’t have access to professional training and development due to the lack of investment in this particular area. While the sector is worth $58 billion dollars (4% of Australia’s GDP), the 4.6 million volunteers who are engaged at different positions within it often miss the opportunity to receive appropriate training and become more useful because the funds intended for development are often being spent on the immediate needs of the people they help.

The specialists in the sector argue that the organisations who have put their volunteers through training that enhances their capacity have become far more effective. However, only 33% of the senior executives who took part in the research stated that they have access to a designated budget for professional development. Senior executives of small not-for-profits have the habit of funding the necessary training through personal financial investments. The researchers found out that a great part of the volunteers and NFP staff just cannot afford professional help and there is no financial assistance available.

Further information provided by the researchers shows that one of the biggest problems companies face is the staff’s lack of key capacities, which is a serious limitation for their sustainability. Therefore, it is vital for NFP organisations to have the empirical evidence and the tools to assess and adapt to significant challenges related to societal needs. Once, it was enough for the non-for-profits to explain that they are doing good; now, the whole process, including key indicators as performance and social impact should be taken to a whole new level.

“It’s important to understand that the ability of Not for Profit organisations to respond to environmental challenges and to realise their mission – to create social change – depends to a substantial extent on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of their people,” says one of the researchers, Ramon Wenzel. In other words, while the NFP sector is doing quite well the way it is, there is a long to go until perfection is achieved. An essential change that should be introduced as soon as possible is designated budget for professional training, which will result in better results. Hopefully, we will see this happen – or begin to happen – next year!