Volunteers are the backbone of community sport, arts, social services, and environmental organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Managing volunteers effectively — training, coordinating, recognising, and retaining them — requires investment. This guide covers the key funding sources for volunteer development and management capacity building.
Volunteer management grants typically come from:
- Volunteering peak bodies: Volunteering Australia, Volunteering NZ, and state/territory equivalents
- Government: Federal and state government funding for volunteering infrastructure
- Community foundations: Funding volunteer capacity in specific sectors
- Sector-specific funders: Sport, emergency services, health — each sector has volunteer-focused funding
Volunteering Australia is the national peak body for volunteering in Australia. It advocates for the volunteering sector and receives government investment for national volunteering initiatives.
Key investment areas:
- National volunteering research and data
- Volunteer management capacity building
- National Volunteer Week (annual promotion)
- Volunteer management best practice
Volunteering New Zealand is the peak body for volunteering in New Zealand. Volunteering NZ:
- Advocates for volunteers and volunteering organisations
- Provides resources for volunteer managers
- Conducts volunteering research
- Administers some capacity building programmes
Australia — Federal:
- Department of Social Services: Volunteering support and capacity building
- State emergency management agencies: Emergency services volunteer support
- Treasury: Philanthropic and giving framework reviews (indirectly relevant)
Australia — State:
Each state has state volunteering peaks supported by government (e.g., Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering SA, Volunteering WA). State government funding flows through these bodies.
New Zealand:
- Department of Internal Affairs (DIA): Community and voluntary sector support
- Lotteries Grants Board: Funding for community organisations including volunteering infrastructure
- MSD: Social sector volunteering connections
Emergency service organisations — St John Ambulance, State Emergency Services, Rural Fire Service, surf life saving clubs — have dedicated volunteer support funding:
- Federal emergency management funding: Australia-specific
- State emergency services agencies: State funding for volunteer emergency services
- Philanthropy: Emergency services foundations
Sport organisations depend entirely on volunteers. Sport-specific volunteer funding:
- Sport Australia / Sport NZ: Volunteer development as part of community sport investment
- Gaming trusts: Volunteer training and recognition costs
- State sport agencies: Coach and volunteer accreditation programmes
Specific costs that attract volunteer-focused funding:
- First aid training: Mandatory for many volunteer roles — Red Cross, St John programmes
- Working with Children Checks / Police Vetting: Mandatory screening
- Specific skills training: Financial management, governance, sport coaching
- Leadership development: Volunteer team leader and committee development
- Volunteer management systems: Software for volunteer coordination
Gaming trusts and community foundations fund volunteer training costs for community organisations.
Volunteer recognition and retention is fundable:
- Volunteer recognition events: Annual awards, appreciation events
- Uniforms and equipment: Identifying volunteers, equipping them for their roles
- Transport reimbursement: Removing cost barriers for volunteers who travel
- Volunteer coordinators: Staffed volunteer management roles
Some funders specifically fund volunteer coordinator positions in organisations with large volunteer bases.
Community foundations: Auckland Foundation, Acorn Foundation, Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (Melbourne), and others fund community sector capacity including volunteering.
Ian Potter Foundation (Australia): Organisational effectiveness including volunteer management.
Paul Ramsay Foundation: Community sector capacity and resilience.
Perpetual: Various clients fund community organisations with volunteering components.
Strong volunteer management applications demonstrate:
- Volunteer numbers: Total volunteers, hours contributed, trends
- Volunteer roles: What volunteers do and why it matters
- Retention challenges: The specific problem the grant is solving
- Training needs: Specific gaps in volunteer capability
- Recognition programme: How volunteers will be valued and retained
- Organisational culture: Culture of volunteering and how it's supported
- Impact of volunteers: What would not happen without your volunteers
Tahua's grants management platform helps volunteer-dependent organisations manage their grant applications, track volunteer capacity funding, and demonstrate the community impact that funders value.