News

Staffer Julie Flood attended day 1 of the National Volunteering Conference in Canberra last week and passed-on this report:

More the 700 came to the National Volunteering Conference, BUILD the future, at the national Convention Centre Canberra, April 6-8 2016

The State of Volunteering in Australia report April 2016, Help Create Happiness, was launched  at this event.

Focussing on the future, this report details the trends, demographics , challenges and successes in the volunteering sector in Australia. The report highlights evidence provide in a major survey conducted by Volunteering Australia and PwC. As well as giving an analysis of the current state of volunteering in Australia, opportunities for maximising the potential of the volunteer workforce are identified.

The report addresses key questions:

• Are the current volunteer engagement and management practices appropriate for the future?
• Is there alignment between the types of roles volunteers want to undertake, the sectors they are interested in volunteering in, and the needs of volunteer involving organisations?
• What is the appropriate framework to support informal volunteering?
• What are the necessary steps that need to be taken to future proof volunteering>

Significantly, 99% of volunteers indicated they would continue to engage in volunteering in the future.

However, 86% of volunteer involving organisations are struggling to get the volunteers they need, with volunteers deterred by factors such as personal expense, red tape and a lack of flexibility, according to a report recently launched by Volunteering Australia at the National Volunteering Conference in Canberra.

There are seven specific key findings ranging from evidence of a disconnect between the volunteering roles that people are interested in and the roles that organisations are offering, the need for the creation of an informal volunteering platform and online methods of recruitment and volunteering could complement the needs of future volunteers.

For those interested in and serious about volunteering this report is essential reading. It is available for download from http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/2016/04/2016-state-of-volunteering-in-australia/