The contribution that volunteering makes in all areas of public life is widely recognised, and engaging more people in becoming volunteers is a top Government priority. However, the distinction between valuing volunteers who are also fundraisers and volunteers who purely give their time is not always made.

Is such a distinction important? Yes, if ways are to be found to properly acknowledge, manage and support the specific efforts of volunteer fundraisers in any kind of unified, significant way, argues Megan Pacey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising in a recent article for Third Sector magazine. There's also the small question of recognising properly the unique source of income they provide…

The publication of the Department of Health-led consultation "Towards a Strategy to Support Volunteering in Health and Social Care" illustrates a strong recognition of the importance of volunteering in that particular sector. Its outcomes and recommendations are also likely to be used to inform other Government-led volunteering initiatives.

So why, asks a recent article, doesn't it look more closely at what volunteers are actually doing? The needs of a volunteer carer or befriender in a social care setting are significantly different to those of a volunteer who raises funds for their local hospice, for example. It may even be the case that the fundraising volunteer is essential to the very existence of the location in which the service delivery volunteer is giving their time.

Megan Pacey is Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising, the largest independent voice representing fundraisers in the not-for-profit sector in the UK. In a recent article for Third Sector magazine, she questions the "broad spectrum" approach being used by the Department of Health as their basis for this consultation, and calls for a new approach, in which volunteer fundraising is recognised as a valuable activity in its own right.

You can read the full transcript of the article here, and add your voice to the Institute of Fundraising's response to the Department of Health's consultation here.

And don't forget that you can post a response to this story, or start a discussion on any other aspect of volunteer fundraising on our forum page here