National Survey of Volunteers Issues 2009 Report

The annual National Survey of Volunteering Issues conducted by Volunteering Australia provides an insight into the issues that affect volunteering in Australia. The 2009 survey attracted a record number of participants with more than 3,700 respondents taking part, ensuring a wide cross section of opinions was received from individual volunteers, volunteer involving organisations and companies with employee volunteer programs.
Key findings of the report found that:

• more than one third (36%) of volunteers reported they had not had any recognition for their good work in the last month of their volunteering.

• ‘Knowing that my contribution would make a difference’ is most important to volunteers in their decision to volunteer (selected by 80% of volunteer respondents).

• ‘Being accepted as a valuable team member’, ‘personal thank you’ and ‘feedback about my contribution’ are the most significant methods of recognition that volunteer respondents reported made them feel valued as a volunteer.

• 30% of organisations surveyed have not been able to access adequate information about the protection of volunteers under occupational health and safety legislation.

• 44% of volunteers reported that out of pocket expenses affect their ability or desire to volunteer, with fuel (84.6%) and telephone charges (65.4%) being the two most common cost problems.

• only 17% of volunteers reported that their organisation offered full reimbursement of their out of pocket expenses.

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