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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:
.Implement the National Strategy for Volunteering.
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.
.Provide cost-of-living relief to volunteers.
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.
.Increase funding for the Volunteer Management Activity.
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.
.Reform Volunteer Insurance.
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.
.Develop a National Volunteer Passport.
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.
Read our Election Platform
Support a thriving Volunteer Nation
Support a Thriving Volunteer Nation
- Contact candidates in your electorate to share why they should invest now for a sustainable, thriving volunteer nation, for positive impact and strong communities.
- Share our Election Platform with your volunteers and on social media, ensuring everyone is reminded that volunteering is essential to the fabric of Australian society in the lead up to the Federal Election. We’ve provided social media tiles below for you to choose from.
- Contact your local media in support of these priorities by sharing how volunteering has a positive impact in your life and builds strong communities. Sharing your story is a powerful way to support a thriving volunteer nation.
Key messages will be available soon.
Social media posts for sharing:
Instagram posts
Instagram stories
Landscape posts
Federal Budget 2025
Volunteering does not just happen and is not free; it requires investment
We cannot take Australia’s volunteers for granted. The work that volunteers do is not a ‘nice to have’; it is essential work that supports our schools and hospitals, our sporting teams, our aged care and disability services, and our ability to support the community in times of crisis. The foundations for a strong and sustainable volunteering ecosystem have been laid, guided by the co-designed National Strategy for Volunteering. Strategic investment in volunteering is crucial to safeguard its contribution to communities, and to ensure it is sustainable.
Federal Budget leaves nation’s volunteers behind
Volunteering is essential to the fabric of Australian society. Crucial national priorities – such as aged care, disability, homelessness, community welfare, emergency services, and the environment and climate – rely on volunteers to deliver services and take action. However, volunteering has been overlooked in the Federal Budget.
The Federal Budget funds no new measures for the volunteering ecosystem, and provides no funding to implement the 10-year National Strategy for Volunteering. Without adequate support, the vital contributions of millions of volunteers to Australia’s resilience are at risk.
We welcome the continuation of the Volunteering and Community Connectedness funding stream, including the ongoing Volunteer Management Activity and Strong and Resilient Communities (SARC) grants, as well as measures to address cost-of-living pressures for everyone in Australia. However, volunteer involving organisations remain under immense pressure with no support.
We are calling on future governments to invest genuinely in the volunteering ecosystem to secure its future, as demands for and on the volunteering ecosystem increase.
Read our Budget Media Release
Support a thriving Volunteer Nation
Pre-Budget Submission
Volunteering Australia’s Pre-Budget Submission called for targeted, strategic investment in volunteering to enable the Australian Government to meet key priorities and progress the co-designed National Strategy for Volunteering. We recommended a suite of initiatives to make volunteering sustainable into the future:
Priority Recommendations:
1. Provide volunteering cost-of-living relief through an expanded volunteer grants program
Investment: increase to $6.5million per annum
To help address cost-of-living pressures, the Australian Government should adapt and expand eligibility for the Volunteer Grants program to reach the broader community, better reflecting the true costs of volunteering and the barrier to participation they impose. It is recommended that the next round of Volunteer Grants is expedited, allocating increased funding to directly target the cost-of-living burden felt by volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.
2. Continue and expand funding for the Volunteer Management Activity
Investment: increase to $7.2million plus indexation per annum
The 2025-26 Budget should continue and increase funding for the Volunteer Management Activity with indexation into the forward estimates. We recommend that the Australian Government continues to fund, expand and support the Volunteer Management Activity, with a commitment to a further five-year program.
3. Invest in coordination and monitoring of the National Strategy for Volunteering
Investment: increase to $6.5million per annum
To help address cost-of-living pressures, the Australian Government should adapt and expand eligibility for the Volunteer Grants program to reach the broader community, better reflecting the true costs of volunteering and the barrier to participation they impose. It is recommended that the next round of Volunteer Grants is expedited, allocating increased funding to directly target the cost-of-living burden felt by volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.
4. Invest in national peak body funding
Investment: $350k per annum per key portfolio partner
The Australian Government should invest in national peak body funding for volunteering. This requires broadening the funding base for Volunteering Australia beyond the Department of Social Services, which has Commonwealth responsibility for volunteering, to other portfolios where intense advocacy, stakeholder access, evidence and advice at the national level are required to progress major reforms, sometimes over periods of months and years.
5. Develop a national volunteer passport
Investment: $800K per annum to support the volunteering ecosystem to engage and coordinate
The Australian Government should fund the development of a national volunteer passport. This platform would aim to increase volunteer mobility and enable better planning through improved data collection. It should build on other initiatives at the national and state/territory level, using a scalable approach.
6. Invest in child safe volunteering
Investment: $1.5million over three years
The Australian Government should invest in the roll-out of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations across the volunteering ecosystem; and list child safe volunteering in its next three-year action plan.
7. Establish a climate change volunteering capacity building program
Investment: a development fund of $0.5million in 2025-26
The Australian Government should invest in foundational work to establish a national program which builds and connects environmental and climate change volunteering capacity.
Read our Pre-Budget Submission
Support a thriving Volunteer Nation
