What is the Mission Points method of calculating ROI?

The Mission Point model combines the value of the volunteers time with the cash costs of engaging volunteers and compares that sum with the value of the accomplishments, outputs and/or outcomes related to the engagement of volunteers. It is a process for measuring in a “bang-for-the-buck” sort of way, but different in that it includes the volunteer’s time as part of the “bucks”.

The basic premise behind the usefulness of this can be illustrated with the following.
If you had a passion for the environment and had the opportunity to volunteer one of two environment organizations whose sole function was the planting of trees, would you volunteer for nonprofit A or B?
  • Everything about the two nonprofits’ structure, financing, staffing etc. is identical.
  • Both nonprofits plant 500,000 trees a year.
  • Nonprofit A consumes 100,000 hours of volunteer time and Nonprofit B consumes 90,000 hours of volunteer time.

Cleary Nonprofit B gets more “bang-for-the-buck”. If you chose Nonprofit B you intrinsically understand the usefulness of the Mission Points ROI. It will help you see things this clearly even when the issues are not as simplistic as the example above.

How can it be used?

  • Compare the results of your volunteer engagement from month to month, quarter to quarter or year to year.
  • Compare the effectiveness of various volunteer roles that set out to accomplish the same Output.
  • In large nonprofits compare the efficiencies between different locations. (Given the arbitrary nature of some of the values you set, comparisons between different nonprofits is not practical.)

Information on the Mission Points ROI concept, instructions on how to use this calculator and ideas on determining certain values you will need to enter can be found at MissionPointsManual.pdf. If you need additional assistance, there are consultants who can work with you to integrate ROI measurements listed in the appendices of the manual. If you would like to share your experiences using the Mission Points approach, email Tony Goodrow at tony@volunteer2.com.





At this stage, the online ROI calculator is still a rough draft of what it will become, hence the “alpha” designation in the title. However, all data added during this stage will remain intact carry forward as we refine this site over time.

ROI 12 Month Comparisons




ROI Quarterly Comparisons




ROI Activity by Activity Analysis




©Tony Goodrow 2011