Involving Volunteers

Why involve volunteers?

Volunteers can be of enormous value to your workplace. Their commitment and enthusiasm, wide range of skills, experiences and interests will make a worthwhile and positive contribution to any organisation.

An Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001) survey found 4.4 million people in Australia contributed 704.1 million hours of voluntary work. And you'll find volunteers contributing in all areas of life.

In general, volunteers are committed and enthusiastic people with a great variety of skills who give their time, special talents and interests to work environments – mostly non-profit endeavours.

With different backgrounds, ages, life, work and education experiences, volunteers add positively to the diversity of organisations and the services being provided.

Volunteers can assist your organisation with tasks that support paid staff – on projects, events or special community drives. They may be able to offer their knowledge and skills for projects requiring special expertise.

Who can involve volunteers?

Volunteers contribute their time for no commercial gain. Only not-for-profit organisations and charities can engage volunteers in designated volunteer positions.

These organisations cover a wide range of activities and interests, such as community organisations, health (eg. hospital services and programs), welfare, sport and recreation, conservation, emergency services, environment, arts and education sectors as well as special public event involvement.

In addition to this, local government and councils run various community service programs that use volunteers such as day centres for the elderly, youth centres, children's activities in libraries and bush regeneration activities.

Corporations and private companies (for-profit) cannot involve volunteers from outside their organisation. They can involve their own employees in volunteering projects or programs for community benefit. This is commonly referred to as ‘Corporate Volunteering' or 'Employee Volunteering'. Not-for-profit organisations willing, ready and able to engage with corporations can benefit greatly from this type of volunteer contribution. Volunteering NSW helps match corporate volunteers with not-for-profit organisations and volunteer opportunities. To find out more visit our corporate volunteering section.

Volunteer Services within Volunteering NSW provides:

• Comprehensive information about organisations and volunteering
• offers advice on setting up volunteer programs and dealing with volunteering issues
• Assistance devising job descriptions and lodging them with the VNSW Referral Service to find volunteer/s matching the organisation's needs
• Peak body services such as advice to members on insurance and child protection matters
• The ability to network with other not-for-profit members that involve volunteers.

For more information and assistance, please contact our referral service on 02 9261 3600.

Volunteering NSW also offers short and long accredited and non-accredited training in volunteer management and management of not-for profit organisations through its sister organisation the School of Volunteer Management. Members receive special rates.

Want to become a member? Download our membership brochure or call our membership department on 02 9261 3600.