Volunteering: further resources

Discover related resources in the
Volunteering Collection

The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Volunteering Australia

Volunteer involvement is a critical part of Australian society. It contributes to civil society and active participation in building strong, inclusive, and resilient communities. It underlies innovation and social change, our responses to community need and community challenges, and it brings together and supports the local strengths and assets of communities.

Volunteer involvement is a two-way relationship, providing an opportunity for organisations to achieve their goals by involving volunteers in their activities, and for volunteers to make meaningful use of their time and skills, contributing to social and community outcomes.

The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
Volunteering Australia, 2015

Download 2015 report (PDF 0.3MB)

National Emergency Management Volunteer Action Plan, 2012

In March 2008, the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management-Emergency Management identified that action needed to be taken to ensure the future viability of volunteers working in the areas of emergency response and recovery. A study was commissioned by the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) to investigate and report on the attraction, support and retention of emergency management volunteers. Based on the report, the Australian Emergency Management Committee agreed that an action plan should be developed, using the report and other relevant material.

The National Action Plan for the Attraction, Support and Retention of Emergency Management Volunteers (NEMVAP, 2009) proposed eleven actions of national applicability and benefit to all emergency management volunteers.

Titled the National Emergency Management Volunteer Action Plan (NEMVAP, 2012) this document revises and updates the 2009 NEMVAP, and sets out some recommended actions to further progress implementation, consistent with the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. Implementation of the NEMVAP (2012) will help ensure that emergency management volunteers will continue to be available, well prepared, appropriately trained, equipped and resourced to help their communities build disaster resilience, including disaster response and recovery capability into the future.

National Emergency Management Volunteer Action Plan, 2012, Australian Attorney-General's Department (PDF 0.7MB)

The attraction, support and retention of emergency management volunteers

Dr Judy Esmond

In 2009, the Attorney-General's Department through Emergency Management Australia (EMA) commissioned Dr Judy Esmond, a leading authority on volunteering, to undertake a study and provide a report aimed at identifying issues and options for the attraction, support and retention of emergency management volunteers.

The original report identified five major areas of challenge which needed to be addressed to ensure the sustainability of and growth in emergency management volunteers: time, training, cost, recognition, and people.

The 2016 report re-examines the five challenges of time, training, cost, recognition and people identified in 2009. Seven years later, it is important to consider how organisations have sought to meet those challenges, and what progress has been made towards the goal of ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of emergency management volunteers.

The attraction, support and retention of emergency management volunteers
Dr Judy Esmond

2009 report (PDF 0.3MB) 2016 report (PDF 0.3MB)

National Volunteer Guide

Not-for-profit Law

Your organisation owes its volunteers certain legal obligations and these are sometimes hard to work out.

Not-for-profit Law has produced a National Volunteer Guide for use by volunteer involving organisations across Australia. It provides an overview of the key legal obligations organisations owe volunteers and provides practical examples, template documents and tips to assist in their understanding.

The guide is divided into six parts and covers the following key issues:

glossary of common terms and overview
understanding the legal differences between a volunteer, employee and independent contractor
understanding your organisation's legal obligations in relation to the safety of its volunteers
protecting volunteers and other people your volunteers are interacting with from unlawful workplace behaviour
recruiting, inducting, managing performance and ending the volunteer relationship
organisational issues applicable to volunteers.

Access the full guide and individual chapters