
Image Credit - Michael Mannington 2019
Overview
The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement (the Standards) were developed in 2015, in consultation with the Australian volunteering sector. The Standards are a useful benchmark to strategically position organisations to attract, recruit and retain more volunteers, as well as increasing the likelihood of attracting funding.
The Centre for Volunteering offers a variety of tools and resources to assist organisations to demonstrate their compliance with the Standards. These include:
- National Standards framework
- National Standards self-assessment tool
- National Standards workshops
- National Standards gap analysis
- National Standards guide and workbook
Who it’s for
The Standards have been designed to help organisations:
- Incorporate the values and maximise the benefits of volunteer involvement
- Develop effective volunteer involvement strategies and practices
- Involve volunteers in meaningful and useful activities that contribute to the outcomes of the organisation’s work
- Ensure the rights of volunteers are protected and that they are supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities
Please note that the information provided in the standards does not purport to be legal advice. The Centre encourages organisations to seek their legal practitioner in this regard.
National Standards for Volunteer Involvement framework
This framework is designed to help organisations consider the role of volunteers within their administration, and the impact effective volunteer involvement can have on achieving strategic goals and aims.
There are 8 standards addressing the key areas of volunteer involvement:
- Leadership and management
- Commitment to volunteer involvement
- Volunteer roles
- Recruitment and selection
- Support and development
- Workplace safety and well-being
- Volunteer recognition
- Quality management and continuous improvement
This framework has been devised to provide guidance on how to:
- Incorporate the values and maximise the benefits of volunteer involvement
- Develop effective volunteer involvement strategies and practices
- Involve volunteers in meaningful and useful activities that contribute to the outcomes of the organisation’s work
- Ensure the rights of volunteers are protected and that they are supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities
National Standards self-assessment tool
This online tool helps organisations achieve best practice by measuring their performance with volunteer involvement.
This tool will:
- Assess your organisation’s performance against the standards
- Identify actions required to achieve compliance with the standards
- Automatically generate an action plan for good practice
- Suggest great workflow management tools
- Provide useful templates to assist with volunteer management
For more information and to subscribe to the Volunteering Australia self-assessment tool
National Standards workshops
The Centre runs a number of practical workshops for organisations and volunteer managers on implementing the standards. These include:
- Preparation workshops
This includes 2 half-day workshops to assist organisations to prepare and plan for their implementation of the Standards, with guidance from experienced facilitators. - Knowledge workshops
Perfect for senior managers and board members, the Centre also offers a morning and afternoon workshop looking at how to implement the Standards.
Workshop objectives include:
- Gain an understanding of the benefits of implementation
- Assess the gaps of your organisation
- Manage the necessary change
- Begin an action plan
For more information, contact svm@volunteering.com.au.
National Standards gap analysis
The Centre runs a free 2-hour ‘health check’ for its members to assess how they sit against the standards. Following the consultation, The Centre can assist in putting together an action plan to manage necessary change.
For more information, contact membership@volunteering.com.au.
National Standards guide and workbook
Containing a comprehensive set of instructions, this guide and workbook is designed as an accessible manual for organisations to implement the Standards. Notably, this resource can help organisations identify their strengths, and suggest system improvements for managing volunteer involvement.
The guide and workbook is available for purchase.
- Non-member $30
- Member $25
To get a copy, contact info@volunteering.com.au.
Please note, the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement (2015) are the intellectual property of Volunteering Australia. They are recognised within Australia as the best practice framework for volunteer involvement. As the owners of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, Volunteering Australia has endorsed its foundation members, the state and territory peak bodies for volunteering, as being the sole organisations authorised to deliver training and develop resources on the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement. Any unauthorised use of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement is strictly prohibited.