Why Australia Needed a National Strategy
Volunteering is woven into the fabric of Australian life. It sustains emergency services, supports aged care, drives environmental conservation, and enriches cultural and sporting communities. Yet, despite its centrality, volunteering faces a sustainability crisis.
The Strategy warns:
“Following a global pandemic and consecutive, record-breaking natural disasters, there is no longer time to wait to address the sustainability crisis facing volunteering in Australia.”
Formal volunteering has declined from 36.0% of adults in 2019 to 26.7% in 2022, equating to 1.86 million fewer volunteers compared to pre-COVID levels. While 56.7% of Australians engaged in either formal or informal volunteering in 2022, the sharp drop in structured roles threatens essential services such as emergency response, mental health support, and aged care.
The report highlights the urgency:
“Volunteering has always been a constant in Australian society, but it has never achieved its full potential.”
The Strategy at a Glance
The National Strategy for Volunteering 2023–2033, co-designed by stakeholders across the volunteering ecosystem, provides a ten-year roadmap to revitalise volunteering. It is built around a clear vision and three focus areas:
- Vision:
“Volunteering is the heart of Australian communities—where more people volunteer more often, where volunteers feel respected and know their contribution makes a difference.”
Focus Areas:
- Individual Potential and the Volunteer Experience – Volunteering is a safe, inclusive, accessible, meaningful, and non-exploitative experience.
- Community and Social Impact – The diversity and impact of volunteering are articulated and celebrated.
- Conditions for Volunteering to Thrive – The right conditions are in place for volunteering to be effective and sustainable.
The 11 Strategic Objectives
The Strategy operationalises its vision through 11 objectives, grouped under the three focus areas:
Focus Area 1: Individual Potential and the Volunteer Experience
- Focus on the Volunteer Experience “A good volunteer experience is paramount to achieving individual and collective goals.”
- Make Volunteering Inclusive and Accessible “Participating in volunteering should be an easy choice where everyone feels welcome to come as they are.”
- Ensure Volunteering is Not Exploitative “Volunteering should not be exploited as ‘free labour’, used to replace paid workers or compensate for shortages.”
Focus Area 2: Community and Social Impact
- Diversify the Understanding of Volunteering “Improving the understanding of volunteering to include different cultural expressions and interpretations will ensure volunteering, in all forms, is well supported.”
- Reshape the Public Perception of Volunteering “Expanding the public consciousness on volunteering will inspire more people to contribute to activities and causes they care about.”
- Recognise the Inherent Value of Volunteering “Celebrating and supporting volunteering as an activity with inherent value makes a powerful statement about its importance.”
- Enable a Community-Led Approach “Empowering and enabling communities to be drivers of how volunteering influences their futures will ensure everyone who wants to participate can do so.”
Focus Area 3: Conditions for Volunteering to Thrive
- Make Volunteering a Cross-Portfolio Issue in Government “Governments need to consider volunteers and volunteering across all domains.”
- Build Strong Leadership and Shared Accountability “Strong leadership for a shared agenda on volunteering will elevate its importance and foster collaboration.”
- Commit to Strategic Investment “The availability of and investment in common enabling infrastructure, including technology, research, resources, and support services, will improve capacity.”
- Recognise the Importance of Volunteer Management “Recognition of and adequate resourcing for Volunteer Management as a function and profession will improve the experience of volunteers.”
Indicators of Success
The Strategy identifies three indicators of success:
“The volunteer experience has been improved; volunteering is comprehensively valued; and there is an increase in the number of volunteers.”
Action Plan 2024–2027: Turning Vision into Action
We are now in the second year of the first three-year Action Plan (2024–2027), which translates the 11 objectives into 22 priority actions. These actions are co-designed with stakeholders and led by organisations such as Volunteering Australia, the Department of Social Services, the Australian Sports Commission, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Action Plan states:
“Action Plans are an important facet of the National Strategy’s implementation, providing clarity, guidance and new opportunities for collaboration for the volunteering ecosystem.”
Key Actions
- Measure Volunteer Experience:
“Produce and implement a survey to measure and track the volunteer experience nationally.”
- Inclusive Volunteering:
“Host forums to enhance collaboration and knowledge-sharing around inclusive volunteering.”
- Legal Safety:
“Increase volunteer involving organisations’ understanding of their legal obligations to volunteers.”
- Public Awareness:
“Deliver a national campaign to raise awareness of volunteering.”
- Data and Research:
“Collect and publish new official national data on volunteering in Australia.”
- Community-Led Partnerships:
“Create new community-led volunteering partnerships.”
- Government Alignment:
“Scope a whole of Australian Government approach to volunteering.”
- Infrastructure and Innovation:
“Develop a national volunteering passport” and “Deliver a central platform of tools and resources.”
- Volunteer Management:
“Align the implementation of National Standards for Volunteer Involvement with the National Strategy.”
Looking Ahead
The 2024–2027 Action Plan is the first wave of implementation. Two further Action Plans (2027–2030 and 2030–2033) will build on lessons learned, scale successful initiatives, and adapt to emerging trends such as digital volunteering, climate resilience, and the future of work.
A Shared Call to Action
The National Strategy is co-owned by the volunteering ecosystem. Every stakeholder has a role:
- Volunteers: Share your experiences and advocate for inclusion.
- Organisations: Adopt best practices, report impact, and align roles with volunteer motivations.
- Peak Bodies: Convene forums, provide resources, and act as ambassadors.
- Researchers: Contribute to the research agenda and translate findings into practice.
- Governments and Funders: Align policies and funding with the Strategy and invest in enabling infrastructure.
As the Strategy reminds us:
“Together, we will create a supported and sustainable volunteering community across Australia that will benefit all of us.”
References
- Volunteering Australia. (n.d.). The National Strategy for Volunteering 2023–2033. https://volunteeringstrategy.org.au/the-strategy/
- Volunteering Australia. (2024). Action Plan 2024–2027. https://volunteeringstrategy.org.au/action-plan