Giving Compass' Take:

• This Independent Sector story highlights the efforts of Dan Cardinali to increase volunteerism by sharing data about how much value volunteers add to the nonprofit sector.

• How might philanthropists follow Cardinali's example to grow their volunteer networks? How might an organization whose sole purpose is to inspire and increase volunteerism across the nonprofit sector best accomplish this goal?

• To learn more about driving social sustainability through volunteerism, click here.

America’s 63 million volunteers are the lifeblood of the nonprofit sector, contributing more than $200 billion in economic value to the communities and causes where they invest their time.

With that message, Independent Sector President and CEO Dan Cardinali took to the airwaves on April 12 in a seven-state media blitz that reached more than 235,000 radio listeners. For nearly three hours, Dan conducted back-to-back phone interviews with local radio hosts during the crucial morning drive time block. Listen to one of the interviews.

The radio blitz was part of a communications campaign designed to promote the Value of Volunteer Time, the most-viewed resource on the IS website. For years, nonprofit organizations have used the number to calculate the value that volunteers bring to their missions. By releasing the latest figures during National Volunteer Week and targeting a broader audience of radio news consumers, IS sought to create even greater awareness of volunteerism while highlighting a relevant federal policy concern.

Read the full article about volunteerism by Robert Jones at Independent Sector