VOLUNTEER NATION: POSITIVE IMPACT, STRONG COMMUNITIES

Volunteering is essential to the fabric of Australian society. It brings social, cultural, and economic benefits to the nation. Investing now in the activities and resources that sustain volunteering will build on the creation of the National Strategy for Volunteering and the strong history of volunteering in Australia.

Volunteering Australia calls on all political parties and candidates to commit to:

The National Strategy for Volunteering (2023-2033) provides a clear and compelling case for targeted and sufficient investment in volunteering and is widely supported, as demonstrated through the Coalition of Support.

What does the ecosystem need?
The National Strategy was co-designed and is owned by all members of the volunteering ecosystem. It provides a clear and compelling case, underpinned by robust data and evidence, for targeted and sufficient investment in volunteering and recognition of the role it plays in creating and maintaining thriving communities. The National Strategy has wide support from the volunteering ecosystem, as demonstrated by the Coalition of Support.

The Australian Government is a key enabling partner in the implementation of the National Strategy for Volunteering, with several Federal departments and agencies making valuable commitments through the first three-year Action Plan. We call on all political parties and candidates to commit to fund implementation and coordination of the National Strategy for Volunteering.

It is essential that volunteers are not out-of-pocket for contributing their time and effort, and for maintaining relevant qualifications, certifications, and worker screening checks.

What does the ecosystem need?

Ensuring that volunteers are not out-of-pocket for contributing their time, and for maintaining relevant qualifications, certifications, and worker screening checks, is essential. To help address cost-of-living pressures, we call on all political parties and candidates to maintain or increase funding that provides direct support to volunteers and volunteer involving organisations, such as the Volunteer Grants program.

The Volunteer Management Activity (VMA) aims to create opportunities for people to participate in the social and economic life of their community through volunteering. This important program must be expanded.

What does the ecosystem need?

The VMA, delivered by state and territory Volunteering Peak Bodies, focuses on developing and implementing strategies to build the capacity of volunteer involving organisations to recruit and retain volunteers. We call on all political parties and candidates to increase investment in the VMA, recognising the true cost of delivering services.

Consistent and affordable volunteer insurance, that better protects volunteers in the course of their duties, is urgently required given current gaps in coverage.

What does the ecosystem need?

We call on all political parties and candidates to work towards a model for more consistent and affordable volunteer insurance in Australia that better protects volunteers in the course of their duties. An alarming one in four volunteer involving organisations do not offer insurance to their volunteers. In addition, volunteers are not typically covered by Workers Compensation, and Voluntary Workers Personal Accident Insurance covers injury, but not illness acquired while performing volunteer duties, as was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic

A National Volunteer Passport would improve portability of volunteer credentials between organisations and jurisdictions.

What does the ecosystem need?

Currently, engagement of volunteers is often delayed or complicated by duplicative training requirements and worker screening processes, which are often not portable between jurisdictions. This can be a significant burden both for volunteers and organisations, particularly those that operate in more than one state or territory. We call on all political parties and candidates to support the creation of a National Volunteer Passport to improve the portability of volunteer credentials.

What is at risk?

A thriving volunteering ecosystem is crucial to ensure the provision of essential services, such as food relief, mental health support, aged care, youth services, animal welfare, and emergency response and recovery. It also underpins activities that strengthen and enrich our communities, such as sport, the arts, religion, and cultural and other events.

One fifth of Australia’s formal volunteers are involved in community services, welfare, and homelessness. Other large sub-sectors, such as sport and recreation, and religious, faith-based, and spiritual organisations each engage more than one million volunteers, and there are hundreds of thousands of volunteers in environmental organisations.

Data also reveals sizeable volunteer workforces in mental health (4.4 per cent of formal volunteers), aged care (8.8 per cent), and disability (4.7 per cent). Each of these sectors engages more than 300,000 volunteers.

The way forward

Valuing volunteering means more than just holding volunteers in high regard or speaking about the importance of their contribution. It also means more than reducing volunteering to an economic valuation. Genuinely valuing volunteering requires action to support it, including recognition of its contribution to cohesive communities and to essential services that would otherwise not be delivered.

Invest now for a sustainable, thriving volunteer nation, for positive impact and strong communities.

Volunteering Australia Election Platform 2025Download

Incoming Government Brief

This Incoming Government Brief builds on our Federal Election Platform Volunteer Nation: Positive Impact, Strong Communities to provide a broad overview of volunteering in Australia and ecosystem level considerations for the returned Government, while outlining key policy and advocacy areas and challenges. It also highlights some of Volunteering Australia’s current engagement across Australian Government portfolios.

This brief was drafted by Volunteering Australia in collaboration with our Foundation Members, the state and territory Volunteering Peak Bodies.

The Incoming Government Brief has been provided to all relevant Ministers and agencies.

Volunteering Australia Incoming Government Brief June 2025Download