About National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers.
Established in 1989, National Volunteer Week is the premier celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia. Join us as we celebrate and thank volunteers for the vital role they play in communities across the country.
The information and key messages below are available for everyone to use leading up to and during National Volunteer Week. We encourage all volunteer involving organisations, governments, researchers, corporates, and other enabling organisations, to proudly promote the upcoming celebrations to help increase the awareness of the vital role volunteers play in our lives.
National Volunteer Week Key Messages
- National Volunteer Week (19th – 25th May) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering.
- This special event is an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go.
- National Volunteer Week 2025 celebrates the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme Connecting Communities.
- Volunteering creates lasting relationships that enrich lives and strengthen communities.
- Let’s acknowledge the spirit of connection and the incredible impact volunteers have in building thriving and inclusive communities.
- Join us this National Volunteer Week as we explore how giving to others fosters community engagement, connection and belonging.
Volunteering Key Messages
- More than six million people in Australia volunteer through organisations across the nation. Millions more volunteer informally in their local communities, helping neighbours and strangers, especially in times of crisis and adversity.
- Volunteers are an essential workforce, spanning major sectors, including aged care and disability care; community welfare; sports and the arts; crisis preparedness, response, and recovery; and environmental sustainability and protection.
- Volunteering is vital to the nation’s wellbeing but faces ongoing challenges. Australia’s communities and lifestyle are underpinned by the contributions of volunteers.
Join the Conversation
Help build a national conversation. Add #NVW2025 to your posts and be part of a movement connecting communities through volunteering.
Animated Video with Key Messages
Useful Links
- National Strategy for Volunteering 2023-2033
- FACT SHEET: Key Volunteering Statistics – March 2024
- FACT SHEET: Volunteering in Australia – Volunteering Experiences by Sector
- RESEARCH: Volunteering in Australia 2022
- RESEARCH: The Story Project
These messages are here to support your celebrations, storytelling, and communication.
Use these messages in your events, posts, media, and everyday conversations. The more we share, the more we strengthen the voice of volunteering across Australia.
