Australia's volunteer workforce — the 6 million Australians who volunteer regularly — is essential to community life. Volunteers staff emergency services, run sporting clubs, provide aged care companionship, manage wildlife rescue, run op shops, and deliver countless community programmes. Grant funding for volunteering supports the infrastructure, training, and systems that enable effective volunteer engagement.
Scale
The volunteering sector is changing
National Volunteer Week and promotion
The federal government supports National Volunteer Week — recognising and promoting volunteering. Limited grant funding.
State volunteering bodies
Each state has a volunteering peak body funded by state government:
- Volunteering Australia (national)
- Volunteering ACT
- Volunteering Victoria
- Volunteering Queensland
- Volunteering NSW
- Volunteering WA
- Volunteering SA&NT
- Volunteering Tasmania
These bodies provide volunteer management training, sector development, and some grants for volunteer programme development.
Emergency volunteering
Emergency services volunteering receives dedicated government support:
- State Emergency Service (SES) — state funded
- Rural Fire Service / Country Fire Authority (CFS/CFA) — state funded
- Volunteer Marine Rescue — state funded
Post-disaster capacity building and equipment are often grant-funded through disaster recovery programmes.
Volunteer Grants Programme (Dept of Social Services)
The federal government's Volunteer Grants programme funds equipment and resources for volunteer-based community organisations — particularly in regional areas. While smaller than peak funding, it is widely accessed by community organisations.
Ian Potter Foundation
Community and social sectors — some volunteering programme grants.
Corporate philanthropy and employee volunteering
Corporate volunteer programmes are a form of in-kind philanthropy — employees donating time, skills, and labour to community organisations:
- Team volunteering days (group projects)
- Skills-based volunteering (professional skills donated)
- Pro bono (billable services donated)
- Board placement (professionals serving on nonprofit boards)
Corporate employee volunteering programmes represent significant philanthropic value — and some corporates provide matching grants when employees volunteer.
Community foundations
Community foundations fund local volunteer programme development — community groups building volunteer capacity.
Volunteer management training
Training volunteer managers and coordinators:
- Certificate in Volunteer Management
- Online volunteer management training
- Supervisor skills for volunteer managers
- Volunteer recognition and retention strategies
Volunteer recognition
Volunteer recruitment
Skills-based volunteering programmes
Matching professional skills with community needs:
- Pro Bono Australia
- Law firms, accounting firms, and consultancies with pro bono programmes
- Technology skills volunteering
Emergency volunteering
Surge volunteering — rapid deployment of volunteers in disasters:
- Spontaneous Volunteer Management (SVM) training
- Registration and skills matching systems
- Coordination with emergency services
Youth volunteering
School-based volunteering programmes and youth volunteer development:
- Youth volunteering leadership programmes
- School service-learning curricula
- Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteering components
Older volunteer support
Older Australians contribute enormously through volunteering — programmes supporting older volunteers:
- Accessible volunteer roles for older people
- Intergenerational volunteer programmes
- Digital skills for older volunteers
International volunteering
Australia also exports volunteers — Australian Volunteers International and similar programmes deploy skilled Australians overseas. Government-funded.
COVID accelerated virtual volunteering:
- Online mentoring and coaching
- Virtual befriending for isolated people
- Remote data entry and research
- Digital skills support (helping elderly or disadvantaged people online)
Funding for virtual volunteer infrastructure — platforms, training, coordination — is a growing need.
Volunteer numbers
Demonstrate the scale of your volunteer programme — how many volunteers, how many hours, what is the dollar value of volunteer contribution? This contextualises the value of investment in volunteer management.
Volunteer satisfaction and retention
Show that volunteers are satisfied and return — volunteer retention rates and satisfaction surveys demonstrate programme quality.
Community impact
Articulate what volunteers deliver — not just volunteering as an end in itself, but what volunteer effort achieves for the community.
Organisational commitment to volunteers
Show that leadership values volunteering — volunteer recognition, policy framework, dedicated volunteer management staff.
Training and development
Funders want to see investment in volunteer development — not just deploying volunteers, but growing their capabilities and experiences.
Tahua's grants management platform supports organisations managing volunteer programmes alongside their grant portfolios — with volunteer hour tracking, programme outcome management, grant compliance reporting, and the tools that help community organisations demonstrate the full value of their volunteer-delivered programmes.