Impact Assessment in Virtual Volunteer Programs: Frameworks, Methods, and Applications
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-mnevlvrvlpr-07
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About the Article
Impact assessment enables non-profits to distinguish between outputs, outcomes, and long-term impacts, ensuring that virtual volunteer programs achieve meaningful change. This article reviews methodological approaches—including experimental and quasi-experimental designs, contribution analysis, and economic evaluations such as cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses—while highlighting the role of theory of change as a guiding framework. Case studies from tutoring, mentoring, and digital skills training illustrate how impact assessments inform decision-making, strengthen accountability, and support sustainability. The discussion emphasizes the balance between rigor and feasibility in resource-constrained contexts, underlining the need for participatory approaches, stakeholder engagement, and transparency. By integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, organizations can design credible and adaptive systems that enhance both program effectiveness and long-term scalability.
Key Topics
- Outputs, outcomes, and impacts in virtual programs
- Experimental and quasi-experimental designs
- Contribution analysis as a systems approach
- Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness evaluations
- Theory of change in impact assessment
- Balancing rigor, feasibility, and stakeholder engagement
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Impact Assessment in Virtual Volunteer Programs: Frameworks, Methods, and Applications. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. Neya Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-mnevlvrvlpr-07
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