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MeMBerSHip
V
olunteering in Australia is an ever-adapting
movement, and with more than five million active
volunteers over the age of 18
1
, volunteers are strongly
represented across areas of diversity including
gender, age, ethnicity, and disability as well as educational and
economic divides. Contributing approximately $70 billion
annually to Australia's economy
2
, volunteers play a vital role
in service provision, innovation and advocacy, and are an
essential component for the tens of thousands of not-for-profit
organisations that rely on the effort of volunteers.
Volunteering Australia, the national peak body working to
advance volunteering in the Australian community, recognises
that there are changes in the climate of volunteering. These
include: a shift in the way people want to volunteer, the impact
of the baby boomer generation retiring, the rising costs of
volunteering, and some distinct differences between demographic
groups in what motivates them and how they choose to
contribute.
While people are motivated to volunteer for various reasons,
with the most common reasons revolving around feelings of
being connected to community, and personal satisfaction, we
need to remember that people's motivations can change with
time according to need and circumstance, and that increasingly
volunteers are seeking opportunities for more than just altruistic
motivations. Volunteering can bring benefits such as training,
experience, friendship, networks and leadership opportunities
to name but a few, and organisations need to be mindful of how
their volunteer opportunities can meet both altruistic and personal
needs.
One key challenge being faced by the volunteer sector today
is that although the number of people volunteering continues
to rise, the sector faces a decrease in the number of hours in
which volunteers are contributing. Additionally, despite the total
increase in volunteer numbers, sector specific review and analysis
also indicates areas of decline. For example, Meals on Wheels
a snapshot of the changing landscape of
VoluNteerS
volunteering
(New South Wales) reports "increasing difficulty in attracting
volunteers" particularly from the younger generation, while the
majority of their existing volunteers are aged 50 and over
3
.
There are many factors that are contributing to this decrease, with
possibly the most current being the global financial crisis and the
impact this is having on not only a volunteer's financial capacity
to volunteer (in the instance where no out of pocket expenses are
reimbursed) but also in relation to time for example, retirees
needing to re-enter the workforce, people needing to remain in
the paid workforce for longer etc.
Another significant trend contributing towards a decrease in the
number of hours given to volunteering, is episodic volunteering
- an increasing demand from volunteers for a one off, shorter
term, or project based volunteer opportunity. Just as in the
paid workforce, volunteers no longer remain with the one
organisation indefinitely, with people often being attracted to
give their time through a diversity of ways and for a variety
of roles. A good example of such volunteering can be seen in
the 2006 Commonwealth Games, festivals and events, or other
time limited, specific volunteering projects such as assisting an
organisation set up a website. Additionally, the rising trend of
corporate volunteering is also creating an increased demand for
short term projects, with companies often seeking one day, team
based volunteer opportunities for their employees. While this
influx of corporate volunteers can present challenges, we are
presented with opportunities for not-for-profit organisations to
have meaningful dialogue with the corporate sector to create and
foster partnerships that are equitable and valuable to all involved,
to improve understanding between the sectors, and to have a
diverse volunteer base.
While Australia has a proud culture of volunteering, in order to
support and build on the contribution of volunteers, it is crucial
that the organisations engaging volunteers stay informed of,
and are sufficiently resourced to manage, the current volunteer
landscape.
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Voluntary Work, Australia, 4441.0, 2006.
2 Ironmonger, D. The Economic Value of Volunteering in Queensland, May 2008, Queensland Government, Department of Communities.
3 Leslie MacDonald, CEO NSW Meals on Wheels, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth Roundtable, May 2008