Volunteer time can be used as in-kind match funding for projects receiving Structural Funds in Wales. In-kind match funding includes goods or services provided without a cash transaction, such as volunteer time. Volunteer time must be for those helping to deliver the project, not project beneficiaries. Notional hourly rates are used to assign a monetary value to volunteer time for audit purposes. Guidance is available on using and evidencing volunteer time as in-kind match funding from WCVA and WEFO.

1. Volunteer time as match funding in-
kind – experience in Wales
Judith Stone
Third Sector European Team (3-SET)
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
 www.wcva.org.uk  0800 2888 329  help@wcva.org.uk

2. • Structural Funds Programmes in Wales
• Volunteer time as match funding in-kind:
– Theory
– Practice
• The distinction between volunteers
(unpaid staff) and ESF participants
• Notional hourly rates
• Evidence for audit
• Guidance

3. Structural Funds in Wales 2007-2013
• Managed by the Welsh European Funding Office
• Direct bidding – not co-financing
• 275 projects funded
• Lead (and joint) sponsors and procured delivery
agents
• Welsh Government departments and other
government sponsored bodies; local authorities;
universities; third sector

4. Match funding
• There are two types of match funding, PUBLIC
and PRIVATE
• Which projects can receive as either ACTUAL or
IN-KIND match funding

5. Actual or in-kind?
• ACTUAL match funding is direct payments for
the project or the donation of paid staff to work
on the project.
• IN-KIND match funding is goods or services
supplied to the project with no cash transaction,
including volunteer time.

6. Volunteers
Un-paid workers, helping to deliver the
project (i.e. donating their time for
free)
vs.
Participants in/beneficiaries of the
project (i.e. a cost to the project)

7. Remember:
A volunteer cannot simultaneously
benefit from the project and be
used as match funding in-kind!

8. The theory
• Genuine added value
• Community buy in
• Notional hourly rates

9. The practice
• Include estimated volunteer time in the
budget
• Include actual volunteer time in-kind in
your claim, based on a verifiable audit
trail:
– Timesheets; role profiles; travel & subsistence
claims
• In-kind match funding should not exceed
more than 30% of the total project cost

10. Notional hourly rates
• For each volunteer role
– E.g. Project Manager £21.57 p/h; Trainer
£13.05 p/h; Administrator £9.97 p/h
• Based on actual activity

11. Guidance
• WCVA information sheet: Using volunteer
time as match funding in-kind
• WEFO Guidance on In-kind match funding
(includes notional rates)
• WEFO Guidance on Procurement and
match funding

12. Thank you for listening!
Please contact me for further information:
jstone@wcva.org.uk; 0800 2888 329