Reciprocity is transactional - Volunteering is transformational

Don't forget that state schools already benefit from huge amounts of voluntary work - by parents of the students. Of course, the volunteers usually leave when their children leave, but are replaced by the next intake. My children attended Edith Khan's school, where a diverse mix of parents baked, fund raised, organised events, helped on outings and were governors etc. Yes, we were interested in the school thriving for the sake of our children, but also it provided social contact for many of the parents/carers - some, like myself, single and not yet back at work. Maybe the motivation was self interested, but but that's a powerful motivation resulting in a reliable and, indeed, generous, volunteer work force.
I also feel a little nervous about the reciprocity aspect - already a couple of local authorities offer additional housing points to waiting list people who volunteer; I wouldn't want this principle to extend to other statutory services (it seems to me fraught with all kinds of unfairness and logistical difficulties).

I'm not going to defend Third Sector's angle or coverage, as they don't do themselves any favours with their tabloid-style reporting, but the coverage raises a few interesting points (the financial realities of running a not-for-profit organisation of any kind, the changing way in which people volunteer, the boxes we put our volunteers into). The main one for me, however, the line that says "a huge amount of latent generosity just goes to waste...if there is one strong finding from research on happiness it is that giving something, thanking, makes us feel better", which rings true.

People want to give something back, to satisy their intrinsic motivation to be making a real difference. Ultimately, volunteering is transactional (I'll do this for you, in exchange for these benefits to me, however intangiable they may seem). Some will do this through donations, some through legacies/estates, others through 'traditional' volunteering. I think it's important to a) accept that the current financial situation means that more and more $ will need to be 'found' outside of core funding, and b) once we've accepted it, get on board and manage the process for the benefit of our volunteers and the community as a whole.

Mulgan makes it clear the charity mugger tactic isn't suitable ("I’m not saying you should have a collecting tin rattled at you as you leave the surgery") but why can't we use this impending change as an excuse to crowbar some more investment and support for our volunteer managers to find new ways in involve volunteers that benefit the individual, the community, and the hospital (or aged care facility, or hospice)?

If we only see volunteers as fulfilling traditional, established roles - Friends Of societies, Meals On Wheels, volunteering in the canteen, running the toy library - and fail to acknowledge that a volunteer's motivations, skills, experiences and desires are individual and manifest themselves in different ways, then I feel we are creating a rod for our own backs.