175. Outputs vs Outcomes: Why Counting Hours Isn’t Enough Artwork

Volunteer Nation

Nonprofit leadership author, coach, and expert Tobi Johnson shares weekly tips to help charities build, grow, and scale exceptional volunteer teams. Discover how your nonprofit can effectively coordinate volunteers who are reliable, equipped, and ready to help you bring about BIG change for the better. Rather than continuing to “do more with less,” achieve abundance for your organization by engaging community talent that helps you do more with more. Society is evolving and so, too, is volunteerism. With over 25 years of experience working in nonprofits, public sector agencies, and grassroots campaigns Tobi is known for her modern “big hat” thinking and straight talk about what it takes to achieve success in today’s world. You will learn how to coordinate volunteers, improve the volunteer experience, recruit volunteers, appreciate volunteers, and do it all more efficiently with the right volunteer management software and digital tools. It’s a mix of interviews and solo shows you’re not going to want to miss. So, if you’re ready to ditch the stress and harness the power of people to fuel your good work, you’re in exactly the right place. Hit subscribe and let’s DO this!

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Volunteer Nation

175. Outputs vs Outcomes: Why Counting Hours Isn’t Enough

August 15, 2025 • Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

In this episode of the Volunteer Nation Podcast, Tobi Johnson dives into why it’s time to move beyond traditional volunteer metrics like hours logged and retention rates. She unpacks the difference between outputs and outcomes, sharing practical examples and actionable strategies for measuring and showcasing the true impact volunteers have on communities and organizations.

Tobi explains how tracking outcomes can inspire volunteers, improve program quality, strengthen recruitment messaging, guide strategic decisions, and demonstrate real value to stakeholders. You’ll also learn how to create visual graphics to communicate these outcomes!

Full show notes: 175. Outputs vs Outcomes: Why Counting Hours Isn’t Enough

Outputs vs Outcomes - Episode Highlights

[02:47] - Proving Volunteer Impact
[03:37] - Key Metrics to Track
[06:14] - The Importance of Outcome Metrics
[09:41] - Communicating Impact Effectively
[13:58] - Why Volunteer Outcomes Matter
[13:58] - Why Volunteer Outcomes Are Essential
[18:36] - Communicating Volunteer Impact
[22:24] - Improving Program Quality with Outcomes
[25:40] - Strengthening Recruitment Messaging
[28:42] - Supporting Strategic Decision Making
[31:53] - Creating Visual Impact Graphics

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the Volunteer Nation podcast. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to subscribe, rate, and review so we can reach more people like you who want to improve the impact of their good cause.

For more tips and notes from the show, check us out at TobiJohnson.com. For any comments or questions, email us at WeCare@VolPro.net.

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Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA

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