April, 2026

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have practiced reciprocal community care, cultural obligation, and kinship-based giving for tens of thousands of years. These enduring systems of support are deeply rooted in connection to Country, culture, and community.
These forms of contribution often extend beyond what is captured by mainstream definitions of ‘volunteering’, which tend to reflect structured, Western models. At Volunteering Australia, we recognise that a fuller understanding of giving must embrace the diverse and culturally grounded ways people care for and support one another.

We are listening and learning from First Nations communities to understand how community giving is defined, practiced, and supported in different contexts

How is Volunteering Australia engaging on and progressing this work?

Policy position

Volunteering Australia and our State and Territory peak bodies are committed to working in partnership with governments and community stakeholders to create policy settings that recognise and support First Nations contributions.

We continue to advocate for policies that remove barriers, respect cultural practices, and create meaningful pathways for participation.

You can access our submissions and position statements on our website.

Reconciliation Action Plans

Volunteering Australia and each State and Territory peak body are working with Reconciliation Australia to develop or review our Reconciliation Action Plans. These plans:

  • Guide our reflection on structural barriers to participation
  • Help shape more inclusive and respectful engagement
  • Commit us to real, measurable change within our organisations

Volunteering Australia is currently involved in the Innovate Stage of our Reconciliation Action Plan.

National Strategy for Volunteering

The National Strategy for Volunteering (2023–2033) places inclusion and equity at its core. It “recognises and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique ways of knowing, being, and doing and the value of volunteering that is embedded in these practices”

Strategic Objective 2.1 commits to “diversify the understanding of volunteering and promote the wide range of ways people contribute to community”. We are embedding these principles by:

  • Ensuring First Nations voices are represented in national conversations
  • Supporting the diversification of volunteering definitions
  • Advocating for culturally responsive volunteering infrastructure

We understand this work is ongoing. It requires deep listening, relationship-building, and cultural humility. We are committed to working in partnership with First Nations peoples to ensure that volunteering, in all its forms, is inclusive, meaningful, and community led.

Resources and further reading

We also encourage learning from First Nations-led organisations and initiatives. Here are some starting points:

Reconciliation Australia

An independent not-for profit organisation, the lead body for reconciliation in Australia.

Reconciliation Australia promote and facilitate reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Visit their website

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) is an Indigenous-led, national institute that celebrates, educates and inspires people from all walks of life to connect with the knowledge, heritage and cultures of Australia’s First Peoples.

AIATSIS’s vision is a world in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultures are recognised, respected, celebrated and valued.

Visit their website

Common Ground

Common Ground exists to bring connection, truth and deeper understanding through storytelling.

Common Ground amplifies and backs First Nations voices with diverse lived experience: works to strengthen the storytelling ecosystem by building power, relationships and pathways: and bring together people and stories to create content and experiences that inform and advocate.

Visit their website