National Strategy for Volunteering Research Papers Initiative

by Debbie Haski-Leventhal

This paper summarised available research on corporate volunteering in Australia. It outlined the main styles of employee volunteering programs, motivations for employers, employees, not-for-profits, and the community to participate, and the main determinants of success in corporate volunteering initiatives.

by Amber Tsai, Toby Newstead, and Gemma Lewis

This paper reviewed research on volunteer leadership development in emergency response organisations, detailing recommendations for both leaders of volunteers and for researchers.

by Rong Zhu

This paper examined the prevalence and intensity of formal voluntary work provided through an organisation in Australia using long-run nationally representative data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The paper showed that volunteering participation in Australia generally declined from 2001 to 2020.

by Christel Mex

This paper presented data on grassroots organisations, small groups of volunteers who come together for leisure and social connectedness, arguing that membership numbers of these associations are declining with fewer members willing to step up and become leaders. The paper also identified why, or why not, members choose to nominate as leaders, with many research participants reporting disturbing experiences while serving on committees.

by Vivien Forner, Djurre Holtrop, Darja Kragt, and Anya Johnson
This paper reviewed and analysed the research on volunteer turnover, and presented evidence-based recommendations for key actions that could have the greatest impact on minimising turnover rates in volunteer involving organisations.

by Arthur Stukas and Sarah Wilson

This paper summarised the literature on volunteer motivations, discussing the relationship between motivations and other aspects of the volunteering experience, including retention, satisfaction, and wellbeing

by Jack McDermott and background research by Dominic O’Neill

This paper reviews the research landscape on the effects of volunteering on mental health. It draws upon local and international studies which apply qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research designs.

by Mario Peucker

This paper presented a synthesis of key research on ethno-religious intra-community volunteering in a pluralistic civil society – with a particular focus on volunteering in Australian Muslim communities. The findings highlighted the multiple personal and social benefits of volunteering within ethno-religious community contexts.

by Darja Kragt, Sarah Wilson, Toby Newstead, and Vivien Forner

This paper reviewed existing scholarly evidence on effective volunteer leadership, examining key challenges faced by Leaders of Volunteers in Australia and the role volunteer leadership development can play in addressing these challenges.