News

In recognition of National Volunteer Week, The Centre for Volunteering has released their landmark report: A Snapshot of Volunteering in Australia,

The Snapshot of Volunteering in Australia is a joint project with all state and territory volunteering peak bodies and combines research from the 2023 State of Volunteering reports from across the nation.

The Snapshot report is based on data from the 2023 State of Volunteering Surveys, collected from every state and territory and is the largest study of volunteering in Australia, with nearly 7000 members of the general public and nearly 4000 volunteer managers sharing their experiences.

The strength and value of the volunteering sector in Australia is demonstrated by the findings of the report which include:

• 14.1 million Australians aged 15 and over (or 64.3% of the population) volunteered in some capacity in 2023.
• Volunteers gave around 3.2 billion hours of their time to their communities.
• Volunteer contributions delivered an estimated $566 billion in financial benefit to the Australian economy—with a return of $5 for every $1 invested in the volunteering sector.

Ongoing research is essential for helping to understand the scale of the volunteering effort, the needs of individuals, and the key issues affecting volunteering. Research also helps shape policies, target resources, and support for volunteers and their managers.

Palliative Care NSW welcomes this report with the findings able to further support the advocacy work we do to highlight the value and impact of palliative care volunteers. This is also valuable data for current or potential palliative care volunteering services that can be used to support enhanced funding requests and the establishment of new volunteer services.

Volunteer Managers across New South Wales are now being called on to make their voices heard in the 2025 NSW State of Volunteering Survey.

The CEO of The Centre for Volunteering, Gemma Rygate said, “We are now seeking input from volunteer managers across NSW to help identify current trends, challenges, and opportunities.

“By completing the survey, you play a vital role in shaping the future of volunteering in NSW.”

We encourage all palliative care volunteer coordinators and managers to complete this survey.