Volunteering - claiming expenses.

Thank you for all your replies.

I do know that I should be claiming really.

My expenses would be petrol for 3 miles (x 2) plus car parking once a month. I might sometimes fill in at other locations.

Periodically, I travel to other parts of the county for 5 weeks in a row which can be 25+ miles each way (and maybe pay parking)

One charity I volunteered with refused to pay any expenses if the volunteer was eligible for a bus pass!

In a previous life I was a (paid) volunteer coordinator for a national charity. It was expected that volunteers claimed expenses for all the reasons mentioned also it was a way of valuing their input without which much of the work would have been impaired.

This was carefully explained at interview. If the response was expenses were not needed we suggested that the individual donate them quietly to a charity of their choice without discussion with other volunteers in order not to embarrass those whose budgetary constraints would otherwise be a barrier to volunteering. It always amazed me how many people hadn’t considered that not everyone had the same level of disposable income.

As a volunteer I have worked with organisations paying expenses and also those who had no expenses policy. My experience was of feeling I was treated with more respect if expenses were paid without fuss or an attempt to trigger guilt that I was accepting them. Just my personal experience of course.

My Husband runs 2 charity shops, his volunteers can claim back travel fares (particularly some of the older volunteers who start work before their bus pass times) , as long as they work a 4 hour shift all they do is supply their tickets and its given to them from the till as a petty cash pay out

Part of the firms budget will be allocated to expenses, if they are not claimed the budget for the following year will be cut. I would claim and donate if you can afford to.

I have volunteered for many years and have always claimed but donated it straight back, either on the original form(s) or through the bank.

Oopsadaisy I had to travel, frequently 100 miles+, so fuel costs mainly.
Calendargirl Nobody could have known that I wasn’t claiming my expenses except the treasurer.

I volunteered at our local Red Cross shop and never claimed nor was I encouraged to claim for anything.

What do you all claim expenses for?

It’s all very well not claiming expenses if you can afford to do that, but remember that it might put off others volunteering, if they cannot afford to.

You are giving your time freely.

I expect MP’s and others all claim anything they are entitled to.

I always used to claim expenses ( bus fares and incidentals) for the reasons already stated. More recently I am working from home, but cannot really quantify my home expenses, light and heat, ( would incur anyway) paper and printer cartridges, stamps. So now I no longer do printing. One of the paid staff does it, which I am sure they will claim for. I give my time for free.

I have volunteered for two organisations in my younger days.
One was minimal expense but we still claimed and donated it back.
The other was very different in that it was time we gave, 4/5 hours every week, much more in school holidays and occasionally overnights.
There was a set rate per hour which added up in a month.
We were told we must claim as some people needed the money.
Again we donated it but not to the organisation itself.
It was funded partly by the LA so we gave to other charities.
There were several paid managers.

I agree with NannaRose some people would be unable to volunteer if their expenses were not paid £100 a month is not inconsiderable. Those who can afford to can donate the money back to the charity or another one.

I was a volunteer for MIND for some years. My manager ( paid)
insisted that we claim expenses but it never felt right, I still don’t know why I felt like that ?

I have been around volunteers all my life, and I think it very important to claim expenses so that it is the norm.
I have recently been on a committee where people often didn't claim, and eyebrows were raised a bit when I did. I said that everyone should feel comfortable about claiming, then do what they like with the money. I didn't want people on limited budgets to feel uncomfortable.
So yes, for the sake of future volunteers, please claim.

My dad, who was a volunteer sports coach, kept his stopwatch by the phone so he could record the length of each call and claim properly!