The impact of the Global Financial Crisis that began nearly a decade ago and which led to the reduction of grants and other federal funding for the non-profit sector is still being seen and felt throughout Australia. Finding ways to achieve their mission in this austere financial climate, however, is not the only challenge that NFPS face today. With the assistance of Pricewaterhouse Coopers Australia, Volunteering Australia has compiled the results of a national survey of over 2,300 volunteers, and the organisations and corporates where volunteering is prevalent.

The 2016 State of Volunteering in Australia Report has now been released, and provides fresh insight into additional current and emerging obstacles that NFPs must work to overcome if they wish to achieve their service objectives.

Top 3 Key Findings of the Report

1. Volunteers Have a Positive Impact.

Overall, the report found that volunteers show a high rate of enthusiasm for their work and that most organisations that utilise volunteers show a positive impact from their work and involvement with their organisation. The data shows that 99% of volunteers desire to continue their work, with 93% of volunteers undergoing positive changes such as seeing an improved sense of well-being in others and feeling better about their own place in the world. 67% of organisations with volunteer involvement noticed that volunteers brought their group new insights, and 64% said that their effectiveness was increased by their volunteers.

2. More Volunteers are Needed.

86% of organisations felt that they have trouble finding enough volunteers, and 57% of the workforce is comprised of volunteers in those organisations that involve them.

3. There are Many Barriers to Volunteering.

Many NFPs report difficulties obtaining the funding necessary to bring on all of the volunteers that they need. Other NFPs maintain that they have great difficulty finding enough individuals willing to volunteer or finding enough people with the right skill set to volunteer. 30% of NFPs also said that they had no way to reasonably connect with volunteers who might have barriers to serving.

On the volunteer side, many current and prospective volunteers mentioned that they have difficulty balancing the demands of their work schedule with their volunteer schedule or have financial difficulty and cannot afford unpaid expenses associated with their volunteer work. Others report that the volunteer opportunities that they are offered do not match the skills that they have developed during their work and life experiences.  Still others want to volunteer but do not know who to contact or how to get started finding an organisation that can benefit from their help.  The report also found that many volunteers do so outside of formal volunteer organisations, and desire for easier, more accessible ways to discover volunteer opportunities in their local community.

What You Can Do to Help

Based on the findings of the report, NFPs can take actions to remove barriers to volunteering. Offering more flexible schedules, reducing red tape, finding ways for potential volunteers to connect with your NFP online where they can learn more about your organisation and discover the opportunities that you offer volunteers are all ways that you can increase support for your NFP and increase your pool of potential of volunteers.