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State of Volunteeringin the Illawarra - 2012
State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Message from the Lord MayorI am proud to present this research report on the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra that has been
commissioned by Wollongong City Council’s Volunteering Illawarra unit. Volunteers play a critical role
in the creation of a cohesive and inclusive community, helping to deliver a diverse range of services
from aged care, education and literacy to youth programs, transport and bush care.
Research into the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra was funded by the NSW Department of Human
Services: Ageing, Disability and Home Care in 2011. The research identifies the issues affecting
volunteer management in not-for-profit organisations, the expectations and perceptions of potential,
new and experienced volunteers and emerging trends in volunteering. The research report provides a
number of recommendations of relevance to organisations that work with volunteers, to agencies that
fund volunteer-based services and to policy makers.
I take this opportunity to thank all of those individuals and organisations that contributed to the
development of the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report. I hope that the outcomes of this
research project will assist the local voluntary sector to respond appropriately to the challenges they
face and plan for a sustainable future.
Lord Mayor of WollongongCouncillor Gordon Bradbery OAM
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
AcknowledgementVolunteering Illawarra would like to thank the organisations and individuals who participated in this
research project. The sharing of thoughts, opinions and experience has helped shape this report,
which would not have been possible without this valued contribution.
Volunteering Illawarra would also like to acknowledge the contribution of Claudia Perry-Beltrame, who
was the principal researcher for the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research project.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Contents
Message from the Lord Mayor..............iiAcknowledgement.................................iiiContents.................................................ivExecutive Summary..............................vi
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra Research Project vi
Generational Differences in Relation to Volunteering vii
Managing Volunteers......................................vii
Challenges in Volunteer Management............vii
Volunteer Recruitment and Training..............viii
Volunteer Engagement..................................viii
Leadership of Volunteer Organisations..........viii
New Technologies and Volunteering...............ix
New Opportunities for Volunteering.................ix
Conclusions from the Research.......................x
Statistical Snapshot of Research Findings.......x
Snapshot of Research Findings re Volunteering Expectations x
Introduction............................................1About the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra Research Project 2Who Participated in the Research?......3
Organisations...............................................3
Volunteers....................................................3
Sector...........................................................3
Generational Differences and Their Impact on Attitudes to Volunteering 5Managing and Leading Volunteers.......9
Introduction...................................................9
Governance..................................................9
Volunteer Management Committees................9
Volunteer Management Structures............10
Remuneration of Volunteer Managers...........10
Leadership.....................................................12
Succession Planning for Volunteer Management Positions 13
Support and Training for Volunteer Coordinators 14
Decision Making.............................................16
Achieving Organisational Goals.................16
Time Constraints............................................16
Resource Constraints.....................................17
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Legal Status...............................................17
Insurance....................................................18
Policy and Procedures...............................18
Managing Volunteers.................................19
Volunteer Values and Motivations..................19
Volunteer Induction........................................21
Introductions and Meetings............................22
Training for Volunteers...................................23
Cost of Training..............................................24
Methods for Training Volunteers....................25
Feedback.......................................................25
Recognition and Reward................................26
Establishing Recognition Programs...............28
Reimbursement..............................................29
Challenges in Managing Volunteers..........31
Volunteer Recruitment...................................32
Cost of Recruitment.......................................33
Challenging Roles..........................................34
Matching Volunteers to Organisations...........34
Retaining Volunteers......................................34
Job Descriptions.............................................36
Barriers to Volunteering.................................38
Volunteer Work Preferences......................39
Hours Available..............................................39
Volunteer Rosters..........................................41
Volunteer Setting............................................42
Volunteer Engagement..................................43
Marketing Message and Recruitment........45
Relationships..................................................46
Generational Change.....................................46
Environment...................................................46
Attributes........................................................46
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Part 3 – Volunteering into the Future. 47Ageing Volunteer Workforce......................47
Demographic Change....................................47
Communicating with Volunteers........49Communication Methods...........................49
Volunteer Organisations - Preferred Methods 49
Volunteers - Preferred Methods.....................49
Internet Access..............................................50
Online Technologies......................................50
Social Networking..........................................51
Marketing to Volunteers via Information Technologies 52
Mobile Technologies......................................53
Barriers to Using Technology.....................54
Creating Best Value For Volunteering Organisations From the Use of Online Technologies 55
Emerging Trends in Volunteering.......57Technology and Virtual Volunteering.........57
Family Volunteering and the Engagement of Young People as Volunteers 58
One-to-One Service Volunteering..............59
Travel and Volunteering.............................60
“Volunteers” on Income Support................63
Corporate Volunteering..............................63
Part 4 – Recommendations and Conclusion 65Recommendations.....................................65
Conclusion..................................................66
Appendices...........................................69
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix 1: Research Design.............69Literature Review.......................................69
Survey............................................................69
Focus Groups.................................................70
Interview.........................................................70
Referral Follow-Up Calls................................70
Visual Methodology - Images.........................71
Presentation of Data..................................71
Sector.........................................................72
Community/Welfare Sector............................72
Health.............................................................72
Education/Training.........................................72
Parenting/Children/Youth...............................72
Appendix 2 – Generational Differences and Their Impact on Attitudes to Volunteering...............................................................74
Builders......................................................74
Baby Boomers............................................75
Generation X..............................................77
Generation Y..............................................78
Generation Z..............................................80
Appendix 3 – Research Data...............81List of Tables and Figures..........................81
Questionnaires...........................................99
Questionnaire - State of Volunteering in the Illawarra – Volunteer Organisations Perspective 99
Survey Questions...........................................99
Questionnaire - State of Volunteering in the Illawarra – Volunteers Perspective 106
Survey Questions.........................................106
Bibliography.......................................114Endnotes.............................................116
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Executive SummaryThere is global recognition that the volunteering sector is presented with many opportunities and
challenges that will require a strategic response in the coming decade. The United Nation’s State of
the World Volunteerism Report 2011 and the Australian Government’s National Volunteering Strategy
2012 address the changes and challenges that the voluntary sector is facing nationally and
internationally in the early 21st century. Volunteering Illawarra, the Illawarra’s regional Volunteer
Referral Centre, commissioned a research project in mid-2011, to better understand the ‘health’ of
volunteering in the Illawarra and develop a set of recommendations to support local organisations in
developing sustainable volunteer services.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report aims to understand the issues affecting volunteer
management in not-for-profit organisations. It provides an analysis of the sectors utilising volunteers,
the expectations and perceptions of volunteering of experienced and new volunteers and explores
generational differences and emerging trends in volunteering. The report captures the local issues,
commonalities and challenges faced within the region and makes comparison to Volunteering
Australia’s National Survey on Volunteering Issues, the State of Volunteering in Tasmania report
published in 2010 and recent literature and a range of other government reports and academic
literature.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra Research ProjectThe research project was undertaken between June 2011 and July 2012 in three stages. Stage One
involved a literature review into generational changes in Australian society, examining media, popular
and academic literature in relation to the question: “what impact now and into the future do the
differing cultures, values and expectations of different generations have on their participation as
volunteers?” Stage Two involved a survey and four focus groups with volunteer managers and
coordinators during 2011 and Stage Three involved a survey and the application of a range of
qualitative research methods with volunteers during 2012. The majority of organisations participating
in the research were from the community/welfare and the health, aged care and disability sectors
across the Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven Local Government Areas.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report is structured into four parts:
Part 1 is a literature review on similarities and differences in work and lifestyle values and the
leadership preferences across generations, based on McCrindle’s (2009) generational
segmentation of Builders, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y;
Part 2 discusses management and leadership from the volunteer managers and volunteers’
perspective;
Part 3 considers aspects of volunteering into the future such as using technology and
emerging models of volunteering;
Part 4 provides recommendations for the government, volunteer referral centres and not-for-
profit organisations.
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Generational Differences in Relation to VolunteeringResearch into the influence of generational change across Builder, Baby Boomer, Generation X and
Generation Y age cohorts, found differences across the generations in core lifestyle and work values,
and leadership and management styles, resulting from the impact of economic, social and
environmental events occurring during each generation’s formative years and the current career stage
of each generation. These differences impact on the types of rewards and recognition expected and
the interaction and relationships forged by volunteers in the work place.
Research into management styles indicated that a more collaborative management style will be
required in future to get the best out of Generation X and Generation Y volunteers (and staff).
Interestingly, research into leadership style preferences indicated that the Baby Boomer generation
also prefers a supportive management style, does not like to feel patronised and wants to be valued
as an equal contributor to the organisation.
Managing VolunteersThe research confirmed the importance of the role of volunteer manager/coordinator for effective
volunteer management. The findings demonstrated the need for more recognition of this role, which
requires highly developed people skills and leadership qualities which align, motivate, inspire and
support volunteers to remain with a program or organisation without employment contract or
remuneration. The management of volunteers occurs within a highly fluid and uncertain environment,
with high volunteer mobility, high competition for skilled volunteers and little or no funding for
volunteer recruitment and training.
Despite the critical and complex role played by volunteer managers/coordinators, less than 60% of
volunteer managers surveyed in the Volunteering Illawarra study are in a paid full-time or part-time
position and funding to appoint a coordinator is limited. Often volunteer managers work in dual roles
and find it challenging to manage both appropriately, with the client focused role taking over from the
volunteer related one.
The research shows that organisations that do not employ a volunteer coordinator/manager (whether
paid or unpaid) tend to have older volunteers, and more difficulty recruiting or matching volunteers to
their organisation. The failure to delegate responsibility for management of volunteers to a discrete
position impacts negatively on administration and on taking responsibility for the volunteer work force,
reducing the time to engage volunteers fully in the organisation.
Challenges in Volunteer ManagementThe three most significant challenges for volunteer managers/coordinators, identified in the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra research, are: recruiting (80% of organisations) and retaining (44%)
volunteers in a setting where the volunteer work force is ageing (third challenge). In an ageing
population volunteers work fewer hours and want more flexibility in terms of hours and continuity, due
to lifestyle and work preferences. Competition for volunteers is high particularly in the more rural
areas of the Illawarra. Some focus group participants estimated that a third of their volunteers leave
the organisation per annum due to work, study, travel, poor health or age. This is particularly the case
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
in one-to-one services, where ageing volunteers can eventually become clients of the service. The
study indicated that specialised volunteering roles, such as bus driving or administration, are already
difficult to fill.
Volunteer Recruitment and TrainingRecruitment was identified in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research as a challenge for
those volunteer organisations that are smaller, do not have a strong “brand” or do not clearly articulate
their objectives or focus. The study indicated that there also seems to be a relationship between
difficulties in retaining volunteers and difficulties in providing them with effective training for their roles.
Almost 32% of organisations indicated that providing training is a challenge and, of those, 57% do not
have a structured training program in place and just below 44% do not pay for it in full. The findings in
this study indicate that new volunteers want significantly more training than experienced volunteers.
With volunteer turnover increasing, the cost of training is also increasing for organisations. Often
training is duplicated across organisations, as it is not transferable or when a volunteer changes
organisations, their existing training is considered insufficient by the new organisation.
Volunteer EngagementAnother means of retaining volunteers is through full engagement in the organisation. The
BlessingWhite Report (2010) found that engagement of paid employees increases through relational
management including strengthening trust, creating a sense of belonging, employees’ ability to fully
utilise their talents, and the knowledge that their efforts make a difference. Parallels can be drawn
from this research, to the management of the volunteer work force.
Findings in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report show that being valued as a part of the
organisation, having a role of interest, having a sense of purpose and helping the community are
important values and motivators for volunteers, across all of the generations surveyed. Further,
retention of volunteers did not appear to be linked to reimbursement and recognition factors.
However, volunteers on income support indicated that due to their financial situation, reimbursements
are more important. Interpersonal recognition such as a “thank you” or receiving feedback from staff,
were more important to the majority of volunteers than tangible benefits that incur costs for
organisations. However, interpersonal recognition requires an organisation-wide approach with all
employees participating and contributing.
Leadership of Volunteer OrganisationsThe style of management and leadership within volunteering organisations is critical to the
achievement of full engagement with and by volunteers. Providing a mentor and access to meetings
or social interactions, using macro- instead of micro-management techniques, and giving feedback
are key contributors to an engaged volunteer workforce. To achieve this, workplaces might benefit
from a review of their organisational hierarchy, creating flatter structures for projects and program
management, and roles with more responsibility. In addition, organisations (not just the volunteer
manager/coordinator) can create a more sustainable voluntary workforce by developing participatory
and friendly workplace environments which support group or team work, inter-generational interaction,
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
and a good culture for knowledge sharing and celebrating accomplishments. These values can be
integrated into the marketing message to reach out to volunteers of all ages.
New Technologies and VolunteeringThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research indicated that an ageing volunteer force is
inversely related to the uptake of technology by organisations. The older their volunteer cohort, the
less likely it was for technology to be present in organisations. Interestingly, face-to-face
communication was reported as the preferred communication method for all generations. Focus group
discussions identified that face-to-face, phone calls, texting and email each have a place in the way
volunteers prefer to be managed and communicated with. Using the newest electronic communication
tools (including social media) in reaching volunteers has the potential to attract younger volunteers
who use more diverse technologies, but particularly texting and social media, than any other
generation. The research also indicated that new volunteers expect significantly more communication
through social networks and shareware than volunteers already in the sector.
However, the research found variable understanding and enthusiasm for technology and social media
among volunteer managers and older volunteers. While the older generation’s preference for
traditional communication methods will remain, the generational transition of the volunteer (or
potential volunteer) workforce into the future makes it essential for volunteer managers to learn about
the different technologies and utilise these to support their services and volunteer engagement into
the future. In addition, using the appropriate communication channels for the desired volunteer target
group will help in recruiting the type of volunteer wanted for a program or project.
New Opportunities for VolunteeringNewer forms of volunteering that were identified in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report
have to date had only limited uptake by Illawarra volunteers. Participants in the individual volunteer
survey stated that they preferred to volunteer in groups within the organisation rather than at a
distance and with peers or friends. Virtual volunteering, particularly if undertaken alone, does not meet
these preferences. Family volunteering was among the least favoured forms of volunteering and was
rejected by the Baby Boomer focus group participants, who stated that they did not wish to share their
volunteer time with other commitments such as child-care. Corporate volunteering was most
favourably viewed by young Generation Y respondents, however, further research into this area is
required to determine the actual uptake of corporate volunteering opportunities, particularly from an
organisational perspective.
Finally, the migration of the Baby Boomer generation each winter to warmer climes, is already
occurring in the Illawarra region and organisations that participated in the study indicated that they are
already experiencing difficulties in filling certain positions during this time. Considering the migration
patterns of the “grey nomads”, travel and volunteering (ie attracting passing “grey nomads” so that
they volunteer short-term while they are in town) will not be a trend the Illawarra can tap into, as this
region is located too far south to be considered part of the “sun-belt” that attracts this demographic.
Local volunteer organisations might be best to consider seeking other means to boost their volunteer
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workforce during the colder months of the year, such as taking on students for work experience or for
internship programs.
Conclusions from the ResearchIf organisations are to manage the changes to volunteerism and the expectations of existing and
future volunteers, they will be required to review their volunteering strategy, to identify the optimum
mix of skilled and unskilled volunteers to meet organisational needs, they will need to consider the
communication methods they use to attract the relevant age group, how each generation wants to
engage and what message is appropriate for them. The main message learned from the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra research is that volunteer organisations need to develop the right mix of
“brand”; organisational structure, management and leadership; volunteer program flexibility and
transferability; and relevant communication technologies, if they are to achieve sustainability.
Statistical Snapshot of Research Findings Sixty-four (64) volunteer manager surveys, 158 volunteer surveys.
Twenty-five (25) volunteer organisations and 86 volunteers participated in focus groups,
interviews and referral calls.
Volunteer managers surveyed, 59.38% are paid and employed either full-time or part-time
and 21.88% of volunteer coordinators are not paid.
Challenges faced: recruitment - 80.3% of organisations, the aging work force - 48.5%,
retaining volunteers - 44%, and matching volunteers to the organisation - 37.9%.
Forty-two percent (42%) of volunteers surveyed were 55 to 74 years old and 27.3% were
18 to 44 years old.
Volunteer Managers surveyed, 34.9% stated that they do not feel they have enough time to
achieve goals and 22.8% do not feel have enough money.
On an individual basis, 31.9% preferred face-to-face communications, followed by phone -
25.1% and email - 17.9%.
Organisations surveyed, 48.4% have websites, 26.6% Intranets, 20.3% use social media.
Other technologies are under-represented.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of respondents have smart phones allowing regular access to
the web, social media and email.
Snapshot of Research Findings re Volunteering ExpectationsAnalysis of organisational processes to support volunteering versus volunteer expectations of
organisational support is summarised in the following table:
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Process In place by organisation
Expected to be in place by volunteer
Insurance for volunteers 96.88% 90.4%
Recognition and rewards 95.3% 84.9%
Transparent feedback process 92.1% 80.8%
Induction to the role 90.5% 87.7%
Introduction to relevant staff 90.5% 93.2%
Job Descriptions 90.5% 90.4%
Reimbursements 90.5% 80.2%
Policy and procedures 89% 86.3%
Induction to policy and procedures 89% 87.7%
Recruitment process 89% 75.3%
Regular contact with volunteer managers 84.5% 86.3%
Support from board or senior management 82.8% Not measured
Meetings with volunteer manager 77% 80.8%
Grievance Policy 76.56% 78.1%
Induction to WHS 70.13% 87.7%
Formal training or professional development:
for volunteer coordinators for volunteers
68.75%
62.5% 72.6%
Paid training:
for volunteer coordinators for volunteers
56.2%
43.75% 47.9%
Succession planning for volunteer managers 25% Not measured
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IntroductionThere is global recognition that the volunteering sector will experience many opportunities and
challenges in the coming decade. Internationally, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) launched its
first report on the State of World’s Volunteerism on International Volunteer Day on 5 December 2011.
The State of Volunteering Report: Tasmania 2010 was the first such report released in Australia
followed by a National Volunteering Strategy released in December 2011, and the State of
Volunteering in Australia Report 2012. These reports consider varied themes: the UNV report
presents an international overview on the importance of volunteerism; the Tasmanian report is a
comprehensive regional study into volunteering covering three themes; the National Volunteering
Strategy has at its heart the Australian Government’s social inclusion platform and covers six focus
areas including trends in volunteering, technology, regulation and risk management, management and
training, relationships and advocacy, and recognition and valuing volunteering. The State of
Volunteering in Australia 2012 report includes a literature review and quantitative measures on
volunteering, as well as outlining the national agenda, with strategic objectives and a debate on
volunteering in the future.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study is a local, Illawarra response to determining the future
of volunteering for the region. The study was funded by the NSW Department of Human Services –
Aged, Disability and Home Services and commissioned by Wollongong City Council’s volunteer
referral centre, Volunteering Illawarra. It aims to assess volunteering within the three Local
Government Areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama and Shoalhaven to better understand the
health of volunteering in the Illawarra. The research is the first comprehensive study attempted in the
Illawarra and captures: 1) local issues, commonalities and challenges, in a changing landscape of
volunteer management from the volunteer manager’s perspective; 2) sectors utilising volunteers; 3)
expectations and perceptions of experienced and new volunteers in relation to volunteerism; 4) the
emerging trends in volunteering and communication technology; and 5) making comparisons between
generations to assisting organisations in responding to generational transition within the sector.
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About the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra Research ProjectResearch into the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra was commissioned by Wollongong City
Council’s Volunteering Illawarra business unit, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the
emerging challenges affecting the volunteer sector across the Wollongong, Kiama, and Shellharbour
Local Government Areas, with some reference to the Shoalhaven LGA as well.
Volunteering Illawarra is the Volunteer Resource Centre for the region and its operations and program
are funded by the Federal Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet (Social Inclusion) and the NSW
Department of Human Services.
The research project was undertaken in two parts. Part 1 commenced in June 2011 and focused on
the issues associated with management of volunteers, while Part 2 commenced in April 2012 and
considered the issues associated with volunteering, from a volunteer perspective.
Several research methods were applied:
1) literature review into generational change and its impact on volunteering
2) volunteer organisation survey
3) survey of volunteers
4) focus groups with volunteer managers and volunteers
5) interviews with prospective volunteers
6) referral follow up calls with prospective volunteers
7) visual methodology in which images of volunteer settings were shown to participants to
identify their preferences.
A detailed description and discussion of the research project design is at Appendix 1.
Research findings have been analysed to produce a set of recommendations that will be shared with
participating organisations and the wider volunteering sector, as well as with relevant State and
Federal funding bodies. Two recently released reports: State of Volunteering: Tasmania 2010 and
Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues (2011) were also drawn on at different
points of the research project, for comparative and normative purposes.
The recommendations and other outcomes from this project will be used by Volunteering Illawarra to
inform their planning and strategy development in coming years.
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Who Participated in the Research?Participation in the research project was on a voluntary basis. Organisations from across the Illawarra
and volunteers from those organisations self-selected for participation. Members of the public who
attended the Wollongong Volunteer Expo 2012 or who accessed the survey online also self-selected
to engage in the project. The total number of responses to the research comprised:
Sixty-four (64) volunteer manager surveys completed;
One hundred and fifty-eight (158) volunteer surveys completed;
Twenty-five (25) volunteer organisations and 86 volunteers participated in focus groups,
interviews and referral calls.
OrganisationsThe head office of the majority of organisations surveyed for the research project was located in the
Wollongong LGA - 68.75% of organisations. Organisations based in Shellharbour and Kiama LGAs
each comprised 4.69% of the survey sample and Shoalhaven LGA 20.31%. Shoalhaven LGA has no
funded volunteer referral centre and Volunteering Illawarra provides outreach services to this rural
region.
A number of the organisations surveyed deliver services across a variety of service outlets and in
more than one Local Government Area.
VolunteersOf all respondents, 24.1% did not volunteer at the time they were surveyed and 13.2% had never
formally volunteered. Survey respondents, 19.7% were new volunteers with less than 3 months
volunteering experience.
Of all survey responses, 55% of all survey responses were received from females, with 33.3% from
males, and 11.67% of respondents not indicating gender.
More than half of the volunteers surveyed (55%) had volunteered in only one or two volunteer
organisations and 23.4% in between three to five organisations. Volunteered in more than six
organisations, 10.1% had.
The average period of time that respondents had volunteered was eight (8) years, however the range
varied from a few months to 55 years.
SectorRespondents were asked to provide information on the sectors they work in. Up to three sectors could
be selected. The volunteers currently in the volunteer work force stated the sector(s) they were active
in and prospective volunteers stated the sector(s) in which they would like to volunteer.
A large proportion of respondents were volunteers or volunteer organisations operating within the
Community Services/Welfare sector, with Health and Education/Training comprising the next most
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represented sectors. This is a reflection of the fact that invitations to participate in the research were
directed to organisations that were captured on the Volunteering Illawarra data base of around 190
organisations, the majority of which operate in the Community Services/Welfare sector.
Volunteer organisation by sector data is represented in Table 1 and volunteer by sector data in Table
2 provides an overview of the sectors in which respondents are volunteering, including comparison
between organisational data and volunteer data.
Figure 1: Volunteer and Organisational Respondents by Sector
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%
Law/justice/political
Religious
Local government
Sport/Physical recreation
Emergency Services
Parenting/Children/Youth
Other
Environment/animal welfare
Arts/Heritage
Health
Education/Training
Community/Welfare
Total Volunteer responses Total Organisation responses
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Generational Differences and Their Impact on Attitudes to VolunteeringOne of the key challenges faced by volunteer organisations into the future will be the sustainability of
the volunteer workforce. As the current generation of older volunteers continues to age, the attraction
and retention of successive generations of volunteers is critical. Differences in values, expectations
and preferences between the generations will require organisations that rely on volunteers to adapt
their approaches to recruiting, training and supporting volunteers, if they are to achieve a sustainable
volunteer workforce into the future. The culture and structure of volunteer organisations that are
currently geared to the loyalty and work ethic of the predominant existing volunteer demographic of
“Builders” and “Baby Boomers” will need significant re-engineering to attract and support “Generation
X” and “Generation Y” with their appetite for change, relational focus and reliance on new
technologies.
A literature review into generational similarities and differences in work values, lifestyle values,
leadership and management styles and volunteering trends was conducted to inform report
recommendations. Sources included media, popular literature and opinion pieces, as well as academic
researchi.
The core and work values and expectations of each of the generations are summarised in the table
below.
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Summary of Work Values across Generations
Builders(born 1925-1945)
Baby Boomers(born 1946-1964)
Generation X(born 1965-1979)
Generation Y(born 1980-1994)
Dedication/sacrifice
Conformity
Law and order
Delayed reward
Duty before pleasure
Optimism
Idealistic
Youth
Health and wellness
Diversity
Personal satisfaction Loyal to skills
Self-reliance
Pragmatic
Life-long learners
Diversity
Optimism
Confidence
Resourceful
Social ability
Street Smart
Take ownership
Hard work
Respect for authority
Adherence to rules
Work hard
Loyal to employer
Team oriented
Earn money
Wants stable work environments
Respect for authority and hierarchy
Technically challenged
Will work hard but not at the sacrifice of family
Motivated by progression
Change jobs for promotion
Think globally
Money is not everything
Prefers to work alone
Technically savvy
Mix work and social life
Multi-taskers
Team oriented
Enjoy interactions
Technology part of life
Want inspiring leaders & collaborative work place
Are after promotional opportunities and status
Promotions based on longevity
Loyalty to the organisation
Wait to be told what to do
Respect based on position/title
Live to work
Relentless pursuit of goals
Want to manage/control
Know the best way
Change is painful but inevitable
Rule the workforce
Create the culture
Work to live
Promotions based on ability
Mobility
Computers are part of everyday routine
Attitude/fun important in workplace
Expect a say and want to be heard
Prefer structured environments
Want a relationship with their boss
Want training, mentoring, responsibility and challenges
Relate best with Builders
Source: Adapted from Hui-Chun and Miller (2005), Patota et al (2007)
A snapshot of the status of the generations in 2020, covering age, working population, life stage and
volunteering potential, is provided below.
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Generations in 2020
GenerationAge2020
Working population 2020
Life Stage Volunteer population
Baby Boomers
57 to 75 16% Retiring fast
Increased needs for health services
Comparing it to 2011 it will be the largest volunteer group
But reducing as Baby Boomers age
Generation X 42 to 56 37% Working and taking on management positions
Children in late primary school education and onwards
Enjoying lifestyle as children move out
Increasing hours as children grow up
Planning for retirement – need to promote options for volunteer work
Generation Y 27 to 41 35% Working and taking on management positions
Family and Children focus
Reduced as focus turns to family and child raising
Generation Z 12 to 26 12% Students
Early career stage
Tech savvy generation, which grew up with wireless technology
Increased involvement as schools and higher education institutions engage more
Generation most risk averse due to modern child rearing practices
The generational study on Builders, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y found differences
across the generations in core lifestyle and work values, and leadership and management styles, due
to the impact of economic, social and environmental events occurring during each generation’s
formative years. Interestingly, academic research into work values found significant differences only
for status, career promotion and salary, all of which may be attributable to the career stage of each
generation.
The most significant impact on volunteering preferences and expectations of these work related
differences is on the types of rewards and recognition that organisations need to employ and on the
workplace interaction and relationships required for workers (or volunteers) to remain productive and
engaged. Lifestyle values have significantly changed from the Builder generation to Generation Y.
Builders are the last generation with gender-specific roles; Baby Boomers have more complex lives
than their parents combining work, family commitments, social and volunteer interactions; Generation
X have both partners working and juggling family commitments and Generation Y integrates the social
and work life, with study and other commitments blurring boundaries.
Research into management styles indicates that management roles are still firmly entrenched with the
Baby Boomer generation, who, through their upbringing in the industrial economy have more likely
adopted a controlling and micro-managing supervision style. In the current knowledge economy this
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
management style will have to change to a more collaborative approach if it is to meet the needs and
expectations of volunteers (and staff). Remarkably, Baby Boomers’ leadership style preferences
indicate that this generation also wants a supportive manager rather than being patronised and they
want to be valued as an equal contributor to the organisation.
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Managing and Leading Volunteers
IntroductionMost of the organisations surveyed for this research project were not-for-profit, incorporated entities,
managed by a Board and largely funded for service delivery via federal or state government grants.
The research investigated management of volunteers across a number of dimensions: governance,
involvement in decision-making, leadership and management, recruitment and day to day logistics.
Governance
Volunteer Management CommitteesThe research focused on volunteers in general and did not specifically seek input from or ask
questions about voluntary management committees. Some research outcomes indicate that
volunteering on management committees or boards may be seen as different, by both volunteers and
volunteer organisations, to other types of volunteering.
The survey indicated that only 15% of the people supervising volunteers in not-for-profit organisations
considered their volunteers to be involved in decision-making. However, all not-for-profit organisations
require a board or management committee for governance purposes. Involvement of volunteers in
strategic decision-making could therefore, conceivably, have been assessed by participants as being
much more common. This raises questions regarding how organisations define volunteering and the
role of volunteers and whether board/committee members’ status (and thus, needs) as volunteers are
overlooked by volunteer managers or the nature of their role and contact with the organisation (eg:
largely “in and out” for meetings, often after hours) means that they have little to do with volunteer
managers.
The implications of management committee members not being considered as volunteers may mean
that they will not be managed as an integral part of the organisation, may not have access to training
on a broad range of legislation, service roles and operational matters and may not be assumed to
need volunteer insurance cover for undertaking volunteer work for the organisation. A volunteer
manager stated that the “understanding of governance is not necessarily available among new
members; and training is difficult to obtain or time requirements too much. It is difficult to make new
members aware of what is required, as often members joining the Committee are told they will only
have to spend a couple of hours per month in meetings”.
A lack of contact with volunteer managers may be due to the different relationship and mode of
interaction with the organisation of members of voluntary boards/committees of management. From
the recruitment process, where future board/management committee members become members of
the corporate entity before being appointed or elected to the board, through to limited ongoing
involvement in the day to day operations of the organisation, volunteer board members mostly move
along a different path to other volunteers. Recruitment for board/management committee members is
particularly challenging, as not-for-profit organisations hold their annual general meetings (AGM) – the
point at which new board/management committee members are appointed - at the same time,
between September to December each year. Generally, organisations tap into their membership,
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
volunteer pool and other community organisations, as well as the local business community to attract
new board/committee members. This means that organisations are potentially competing for a
(relatively) limited pool of potential board/committee members at the same point in time.
At the same time as organisations face competition to attract new board/management committee
members, retention of members beyond a certain period of time can be equally problematic. One of
the focus group sessions with volunteer managers discussed the need for volunteer
board/management committee membership to be regulated through the organisation’s constitution, so
that members do not stay on the committee indefinitely:
“When committee members stay for a long time, no-one new wants to come in. Members get set in
their role and get stuck in the way they do things…the committee stagnates. That’s very dangerous…
(there is a) need to move them on.”
This view is corroborated in the corporate world, where guidelines on good governance indicate that
board renewal on a regular basis is critical to effective boards and a “rule of thumb” of a maximum of
six years service by a board member before retirement/termination, is often quoted.
Perhaps because board/committee member volunteers are dealing with higher level organisational
matters, they are outside the loop of normal volunteer processes, yet this group requires an excellent
organisational and role induction, as they will be making decisions regarding strategy, legal and
financial matters for the organisation. If not-for-profits want strong boards they need to invest in
volunteer board/committee member induction and development, to maintain good governance and
decision making (Recommendation 1a, 1e).
Volunteer Management Structures
Remuneration of Volunteer ManagersAs the operation and operational context of volunteer organisations becomes more complex and the
pressures for attracting and sustaining a volunteer workforce become more pronounced, the issue of
how volunteers are recruited, supported and managed is of critical importance.
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, organisations
said that 72.6% of volunteer management positions are paid and 13.9% are unpaid with
12.3% of organisations having no volunteer manager.1
In Volunteering Illawarra’s State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, volunteer organisations were
asked how their organisation employed or engaged a volunteer manager or coordinator. Paid
volunteer management, either full-time or part-time, was reported by 59.38% of all organisations, while
21.88% (14) of organisations managed volunteers through an unpaid coordinator and 10.94% with a
combination of paid and unpaid coordination. In comparison, the State of Volunteering: Tasmania
study found 56.4% of volunteer managers were paid, 16.6% unpaid and 9.0% of a mix of paid/unpaid
management (Figure 2). It is of interest that in both the Illawarra (approximately 10%) and the
Tasmanian research (approximately 18%) a reasonable proportion of volunteer organisations
indicated that they did not have a designated volunteer coordinator position, either paid or unpaid.
1 Volunteering Australia (2010) National Survey of Volunteering Issues, Table 30, pg.46
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 2: Paid and Unpaid Managers of Volunteers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Full-time or part-time paidmanager
Unpaid manager Combination of paid and unpaidcoordination
No manager
Illawarra
TasmaniaNational Survey
Forty-four per cent (44%) of individual volunteers who responded to the survey stated that they had a
full-time paid manager/coordinator, 12% a part-time manager/coordinator, and 27.2% a volunteer
coordinator. Only 7.2% stated they have a combination of paid and unpaid coordination, 1.3% stated
they do not need a manager and 8% did not know (Figure 2).
Unpaid volunteer management occurred predominantly in the community/welfare and parenting/
children/youth sectors, while organisations with no management or paid management were from a
more diverse range of sectors.
Figure 3 indicates that in both Tasmania and the Illawarra there are differing perceptions between
organisations and their volunteers regarding how volunteers are managed. Volunteers in the Illawarra
appeared to be less aware that management is via a paid volunteer coordinator or a combination of
paid and unpaid volunteer coordinators, than their Tasmanian counterparts. Tasmania seems to have
more organisations with no manager and a greater gap between the perceptions of volunteers and
volunteer organisations, about the combination of paid and unpaid managers.
According to the Volunteering Illawarra State of Volunteering in the Illawarra survey, paid
managers/coordinators were the largest category in Religious (75%), Community/Welfare (71%), and
Emergency Services (66.6%) sectors (Table 6).
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 3: Volunteer Management – A Comparison Between Volunteers and Organisations in the Illawarra and Tasmania
Volunteer managementA comparision between volunteers and organisations in the Illawarra and Tasmania
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00%
A full-time or part-time paidcoordinator/manager
An unpaid coordinator
A combination of paid and unpaidvolunteer coordination
No manager/coordinatorneeded/relevant/not sure
Coo
rdin
atio
n
Percentage
Illawarra volunteers Illawarra organisations Tasmania volunteers Tasmanian organisations
Interviews with prospective volunteers identified that they expected organisations to undertake the
coordination of volunteer roles and match them with community needs. In addition, organisations were
expected to provide friendly environments, support and respect for volunteers and encourage
teamwork.
Of the four organisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, that
reported having no formal volunteer management role in their organisation, three thought it would be
useful to employ a volunteer manager. The volunteers working for these organisations tended to be
older, with an age range predominantly 65 to 84 years. These groups had between 60 to 150 active
volunteers working between eight (8) hours and 24 hours per week. The organisations were in two
sectors: community/welfare and health. These organisations communicated with their volunteers
predominately face-to-face or by phone. One survey participant from an organisation without a
volunteer manager commented that one of the challenges faced by the organisation was “the time
needed for paid staff to incorporate volunteer supervision into their daily routine”, another mentioned
that it was a challenge “to have adequate time to manage volunteers”. A focus group participant stated
that “there is a big difference to having or not having a paid volunteer coordinator. It impacts on
administration and taking responsibility for training volunteers and organising service provision.”
No comparison could be made to the volunteer perspective as only two responses were received.
LeadershipEffective leadership, that contributes to the establishment of a sense of direction, effective
relationships, motivation and trust, is an important element in the creation of sustainable work teams,
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
whether paid or voluntary. Noble et al2 in the 2nd edition of “Volunteer Management: An Essential
Guide” state that “there are some basic commonalities to any form of supervision.” These are:
“Orientation/preparation for the job
Ongoing support and recognition
Resources to do the job
Appraisal of individuals.”
These aspects of managing volunteers are discussed further in respective sections.
Succession Planning for Volunteer Management PositionsThe continuity and consistency of volunteer management and support is an important contributing
factor to both volunteer satisfaction and retention and the capability of volunteer organisations to plan
strategically and manage risk in relation to their volunteer workforce. As with many sectors, the ability
to attract suitable and capable volunteer managers and to provide them with a viable career path,
recognition and reward, is challenged by labour market factors such as salary relativities, expectations
re job tenure and competition for skilled workers.
The Global Volunteer Management Survey (2008) found that 63% of people in the organisations they
surveyed, identified the volunteer manager role as a career path “stepping stone”, while only 32% saw
this role as the final point in their career. Twenty percent (20%) of volunteer managers surveyed had
worked in the field for less than two (2) years and 43% for less than five (5) years, while 44% had
served less than two (2) years in their current role3.
The survey asked organisations if they had a succession plan in place for their volunteer managers.
Only 25% of organisations had a succession plan in place, with almost 31% of health sector
respondents and 20.5% of community/welfare sector respondents stating this. Organisations which
had succession planning in place showed a mix of paid and unpaid volunteer coordination, but those
with a paid volunteer coordinator role seemed less likely to have a succession plan in place: 21%
versus 28% for organisations with unpaid volunteer coordinator positions. Further analysis indicated
that the organisations with a succession plan were more likely to have younger volunteers than those
without.
Participants in the Global Volunteer Management Survey (2008) identified three considerations in
relation to succession planning for volunteer managers:
1. Paid volunteer coordinator roles.
2. Dedicated volunteer coordinator roles.
3. Funding arrangements.
Firstly, succession planning was not as much of an issue where there were paid volunteer
coordinators who, like other employees, may leave or change employment. People in paid positions
were replaced and/or their positions temporarily held by another staff member, allowing for continuity
of service and transitioning in of replacement coordinators. The Global Volunteer Management Survey
2 Noble, Joy; Rogers, Louise; Fryar, Andy (2003) Volunteer Management: An Essential Guide, 2nd ed., Volunteering SA Inc., Australia
3 People First – Total Solutions (2008) Global Volunteer Management Survey, http://www.pfts.com.au/GVMS.htm
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
identified that 42% of respondents who work as paid volunteer coordinators with volunteer
organisations stated they will no longer work in the field of volunteer management in 2013. This
implies a high turnover of staff in this field.
Secondly, if the volunteer coordinator role is only part of the position description, the role can more
easily be separated across multiple staff. There are many factors to consider in reflecting on the
efficacy of this arrangement, including the size of the organisation, resources, number of volunteers.
Where multiple staff supervise the same pool of staff members or volunteers, the potential for
inconsistency in management styles and communication can be problematic. However, at the same
time, many volunteer organisations simply don’t have the staffing resources to dedicate a position to
volunteer supervision.
Finally, funding arrangements will have an impact on how volunteer coordination is planned for within
an organisation. Funding for volunteer coordination may be distributed across multiple programs and
coordinators, rather than for a dedicated position, depending on organisational or program structures.
In addition if funding for volunteer coordination ceases, unlike their approach to other management or
supervisory positions, most organisations will dispense with this paid position, falling back on
volunteers to coordinate volunteer programs.
Support and Training for Volunteer CoordinatorsVolunteer coordinators often fulfil a distinct function within a multi-disciplinary team and within an
environment in which volunteer needs and management issues are continually evolving. As such, the
level and quality of the support that they receive from their employer organisation and the investment
of their employer in their ongoing professional development, will play a vital role in ensuring job
satisfaction, retention and good practice.
The Global Volunteer Management Survey found that: “75% of volunteer managers said
they received good support from their organisation, while 14% felt powerless to influence
their organisation, and 25% believed that their board did not understand the role they
play.”
In this study, 59.4% staff of the organisations surveyed by Volunteering Illawarra stated they received
support from the board/senior management in managing volunteers, and 23.4% stated it was partly in
place. Staff of those organisations who stated there was no support in place, who were unsure or
found it not relevant, also indicated that the lack of support was not a challenge. Interestingly, staff of
the five organisations who found the lack of support a challenge also stated they have this support in
place. Four of the five employed older volunteers. Organisations in this situation may benefit from
further investigation into the knowledge level of their board/senior management regarding approaches
to and their role in, volunteer management.
When the Volunteering Illawarra survey asked about managers receiving or having formal training or
professional development to manage volunteers, 68.7% of organisations stated “yes fully or partly in
place” (half for each), while 18.7% stated “no”, and responses for “not sure” or “not relevant”
constituted 4.7% respectively. The results from the State of Volunteering: Tasmania study indicate that
organisations surveyed in that study are less likely to have formal training or professional development
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
programs for their volunteer managers in place, with only 30% organisations surveyed responding
“yes” to this question.
In the Illawarra study, organisations indicated that paid volunteer coordinator training was fully in place
for 35.9%, partly for 20.3% and almost a third or 28.1% stated they did not receive enough resources.
Of those, 57% were from the community/welfare sector. In comparison, the Tasmanian study found
that 53% stated they had sufficient resources and 25% did not.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of volunteer managers interviewed for the Illawarra study, who received
formal training and professional development, stated that they received sufficient resources to
undertake training and development. A further 36% stated that they received some formal training/
professional development (Figure 4). Half of those who did not receive formal training stated there
were no resources to pay for training and of these, 72% reported that their organisation also provided
no training for volunteers. On the other hand, 60% of organisations that provided resources for training
and development for volunteer managers also provided this for volunteers.
One focus group participant commented on the challenge of consistency in volunteer management
throughout the organisation, as the task of managing individual volunteers sat with individual project or
team leaders. She thought compulsory training for these staff was required, but noted that this was not
considered in staff training plans and funding was not readily available for volunteer management
training.
Figure 4: Organisations with Formal Training and Resources to Pay in Place
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00%
Illaw arra
Tasmania
Tasmania
Illaw arra
Rec
eive
/Hav
e fo
rmal
trai
ning
Rec
eive
suf
ficen
t res
ourc
es to
pay
train
ing
No
Yes
Decision MakingParticipation of employees in decision-making on matters that affect them contributes to the
development of an engaged and empowered staff cohort and a positive workplace culture.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, the majority of
volunteers said they were interested in participating in decisions that affect their work and
25.1% of volunteers said they either did not have the opportunity or would like to have
more input.
Illawarra organisations said their volunteers had opportunities to provide input into organisational
decision making: 28.3% invited volunteers to staff meetings, 25% of organisations agreed that they
involve volunteers in service related decisions and 15% in strategic decisions. Fifteen percent (15%) of
organisations stated that there was no opportunity to involve volunteers in decision-making and 8.33%
were unsure about this matter.
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 55.6% of
volunteers would like to be involved in the decision that affect their volunteer work by
having informal opportunities to give feedback, 49.2% by having participation in formal
consultation such as surveys or committees and 37.5% by having individual supervision
or team meetings.
The volunteers surveyed in the second stage of the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, were
also asked about their involvement in decision-making and active volunteers responded that:
staff meetings, 34.3% were invited to;
client, service or program oriented decisions, 17.1% were involved in;
strategic decision-making, 18.4% were involved in;
decision-making, 16.4% stated there was no opportunity to participate in; and
not relevant or were not sure, 23.7% thought this.
The 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues found that 30% of volunteers would like
more opportunities to participate in the decision making process of the organisation4.
Achieving Organisational GoalsOrganisational structures directly impacted on the effectiveness of volunteer managers/coordinators in
achieving organisational outcomes, with time and funding being reported as two of the major
challenges.
Time ConstraintsOf volunteer managers 34.8% advised that they did not have enough time to achieve goals. The
perception among respondents of whether they had sufficient time to achieve goals varied according
to their organisation’s volunteer management arrangements. Those organisations with an unpaid
volunteer manager were less likely to report time pressure to achieve goals (21.4%), followed by those
with full-time managers (23.5%), part-time managers (47.6%) and a combination of paid and unpaid
manager (57.1%). It would appear that unpaid managers experience less pressure from either their
organisation or other volunteers, to achieve deadlines and to squeeze more tasks into their working
day than they can realistically achieve.
4 Volunteering Australia (2009) National Survey of Volunteering Issues
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
The volunteer manager focus group identified that the two factors that most impacted on the time they
had available to achieve goals, were the time taken for volunteer recruitment and the structuring of the
volunteer manager role to have a dual purpose. Recruitment posed the most challenges for volunteer
managers and imposed a high cost on their time. A double barrelled role created challenges for
managing either role effectively. In many instances, respondents reported that the demands of time
management caused them to focus on their client focused role to a greater extent than their volunteer
management role. “Something will have to give.”
Resource ConstraintsNoble et al state that resources to do the job are required for effective supervision. The BlessingWhite
Report5 identified that 22% of employees found the most important factor in increasing their
effectiveness in their work role were more resources.
“In the Global Volunteer Management Survey, 64% of respondents said they needed
more resources and or greater budget for their program.”
Of volunteer managers, 22.7% interviewed for the Volunteering Illawarra study stated that the budget
available for their work activities was insufficient. As in the case of the perception of time available to
achieve goals, responses varied between different types of volunteer management roles. Those
organisations with a full-time manager seemed to report the least financial pressure to achieve goals
(17.6%), followed by those with part-time managers (19%), unpaid coordinators (21.4%), and a
combination of paid and unpaid coordination (71.4%).
The focus groups stated that lack of funding for a volunteer coordinator was the most significant factor
inhibiting the achievement of goals. For those organisations with allocated funding, inadequate funding
to support the number of hours actually required to do the job well, was the major challenge reported.
The health sector seemed to be more robust in that almost 100% of organisations stated that ‘neither
a lack of funding’ nor ‘money to achieve goals’ was a challenge. This compared to the community/
welfare sector with 82% and 74.5% respectively, stating that there was no challenge.
Legal StatusThe legislative framework under which volunteers are employed is increasingly becoming the same as
the framework that governs workplace rights and obligations for paid staff. The NSW Work Health and
Safety (WHS) Act changed from 1 January 2012, replacing previous occupational health and safety
laws in NSW. Volunteer organisations that employ a combination of voluntary and paid staff should
review the legislation and ensure that they are in a position to comply with the new legislative
requirements as they impact on both paid staff and their volunteers6.
Volunteer managers attending the focus groups discussed these changes. They thought that
particularly older volunteers did not want to see ‘regimented’ systems, as these implied more
responsibility. “They just want to help out for a few hours, when they have the time.” However,
5 BlessingWhite (2010) Employee Engagement Global Study, Australia & New Zealand, www.polson.com.au
6 Note: This report does not provide legislative advice or interpretation. It merely endeavours to highlight some of the topics organisations should investigate. See Work Cover
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx for more information.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
particularly in the health, aged care and disability sectors regulatory requirements have increased over
the past years. “In Aged Care, more regulation restricts the tasks a volunteer can do and many older
volunteers are upset when they are not allowed to do a task any more after doing it for a very long
time before.”
InsuranceIn Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 94% of
respondents reported that they had insurance cover for volunteers.
Of organisations surveyed in the Volunteering Illawarra research 96.9% advised that they had
insurance cover for volunteers, comparing favourably with Status of Volunteering: Tasmania and the
Australian National Survey of Volunteering Issues. However two organisations participating in the
study reported that they had none or that it was not relevant.
Of organisations surveyed 16.7% indicated that the need for volunteer insurance poses a challenge.
Interestingly this was more evident for organisations that employed paid volunteer managers than it
was for organisations utilising unpaid volunteer managers. This may be because unpaid managers are
less aware of legal requirements, such as insurance, than paid managers, perhaps because someone
else in the organisation is looking after this or because insurance has not been considered in the
organisation.
Policy and ProceduresComplementing legislative requirements and supporting compliance as well as the achievement of
quality standards, comprehensive, clearly articulated and documented policy and procedures provide
a keystone for good organisational governance. Policy and procedures also provide for consistent
service delivery and clarify expectations for workers, both paid and unpaid, as well as for service
consumers.
In the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research 78.1% of the organisations surveyed stated they
had documented policy and procedures, which applied to both staff and volunteers. Of respondents
10.9% stated that this was partly the case and the remainder stated that they had no policy and
procedures (6.3%), that this was not relevant or provided no answer. Of volunteer respondents 86.3%
noted that they held an expectation that their employer organisations would have documented policy
and procedures that applied to both staff and volunteers, with 57% of respondents seeing this as
important to very important (response average of 3.71 – see Table 7).
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 80% of
organisations said they maintained a grievance procedure, while 13.1% stated they have
none.
In the Volunteering Illawarra study, 76.6% of organisations surveyed stated that they have a grievance
policy, while 10.9% stated they do not have one and 9.4% of volunteer managers were unsure.
Notably, half the respondents that were unsure about whether their organisation had a grievance
policy were volunteer managers in an unpaid role, in a paid/unpaid combination role or their
organisation had no volunteer coordinator at all. Of those who responded that their organisation had
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
no grievance policy, the majority were paid volunteer managers either full or part time or in a
paid/unpaid combination.
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of the volunteers who participated in the survey stated that they expected
the organisations they volunteered with to have a grievance policy in place, but it was among the five
least important processes indicated, with a response average of 3.42 (Table 7).
Managing Volunteers
Volunteer Values and MotivationsWhile influencing behaviours at a more abstract level than policy and procedures do, common and
articulated values are the cement that holds together the culture and maintains a sense of shared
purpose for both paid and voluntary employees of an organisation.
Of those who participated in the Volunteering Illawarra research, 84.9% of volunteers expected their
employer organisation to have a documented statement of core values, while 54.4% deemed this to be
important to very important (Table 7). However, respondents to the National Survey on Volunteering
Issues, ranked documented organisational values only eleventh in importance, out of 20 factors.
In the 2011 National Survey on Volunteering Issues, values and principles of the
organisation were noted as the most important reasons for volunteers to continue with
the organisation into the future, followed by knowing that their contribution makes a
difference and availability of volunteer work that matches their interest and/or skill.7
In the Volunteering Illawarra study, all 14 statements assessing values related to volunteering were
rated “medium” to “very important” with response averages between 3 and 5. Helping and giving back
to the community (average responses 4.33 out of 5) and having a sense of purpose (4.31) were
valued the most, followed by a volunteer position that meets their interest (4.14), receiving respect
(4.08) and meeting people (3.96) (Table 8). This was confirmed in the survey’s open text responses
and the interviews asking about volunteer’s motivations to undertake volunteer work. Over 44% of
respondents stated giving back or helping in the community as their main motivation, followed by
learning and work experience (9%) and meeting people/making friendships (8.6%) (Table 9).
In the Volunteering Illawarra study, the 45 to 54 age group appeared to be more motivated than any
other age cohort to volunteer for reasons of learning or gaining work experience. This may be due to
the labour market status of people in this age group, with many seeking to volunteer to meet
Centrelink requirements, while maintaining an ambition to return to paid employment. The Tasmanian
research appeared to indicate that younger volunteers were more motivated to volunteer in order to
gain work experience. Patota et al8 discuss how organisations can leverage generational differences
for productivity gains by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each generation and comparing
these to identified competencies such as developing people, communications, teamwork, managing
7 Volunteering Illawarra (2011) National Survey of Volunteering Issues
8 Patota Nancy; Schwartz, Deborah; Schwartz, Theodore (2007) Leveraging Generational Differences for Productivity Gains, Journal of American Academy of Business,
Cambridge, Vol.11, No.2, pg.1
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
resources, and problem solving. They developed a matrix which can be adapted to volunteering (see
example (Table 24).
Statistical analysis identified that there was a significant difference (at p<0.05) for the value giving
back to the community between Generation Y and Baby Boomers, with Generation Y seeing this as
more important. However there was also a significant difference within the Baby Boomers group
between those who stated they were receiving income support and those who were not. The Baby
Boomers on income support had different motivations to the other age groups.
The work value differences between generations did not appear to be as great as popular cultural
constructions of generational differences purport. Cennano and Gardner found significant differences
only for status, career promotion needs and salary, with salary being one of Generation Y’s top job
motivation factors. Wong et al and Cennamo and Gardner questioned whether differences in
motivation are more attributable to age and career stage rather than generational differences. The
impact of these differences in work-related values and motivations on volunteers and the volunteer
sector is most relevant to the types of rewards and recognition preferred by the different generations.
The Volunteering Illawarra survey asked organisations to list at least three of seven variables relating
to volunteer management, by importance. The three most important factors identified by organisations
were: respecting volunteers (26%), providing support to volunteers (24%) and building a relationship
with volunteers (18%) (Figure 5). Volunteer organisations surveyed stated that receiving respect and
support was very important with almost 80% and 66.3%, respectively (Table 8). Interestingly, there
appeared to be no generational differences when it came to rating the importance of social values
such as supportive and fair supervisors, indicating that Baby Boomers want good, supportive leaders
as much as younger generations do. All volunteer manager focus groups commented that volunteers
needed to feel valued and appreciated and they thought this should occur through the application of
good interpersonal skills by volunteer managers. Relationship development was considered an
important part of retaining volunteers.
“You cannot task master volunteers…it is a fine line for the manager whose relationship with the
volunteer is as manager, volunteer and friend.”
Figure 5: Importance Factors - Managing Volunteers
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00%
Providing role specific training
Providing an induction to therole
Providing a job description
Providing an induction to theorganisation
Building a relationship w ithvolunteers
Providing support tovolunteers
Respecting volunteers
While relationships were deemed to be important, as one participant in one of the volunteer
organisations focus groups commented, management structures and processes such as job
descriptions, induction and training had their place. “Having these in place builds strength in the
volunteer program, less things go wrong. Training helps avoid breaches.” The focus group noted that
breaches of legislation or policy were higher if these ‘hard’ management systems were not in place
and that they were appropriate for risk management.
Providing induction to the volunteer organisation (14.8%), role (12.7%), a job description (11.4%) or
role specific training (8.9%) were completed by only 75% (ranked fourth) to 62% (ranked seventh) of
organisations.
Interestingly organisations with no volunteer manager seemed more likely to provide their volunteers
with an induction to the role, a job description, and role specific training and they indicated it was less
important to support their volunteers (Table 10).
Volunteer InductionIn Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 91.9% of
organisations said an orientation process was adopted in volunteer management.
In the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study 71.9% of the organisations that participated had a
process for induction of new volunteers to the role or service responsibility fully in place, while 18.7%
reported having an induction process partially in place. Only 30% and 33% of organisations,
respectively, ranked this item in the top three of their importance factors. However, overall, induction to
the role is among the three least important processes identified by volunteer managers (Figure 5). Of
organisations 70.1% stated they had an induction to Work Health and Safety (WHS) relevant to the
role, and 9.38% did not provide any.
Of respondents 73.4% value receiving an induction to the role and 65.2% of respondents value
receiving an induction to the organisation (Table 8).
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Volunteer respondents said an induction to the roles or service responsibilities and WHS was among
the top five processes expected to be in place in organisations (87.6% each) and considered important
or very important by 62.6% and 68.3% of respondents, respectively (Table 7).
In the 2011 National Survey, 73.4% of respondents stated that they are aware that
organisations have policies and procedures on health and safety.
Sixty-four percent (64%) of organisations said they provide an induction to policy, procedures and
processes and 25% of organisations stated this was partially the case. Of volunteer participants 87.6%
expected an induction from organisations and 63.4% of respondents said that this was important to
very important to them.
The results indicate the importance of organisations providing induction and communicating the critical
role that it plays in ensuring that volunteers are comfortably moving into their role and settling into the
organisation.
Introductions and MeetingsThe Volunteering Illawarra survey asked organisations to identify the three most common means they
use to connect with volunteers. Points of contact suggested were: introduction to relevant staff and
volunteers, regular meetings or contact with volunteer managers and regular meetings with staff.
Results (Table 7) from the surveys are:
Of organisations 73.4% had a system for introduction to relevant staff and volunteers fully
and 17.12% partially in place. Of volunteer survey respondents 93.1% expected this to be in
place and 72.8% deemed this important or very important (average 4.03).
Most volunteer coordinators had regular contact with volunteers, with 65.6% confirming this
fully and 18.7% to some extent. Of volunteer coordinators 15.6% stated that this was not
relevant or not required. Of volunteer survey respondents 86.3% expected regular contact
with staff or volunteer coordinators and 59.5% thought this important to very important
(average 3.71).
Regular meetings with volunteer coordinators were in place fully by 43.7% and partially in
place by 34.4% of organisations. Of volunteer respondents 80.8% expected organisations
to have this in place and 52.5% thought it important to very important (average 3.52).
Regular meetings with staff were reported to be in place fully by 26.6% of volunteer
organisation respondents and partially by almost 30% of respondents. Over 20% stated
they had no system in place to meet with staff regularly and 15.6% thought this not relevant
to their organisation. Of individual volunteers who participated in the research 69.9% stated
that they had an expectation that meetings would occur; however, this was among the three
least important items volunteers expected and assigned importance to.
Further investigation has indicated that in those organisations where staff meet regularly with
volunteers, there is also a system in place for introduction of volunteers to staff. However, even in
instances where volunteers are attending staff meetings regularly, only 22% of organisations stated
that these volunteers had an opportunity to be involved in decision-making, creating questions
regarding the value of attendance at these meetings for either the organisation or the volunteer.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Training for VolunteersThe BlessingWhite Report shows that the younger generation sees training and development as
important in enabling them to contribute effectively to the organisation. Increasing employee
satisfaction is also supported by organisations providing staff with ‘more opportunities to do what I do
best’ (24%) and more ‘career development and training’ (21%).
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 86% of
organisations said training for volunteer roles and skill development was adopted in
volunteer management processes.
In the Volunteering Illawarra study, role related training or professional development for volunteers
was in place fully for 25% and partially for 34.9% of organisations, compared to 55% in the State of
Volunteering: Tasmania study. However, only four organisations in the Illawarra ranked providing role
specific training as one of their top three importance factors. Of those organisations that reported that
they did not have a program of volunteer training in place or that it was not relevant, six of them
nevertheless stated that training was important.
The 2011 National Survey on Volunteering Issues found that 78.9% of volunteers gained
the necessary skills for their role through training, while 20% stated they had difficulty
accessing training.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study found that:
Of organisations 31.2% said they had paid training for volunteers, 40.6% of organisations
did not, while 12.5% of organisations said it was partly in place.
Of organisations 43.7% surveyed that reported having a training or development program in
place, also stated that they paid volunteers to attend this training fully and another 18.7%
partially. Only two organisations providing paid training ranked this in the top three
importance rankings.
Of organisations 31.8% indicated that providing appropriate training was a challenge. Of
these, only two thirds of organisations had training or development programs fully or
partially in place.
Having training or professional development in other role related activities (46.2%) and paid
training (25.3%) in place (Table 7) and receiving role specific training (64.5%) (Figure 8)
were not seen as important by the individual volunteers who were surveyed, being ranked
among the five least important processes and values. However, role related training and
paid training was expected by significantly more new volunteers than by experienced ones
(p<0.05) (Table 11).
Of the 70.1% of organisations having WHS systems in place, 66% also had WHS training
fully and 20% partly in place; 10.94% did not provide training. Training in WHS had mixed
results from volunteers. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of volunteers expected organisations
to have this process in place, but only 55% of these volunteers thought it important.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 91.3% of
organisations said they maintain work health and safety for volunteers to the same
standard as for paid employees.
In the 2010 National Survey of Volunteering Issues, 34% of respondents stated they
received Work Health and Safety training, while 36.4% of NSW volunteers reported they
were not trained or briefed about it.
One volunteer manager participating in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra focus groups stated
that they did not offer training, because their approach to volunteering “is more about utilising
volunteers’ skills including life skills.” The focus groups discussed training from a generational
perspective and from a funding perspective.
There was a perception among focus group participants that there were differences between the
extent to which older and younger generations of volunteers value training. It was claimed that older
volunteers wanted something to do and to help out and therefore did not want to undertake training.
On the other hand, focus group participants perceived that younger volunteers expected training, so
that they could add this to their resume. However, the survey of individual volunteers found no
statistical difference between the generations in relation to the extent to which they valued training in
WHS or role related activities or in the extent to which they expected to receive paid training. It seems
that training for new volunteers is a key consideration for volunteer organisations, regardless of the
age of their volunteers.
Cost of TrainingTraining poses a significant cost to organisations managing volunteers. This sentiment was expressed
in the report on the State of Volunteering: Tasmania. The volunteer managers said that the short-term
projects and the high turnover of Generation Y volunteers were imposing an even higher cost and
burden on the organisation. Training volunteers is not on the government agenda for skilling the
Australian work force9. The current system places the burden of up-skilling volunteers on a sector
which is tied to government funding agreements and limited by its ability to attract donations and
bequests or conduct fundraising activities. Volunteer managers expressed a desire for training funds
for volunteers to be included as a distinct item in their funding applications and funding agreements.
This would greatly reduce the pressure that providing training places on volunteer organisations. In
addition, it would remove the need for organisations to apply for separate funding – a time consuming
process, which is not always successful. Volunteer organisations that are operating in more regulated
sectors and those with one to one client interactions particularly, thought the cost of training
prohibitive, as it was more likely to be mandatory or more intensive. “The cost of training is not
recognised as a cost of service provision” was a comment most volunteer coordinators agreed with.
Yet, the training provided by these organisations has a social spill over effect and “everyone in the
sector will benefit.10” With younger generations staying less time in a volunteer role and moving on to
other volunteer opportunities, the training costs to individual organisations are bound to increase,
9 http://www.deewr.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
10 http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=253&nav_cat_id=190&nav_top_id=57
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
unless cost effective training is available to volunteers and transferable across organisations ii
(Recommendation 3a, 3b).
Methods for Training VolunteersParticipants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research focus groups discussed the methods
they used to provide training for volunteers. Some used in-house methods, either on the job training or
courses delivered by their own certified or accredited trainers. However, they commented that one
disadvantage of in-house training is that it takes the trainer away from their regular job and either
leaves a gap or requires resources to cover the trainer’s regular tasks. They stated that organising
training was a time consuming event, with the workload increased by the need for personal or phone
follow up to ensure volunteers would RSVP and attend.
In larger organisations training was shared across units. One participant spoke to the focus group
about a strategy they had adopted, in which they built a relationship with an employment agency which
linked up community service employees with training providers and filled spare training places at cost
price. Focus group participants also commented favourably on the training program delivered by
Volunteering Illawarra, noting that is was very good and cost effective.
FeedbackIn Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 89.9% of
organisations said that providing opportunities for volunteers to give feedback was
adopted in volunteer management processes.
Respondents to the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study indicated that the opportunity for
volunteers to provide feedback was very well accommodated in this region, with 48.4% of
organisations stating they had an informal process and 43.7% a structured process. This reflected a
higher incidence of feedback processes being available than the 77% of organisations in the
Tasmanian and the National Survey, that reported having feedback processes in place. The existence
of informal or structured feedback processes for volunteers appeared to be independent of whether
organisations had paid or unpaid volunteer coordination.
In the 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues, 86.6% of volunteers stated that the
organisation they volunteer for had opportunities for them to give feedback, while in 2010
82.6% of volunteers thought they had this opportunity and 75% were satisfied with the
organisation’s performance in this regard.
In the 2010 National Survey of Volunteering Issues, 10.5% of volunteers felt valued when
they received feedback on their contribution.
Transparent feedback processes were expected to be in place by 80.8% of individual volunteers who
participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research and feedback was considered the
sixth most important process with a response average of 3.76 (Table 8). Receiving feedback was
valued by 61.4% of respondents (Table 8) and significantly more valued by new than experienced
volunteers (Table 11). Feedback was also seen as the second most important type of recognition, with
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
a response average of 3.69, and expected by 54.4% of volunteers. The results show that feedback is
an important aspect of feeling valued in an organisation and increasing engagement in a role.
Appraisals of individual volunteers are discussed by Noble et al. They recommend that organisations
conduct performance appraisals with their volunteers to discuss and “identify a volunteer’s successes
and achievements, any concerns or poor performance…which may not be the fault of the volunteer -
the fault may lay with the organisation eg instructions were not clear, allocated tasks beyond the
volunteers capabilities, or training inadequate.”
Considering volunteer motivators, the large range of volunteering options and their ability to leave an
organisation when organisational issues and disincentives arise, the adequacy of a once per year/
project performance appraisal to maintain volunteer motivation and engagement with an organisation
is debatable. Focus group participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, who were
working as both volunteers and volunteer coordinators, contested the appropriateness of performance
appraisals for volunteer workers. They thought that it was excessive to have formal appraisals and that
feedback to and recognition of volunteers more immediately after an event would be of more benefit
and resolve issues quickly. They contended that providing immediate feedback would also resolve
organisational issues and improve relationships rather than letting conflict simmer pending an annual
evaluation. Anecdotal commentary on this issue indicates that there is a variety of differing viewpoints
among volunteering organisations concerning the value of structured performance reviews. Some
players in the aged care sector have been reported to be adopting formal reviews, while other
volunteer sector organisations report that changes to Workplace Health and Safety legislation are
creating an impetus for the introduction of formal review/supervision sessions with volunteers.
Recognition and RewardRecognition of volunteer contributions received the highest affirmative answer of all questions asked
(other than insurance cover) in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research, with 81.2% of
organisations stating that recognition processes were fully in place and 14% advising they were partly
in place. In comparison, the State of Volunteering: Tasmania report indicated that 60% of
organisations had a recognition system fully in place and 39% partly in place. Individual volunteer
survey respondents were asked if recognition was offered by the organisation for which they
volunteered:
84.9% stated recognition mechanisms were in place in their organisation;
57.6% thought recognition of volunteers important or very important;
32% stated that no recognition was necessary – this result included respondents from
across all age groups; and
5.3% stated that none was offered where they volunteered.
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2011, 21.4% of
respondents stated they did not feel a need for recognition.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer organisations survey asked organisations about
the recognition and rewards they provide. Sixty (60) open text comments were received, describing
the various ways organisations were recognising volunteer contributions. Recognition with a party or
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
event (30 comments) and lunch or dinner (20 comments) were referred to most frequently, followed by
certificates of appreciation (18), gifts and prizes (14), volunteer week, morning/afternoon tea, length of
service recognition and publication or other written feedback (10 comments each). Other comments in
descending order related to written and verbal “thank you”, awards, Annual General Meeting or Annual
Report recognition.
Those organisations with a partial recognition system in place used lower cost methods such as
certificates of appreciation and publications, with some providing a lunch or Christmas party. The two
organisations that stated that volunteers were not recognised still, however, provided a verbal “thank
you” to their volunteers or assisted them with job references. Some organisational focus group
participants commented “We celebrate and recognise our volunteers at the end of the program” and
“When we complete volunteer awards applications, we do it for all volunteers, not just one”.
Focus group discussions with volunteer managers elicited the comment that budgets determined what
was possible in terms of volunteer recognition. “Some organisations have a large capacity through
funding to provide many benefits to their volunteers, while other organisations have one person doing
the job of three…they do it with love.”
The types of volunteer recognition identified by the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer
organisation survey were incorporated into the individual volunteer survey, with volunteers being
asked what type of recognition they would expect. Respondents stated being valued as part of the
organisation was the most important recognition an organisation could give to volunteers with 48.3%
of respondents as important to very important and an average response of 4.23. Receiving feedback
and a verbal thank you followed with 43% and 42.4%, respectively (Table 12). These results were
similar to those reported in the National Survey of Volunteering Issues:
In 2010, volunteers said it was most important to them to feel valued, while a personal
thank you was the form of recognition most organisations reported giving volunteers most
often. And in 2011, 43.2% of volunteers said the best recognition is being accepted as a
valuable member of the team.
These responses indicate that volunteers value interpersonal recognition more highly than tangible
types of recognition. However, interpersonal types of recognition require organisational input at every
level and are directly linked with the values and leadership practices expected in organisations. The
tangible recognition types with a purchase or cost factor or requiring material preparation, were seen
as only half as valuable.
Other types of recognition included reference letters, certificates of appreciation and length of service
(all close to 22%) and these were seen by organisations as still being reasonably cost effective. Those
forms of recognition with higher costs, such as a celebrations and lunch/dinner (17% each) and public
recognition, morning/afternoon tea, conference attendance, thank you cards, awards, party/event and
gift/prize, achieved less than 16% of volunteer responses. Interestingly the only significant difference
in expectations/preferences for recognition between Generation Y and Baby Boomers was the
expectation for letters of reference, with Generation Y more likely than the other generations (at
p<0.05) to want this form or recognition (Table 12).
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
It should be noted that the Heartbeat Trends research into work values identified that Baby Boomers
want to be considered in the rewards system of the organisations they work for and many senior
volunteers are attracted to organisations for the status and the public recognition they receive through
association. Generation X is currently in a work situation where it appreciates status and therefore this
generation may want rewards that involve greater public recognition. Generation Y are more likely to
seek recognition and reward which help build their status and lead to a job or promotion and reference
letters would assist in this aim.
From these results it is clear that organisations could benefit from a focus on interpersonal or relational
approaches to recognition rather than assuming that material rewards are required. This aligns with
the outcomes of this study regarding volunteer motivations, which are intangible, with most wanting to
help in or give back to the community. Considering these motivations and recognition factors,
organisations could save themselves a lot of financial and organisational effort by reviewing the scope
and nature of their recognition program and considering how it might be implemented equitably across
their organisation.
Establishing Recognition ProgramsDiscussion within volunteer manager focus groups who participated in the State of Volunteering in the
Illawarra research, revealed that most recognition programs were established in an unsystematic way.
Many participants stated that their program was informally set up and often established or driven by
the volunteer coordinator. “It’s historic; I did not implement the type of recognition used.” Only two
participants said their organisation had a recognition policy and a couple of the larger organisations
had a structured program which was either driven by the organisation or through work plans. One
organisation was establishing a volunteer strategy, which had the potential to address recognition.
Generational differences were discussed and older volunteers were seen by respondents as more
humble. They did not volunteer out of a desire for recognition, but appreciated acknowledgement
when it occurred, even something as minimal as a verbal “thank you”. Respondents commented that
older volunteers were sometimes so busy with multiple positions or lifestyle activities that they could
not fit a recognition event (eg lunch or ceremony) into their day.
“They volunteer their precious time to assist others…they are appreciating it (recognition), but it is not
the reason they are doing it.”
The results of the focus group discussions undertaken in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
study were confirmed by the responses from individual volunteers who were also surveyed in the
study. Volunteer participants from all age groups stated that they did not need recognition for their
contribution and identified other reasons for volunteering as being more important.
ReimbursementTaking into consideration the cost of living, the fact that a significant proportion of volunteers are not in
paid employment and/or are in receipt of income support and the underlying ethos of fairness and
equity that informs the values of most volunteer organisations, the question of volunteer
reimbursement is of central relevance to any study of volunteering.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 77.4% of
organisations said out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed to volunteers either full or in
part.
Of organisations surveyed in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, 79.7% stated that they
reimbursed out-of-pocket expenses for their volunteers, compared to 61% in the State of Volunteering:
Tasmania study. Of Illawarra organisations 10.9% stated they did this partially (20% in Tasmania). The
remainder of the organisations stated that no reimbursement occurred, that they were not sure or that
it was not relevant to their organisation. The Tasmanian report also found that volunteers provided a
very different perspective to the claims made by volunteer organisations. The ABS Survey found that
the most common available reimbursement was postage at 37%, while travel was reimbursed to only
14% and meals to 15% of volunteers.11
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research invited open text responses, to identify where most
reimbursements occurred. Organisations provided 58 responses relating to one or more expense
types with 23 organisations stating they were reimbursing multiple items. Reimbursement of travel
expenses recorded the most responses, at 21, followed by petrol, meals, work purchases and
telephone. Eighteen (18) comments related to reimbursement and six comments stated that no
reimbursements were made (Table 13).
The 2010 National Survey on Volunteering Issues, 65.2% of volunteers stated that the
organisation had reimbursement processes and 66.2% of volunteers were satisfied with
the organisation’s performance on this score.
Individual volunteer survey respondents in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study were asked
if the organisation they volunteered for offered reimbursement and the types of reimbursement they
expect.
Of respondents 82.2% stated reimbursement mechanisms were in place in their
organisation.
Of survey respondents 53.8% thought reimbursement of expenses important or very
important, but it was one of the least important processes when volunteering in an
organisation.
34.6% stated that no reimbursement was necessary, with 62.7% of these respondents aged
55 to 74 years.
17.6% stated that no reimbursement was offered by the organisation for which they
volunteered - this was a higher incidence than reported by volunteer organisations, but is
below the results indicated by the National Survey of Volunteering Issues.
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues, 44.9% of volunteers in
2011 and 60% of volunteers in 2010 stated they had been reimbursed fully or partially for
out-of-pocket expenses, while 25.3% (2011) and 30.3% (2010) stated they had not been
reimbursed.
11 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) Voluntary Work, Australia 2006, 4441.0
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Respondents in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research were asked what type of
reimbursement they expected as a volunteer. Reimbursement of volunteer work-related purchases
and petrol were the most commonly expected items, representing 28.9% and 24.2% of responses
respectively, followed by meals (17.6%), travel (15.6%) and telephone (13.7%) expenses (Table 13).
Upon comparing organisations’ reimbursement of petrol and travel across the Local Government
Areas covered in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, it appeared that organisations in
Kiama, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven reimburse volunteers for more travel/petrol than those based in
Wollongong (Figure 6). Despite the significant distances for travel (and costs for petrol) none of the
organisations reimbursed volunteers for their travel to and from ‘work’. Most commented that only
travel for volunteer activities and with clients is reimbursed. One organisation commented that they
“applied for grants to give travel vouchers to volunteers for when they undertake volunteer role related
travel”. Money was considered a barrier to volunteering by only 4.8% of respondents with most
respondents in this category being in the 55 to 64 age group. However focus group participants
confirmed that the cost of fares to and from volunteer workplaces was of concern to those volunteers
in receipt of income support.
Figure 6: Volunteer Reimbursement versus Local Government Area
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Kiama Shellharbour Shoalhaven Wollongong
Petrol
Travel
The National Survey (2011) identified that reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses was
one of the least important factors when deciding to continue with volunteering.
The volunteer manager focus groups that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
research, discussed how information regarding reimbursement was disseminated among their
volunteers. Providing information in Volunteer Handbooks and at induction were most often cited, but
some volunteer coordinators noted that they had not specifically mentioned the opportunity for
reimbursement to their volunteers. One participant stated that they did not reimburse, but used the
recognition program as a ‘replacement’. Another focus group participant said “volunteers have never
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
requested reimbursement” and another mentioned that of “100 volunteers on phone call services only
about five claim these calls from their home phone.”
Reimbursement practices varied greatly between organisations with some having a policy in place,
aligning this practice with staff reimbursement or with Australian Taxation Office deductions. Most
focus groups noted that they were aware that reimbursement was necessary for those volunteers who
were socio-economically disadvantaged, to ensure their volunteer efforts were not a financial burden.
While reimbursement for volunteer out-of-pocket expenses is recommended in the National
Standards, volunteers seemed to place a low value on receiving reimbursements. The results of the
State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, along with those conducted nationally and in Tasmania
indicate that organisations must understand the needs of their volunteers in relation to reimbursement,
and the role of reimbursement as an enabler for them to attend volunteer work into the future.
Challenges in Managing VolunteersThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer managers’ survey asked about the challenges they
face. The top three challenges faced by volunteer managers/coordinators were recruiting suitable
volunteers (80.3%), the ageing of the volunteer workforce (48.5%) and retention of volunteers (43.9%)
(Table 14). In comparison the State of Volunteering: Tasmania report noted that recruiting suitable
volunteers was the largest challenge at 70%, followed by the ageing of the volunteer work force (43%)
and matching volunteers to the organisation (43%). Retaining volunteers was in fifth place at 34%,
ranking below providing appropriate training at 37%. When separating the challenges by the different
types of volunteer management, a clearer picture emerged.
Those organisations with no coordinator found recruitment and matching volunteers to the
organisation to present the greatest challenge.
Recruitment was seen as a challenge by 80% of paid managers and 85.7% of unpaid
managers.
An ageing volunteer work force was seen as a challenge by 53.3% of paid managers and
42.9% of unpaid coordinators.
Retaining volunteers was seen as a challenge by 42.2% of paid managers and 64.3% of
unpaid managers.
Not having enough time to achieve goals was a challenge by 22.7% of organisations.
Matching volunteers to the organisation was a challenge for 37.9% of organisations that
also saw recruitment as a challenge.
Volunteer RecruitmentAn ongoing and effective program for the recruitment of volunteers is critical for volunteer
organisations. In the short-term recruitment is necessary to ensure a stable and continually refreshed
pool of volunteers is available to support the work of the organisation and in the long-term it is
necessary to reduce the impact of an ageing volunteer workforce on organisational sustainability.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, organisations
said they had recruitment and screening procedures in place with 58% stating it is fully
implemented and 33% that it is partially implemented.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research found that 56.2% of organisations surveyed have a
recruitment process for volunteers fully in place with 32.8% stating it is partially in place. Only 9.4% of
organisations stated they had no process. Interestingly, the majority of volunteer organisations
conducted an entry interview with potential volunteers, regardless of whether they conducted a full
recruitment process, with 81.2% of organisations having this in place.
The individual volunteer survey showed that 75.3% of volunteers expected that the organisations that
they volunteered with would have a recruitment process and 80.8% expected an entry interview. The
recruitment process and entry interview were important and very important to 46.2% and 50.6% of
volunteers, with a response average of 3.41 and 3.5, respectively (Table 7).
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, 74.6% of
volunteers wanted open recruitment/screening processes and 75.9% of volunteers were
satisfied with their organisation’s performance against this expectation.
Six (12.5%) of the organisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research,
all of them employing a combination of full-time and part-time volunteer managers, stated that they
found it difficult to recruit suitable volunteers, but none of these organisations had a recruitment
process in place. Three of those six organisations also perceived that the ageing of the volunteer
workforce presented a challenge.
Illawarra volunteer manager focus groups discussed recruitment of suitable volunteers and the
challenges that this posed. Participants from the Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven Local
Government Areas in particular commented that their volunteers retired more quickly than they could
recruit replacements for them. They suggested that a paid volunteer coordinator position made a
difference to the success of the recruitment program. Those organisations without a volunteer
manager found it challenging to recruit suitable volunteers and to match volunteers to the
organisation’s needs.
Participants were aware that the landscape of volunteering is changing. They discussed how older
volunteers faced many demands including looking after their elderly parents and their grandchildren to
help out their working children. They also noted that older potential volunteers are working longer or
volunteering at multiple organisations, which restricts the time they have available, and many
volunteers travel. Participants commented that during winter or holiday seasons, older volunteers
disappear to pursue travel, leaving a gap in service capacity, yet funding bodies, government and
clients of their services have an expectation of continuous service.
Focus group participants also noted that people who are on income support are often looking for more
volunteer hours than an organisation could offer or than could fit with their needs. A rural volunteer
coordinator discussed how they have created volunteer job share arrangements, through partnering
with similar organisations.
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Interestingly, focus group discussions with volunteer managers revealed that some larger
organisations and those with good structures did not see recruitment as an issue. They felt that their
organisational “brand” and their structure were attractive to volunteers and allowed them to be
selective in recruitment. These organisations had a centralised approach to recruiting volunteers for
their various programs (and regions). For smaller organisations, the relationships in the community
helped recruitment activities. Organisations had been successful in attracting Generation Y volunteers
by allowing the flexibility for peers to come along and look at the organisation before entering into a
commitment, as well as by developing programs specifically for young people that reduced the barriers
to entry.
Cost of RecruitmentVolunteer organisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study noted that
the cost of recruitment is significant, with volunteer manager focus group participants stating a range
of 20% to 35% and even 50% (by one participant) of their work hours being spent on recruitment. The
cost of recruitment for an organisation includes the time taken to recruit, undertake police checks,
training and induction, and supporting volunteers with a buddy. In comparison, a Mercer Human
Resources Consulting study “estimated staff turnover costs to range from 50% to 150% of a person’s
salary”12 in a for-profit company. A costing for volunteer recruitment could not be sourced in the
literature, indicating that this item has not been quantified.
Promotion of volunteering opportunities was also identified as a cost factor by participants in focus
groups, because budgets for paid advertisements were almost non-existing and free media did not
always work. Across the focus groups there was agreement that promotion was the key element when
it came to recruiting volunteers.
“I found some funds to pay for an advert in the paper and had 25 replies with 12 volunteers selected
and signed up for our programs. This was a fantastic result. But I cannot afford this again.”
Additionally, focus groups noted that the cost to volunteer organisations of recruitment is increased
due to the higher turnover of particularly younger volunteers, who may only stay for a few months or
even weeks before moving on. It was noted that the education system is playing a significant role in
helping to develop a commitment to contributing to social capital among young people. Participants
hoped that the habits which were fostered in young people now would prove to be building blocks to
long-term volunteer habits that will return a benefit to the sector in years to come.
Challenging RolesSpecific recruitment challenges were identified by volunteer managers in relation to attracting
volunteers to work in:
One-on-one client services particularly in the health, aged and disability care services.
Administrative roles, as administration is not funded by funding bodies, increasing the
competition for experienced persons.
Community Bus Drivers as they have specialist licences which cannot be obtained readily.
12 http://www.exitinterviews.com.au/staff-turnover.htm
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Roles with a specific (higher level) skill set.
Rural areas where the pool of volunteers is smaller and travel distances higher.
In addition, as younger generations enter the volunteer force, organisations will increasingly face a
balancing act of recruiting skilled versus unskilled volunteers.
Matching Volunteers to OrganisationsFinding suitable work was considered a barrier to volunteering by 8.9% of volunteer survey
respondents in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study. “Finding volunteers to join who then
won't offer help when asked to do something” was identified as a barrier to volunteering in similar
contexts by several volunteers.
Respondents to the individual volunteer survey stated that they value having a position that meets
their interest with 79.7% respondents considering this as important to very important, while 76.5%
value having a position which uses their skills. Only 52.9% of volunteers stated they value having a
position which develops their skill. Mean responses indicate that younger generations assigned higher
value to positions meeting their interest or skill requirements; however, the sample was too small to
assess if this difference is statistically significant (Table 8).
Follow up calls with prospective volunteers referred during 2011, as part of the State of Volunteering
in the Illawarra study, identified some surprising results about retention. While from the 46 calls made,
45.7% of participants had not taken up the referral, 32.6% had terminated the volunteer work, although
two thirds stated they had enjoyed the work. Only 21.7% of those contacted were still working in the
referred volunteer organisation. Triangulation with interview questionnaires identified that the most
common reasons for leaving a voluntary position with an organisation were changed time
commitments due to commencing work or study, changes in health or other personal circumstances,
and the organisation no longer having a position for a volunteer (Table 15).
Retaining VolunteersConsidering the difficulty in recruiting volunteers and the lifestyle changes, it is not surprising that
retaining volunteers was the third largest challenge identified by volunteer organisations in the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra study. One volunteer organisation focus group concurred that they
experienced a turnover of one third (⅓) of their volunteers per annum, while another one third (⅓) of
the volunteers on their books was considered inactive.
The research indicated that volunteer organisations in Kiama and Shellharbour LGAs did not face
particular challenges when it came to volunteer retention. In the Shoalhaven, however, 61% of
organisations and in Wollongong 49% of organisations stated that this as a problem. These results are
to be taken cautiously, as the sample for some regions was small and branches of volunteer
organisations that are located across the region studied may be managed centrally.
Analysis indicates that those organisations finding it challenging to retain volunteers are more likely to
have:
younger volunteers;
set working hours (57.1%);
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
work only available at a pre-determined location (47.8%); and
volunteers working a regular time each week (47.2%).
Of the 29 organisations that considered volunteer retention to be a challenge:
seventy-six percent (76%) did not have paid training in place;
fifty-seven percent (57%) did not provide training or professional development; and
14.3% did not provide an induction to WHS and 33.3% did not provide training in WHS.
Respondents stated that 14.3% of volunteer managers did not have regular meetings with volunteers
and 23.8% of volunteers did not have regular contact with staff or volunteer coordinators, while 61% of
volunteers did not have meetings with staff. Discussion also revealed that volunteers had a higher
expectation regarding opportunities to attend meetings and regular contact than is currently provided
by organisations.
Of individual volunteers 17.8% stated in open text responses gathered during the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra study, that organisational matters were a barrier to volunteering. Recent
research in Canada shows that two thirds of volunteers have a negative experience13 and another
study in the USA states that bad previous experience is putting Generation Y off volunteering14. A
previous study by Volunteering Illawarra showed that volunteers with three bad experiences will not try
again. It seems that the type of ‘work conditions’ they will be subject to matter to volunteers.
The Millennial Impact Report identified that Generation Y volunteers often start with short-term projects
as a means to get to know the organisation. A means for organisations to ensure continued
engagement is to ensure that a volunteer can see a ‘career’ trajectory within the organisation,
commencing with micro-volunteering and building up to group and longer-term projects, or even to
taking on leadership roles including being on committees and Board of Management. The volunteer
manager focus groups that contributed to the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, showed an
awareness of the benefit of providing a variety of roles in the organisation and helping volunteers
change role when the program they are volunteering for finished or when they felt like moving on.
Volunteer manager focus groups confirmed that older volunteers, particularly those above 65 years,
were more likely to stay with a volunteer organisation and were more committed to their volunteer role
than younger generations who study or move into the workforce. One participant stated that their
clients did not like this turnover, but were powerless to do anything about it.
“TAFE students stay around one to two years (or even less), depending on the stage of the course,
and university students want to volunteer during summer. Also, the interest for volunteering has
changed, as the new course structures have more practicums and student placements.”
One participant said that they recruit young volunteers who state upfront that they want to work in the
sector. “We give them a buddy and the opportunity to see as much of the organisation as possible to
help them along.” Other participants perceived the situation where volunteers gain experience through
13 Fritz, Joanne (2012) Does Your Nonprofit Appeal to the ‘New’ Volunteers? Online: http://nonprofit.about.com/od/volunteers/a/Does-Your-Nonprofit-Appeal-To-The-New-
Volunteers.htm
14 Feldmann, Derrick; Nixon, Joanna; Brady, Justin; Brainer-Banker, Lara; Wheat, Kara; Fry, Wesley; Gossnickle, Ted; White, Angela E.; Lepsky, Deanna; Krull, Tim; (2012)
The Millennial Impact Report, Connect, Involve, Give, Online: http://themillennialimpact.com/
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
volunteering and then move on to paid employment as a positive (comment from aged care sector),
because it meant that good committed people were moving into the sector where they are needed.
Where organisations can provide for a better person-organisation fit of work values, people are more
committed and less likely to leave an organisation. The one group of volunteers that were identified by
respondents in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study as staying longer-term, were those who
are dependent on income support. However, the successful management of this group of volunteers,
challenges volunteer organisations to better understand and adapt to the changing nature of
volunteering and the meaning of being a volunteer.
Job DescriptionsAccording to Sheahan, changing mundane positions and making them more interesting will support
the retention of generation Y workers. But Baby Boomers too want creative and more challenging
volunteer work (Recommendation 2a).
In Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2009, 42% of
volunteers have not received a written job description for their volunteer role, however,
93% of volunteers reported that they know what is expected of them in their volunteer
role, either all or most of the time.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study indicated that 68.7% of organisations provided job
descriptions for volunteers, while 21.9% stated they were partly in place and 6.2% did not have job
descriptions. This compares to the State of Volunteering: Tasmania research, which indicated that
54% of organisations had volunteer job descriptions in place, 27% had them partly in place and 15%
not at all. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of organisations surveyed by Volunteering Illawarra ranked the
provision of job descriptions among the top three factors in managing volunteers; however, job
descriptions ranked second last in importance of the seven factors associated with managing
volunteers (Figure 7).
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 7: Job Descriptions – Comparison between Illawarra and Tasmania
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Yes Partly No Not relevant Not sure
%Illaw arra
Tasmania
Source: State of Volunteering Report: Tasmania 2010
Individual volunteer survey respondents in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research valued
having a position description as less important than any other factor. However, 90.4% of volunteer
respondents expected organisations to have position descriptions in place and 61.3% thought this was
important to very important. There was only a marginal difference between the level of importance
attached to having position descriptions by younger generations and the level of importance attributed
to them by Baby Boomers.
Differing views on the importance of job descriptions were expressed during focus groups with
volunteer managers. Those organisations that provided position descriptions thought it important to
ensure their volunteers knew their responsibilities and were aware of the tasks they were required to
perform, to help manage expectations and boundaries. Others commented that not all volunteer roles
lend themselves to a position description, particularly those where volunteers do ad hoc and one off
project work. As one participant commented:
“Job descriptions are key in recruitment. If they are too complex then the position should be a paid job
and the need for this position needs to be communicated to the funding body. We have successfully
lobbied for a position this way.”
Noble et al propose that job descriptions for staff and volunteers should differ in their complexity,
taking into consideration the fact that a volunteer is less likely to understand sector related issues,
particularly if they are not trained or experienced in paid work in the sector in which they are
volunteering.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Of nine interviewees in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research who indicated that they had
previous volunteer experience, six had worked with an organisation that had provided them with a job
description and three of the six stated that their job description had matched the role that they were
undertaking. This demonstrates the importance of volunteer organisations reviewing volunteer position
descriptions on a regular basis, to ensure they are aligned with organisational needs and project
requirements and that they remain up-to-date.
Barriers to VolunteeringThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra individual volunteer survey asked volunteers about any
difficulties or barriers to volunteering that they had experienced. One hundred and six (106) responses
were received, of which almost 11% stated that they had not experienced any difficulties/barriers to
volunteering. The other respondents stated organisational matters (17.8%), time to balance all
demands (14.4%) and work or study (11.6%) or family (8.9%) as the main impediments to
volunteering. Other factors mentioned were the suitability of the work, including matching their skills to
the needs of the organisation, the distance or access to the place of the volunteer work, health,
money, hobbies and language (Table 16). For new volunteers the biggest challenge was balancing
work/study commitments and the need to regularly commit to volunteer work.
The organisational difficulties/barriers to volunteering that were identified by respondents consisted of:
work requirements to attend meetings, expectations and demands or program changes (38.5%),
issues with other volunteers (27%), staff (23%), or clients/customers (11.5%). There was no significant
difference between the generations in terms of the types of difficulties/barriers to volunteering that
were identified.
“Finding some volunteers too demanding and troublemaking when I'm trying to please every aspect of
the groups needs…negotiating with them to solve the problem only to find they won't change their
mind.”
“Working 7 days a week as a volunteer, phone duties 24hrs a day and being so conscientious to
maintain the good name of the group and keep it afloat financially.”
“Dealing with paid staff who do not value or understand volunteers (and particularly volunteer
motivation) to the extent that they should.”
“Clear definition of role; adequate instruction and communication on what is expected from me; and
face-to-face communication if I have done something wrong and need some correction.”
Participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra individual volunteer survey, who had not taken
up a referral to a volunteer position commented must commonly that they had been unable to reach
the contact within the organisation or, when they followed up on their referral, the organisation no
longer had a vacancy. Personal reasons such as work, health or pregnancy were other barriers.
Finally, a number of volunteers stated that they were not interested in the type of voluntary work that
they were offered via the referral even though they accepted the referral. Considering the large
number of referrals which were not taken up by volunteers (over 45%) improvements could be made
to the referral process by ensuring that in instances where the initial position they are referred to does
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
not meet their interest, volunteers are referred back to the volunteer referral centre and that
mechanisms are in place, so the potential volunteer can be referred again when a position more suited
to their skills and interests becomes available (Recommendation 3d).
During volunteer coordinator/manager focus group discussions intergenerational matters were
discussed and it was highlighted that the Baby Boomers did not feel they had much in common with
the 20 to 30 age group and preferred connecting with the same generation. Comments in relation to
younger people were: “they lack common sense”, “play with phones instead of undertaking tasks”,
“want to be the manager”.
There is potential for these problems to be addressed by volunteer organisations clearly articulating to
young people organisational values (including the importance of respect) and expectations. It was also
suggested that organisations could address these issues by communicating organisational policy and
boundaries regarding the use of technology (eg mobile phones) during volunteering time and by
monitoring compliance.
According to Heartbeat Trends, Baby Boomers see bureaucracy as a barrier to volunteering and
Generation Y does not wish to wait weeks to hear back to be invited for or after, an interview. This
means the volunteer recruitment process needs to become speedier. Current practice is that criminal
records checks, working with children checks, confidentiality agreements, personal details and other
forms need to be completed with each organisation with whom a potential volunteer registers.
Considering Baby Boomers volunteer in multiple organisations and Generation Y change role
frequently, this increases administrative work not just for the volunteer, but also for the volunteer
agencies, where the same person may be processed multiple times by multiple agencies in the same
period. Illawarra volunteer organisations that participated in focus groups however, stated that they
were not concerned about the amount of paperwork that needed to be completed nor the amount of
time it took to complete.
Volunteer Work Preferences
Hours AvailableThe organisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study calculated the
number of volunteer hours worked per annum to enable comparison to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) Volunteer Work Survey. There was considerable alignment in the hours worked by
volunteers as reported by organisations in the Illawarra and the ABS data, with 41% of volunteers
working less than 50 hours per annum (ABS 46%) reducing to zero for those working 300 to 350 hours
per annum and rising again to over 7% per annum for those working more than 400 hours per annum
Figure 8).
The ABS survey identified that the number of volunteers has increased but the hours per volunteer
have decreased “74 hours per annum in 1995 to 72 hours in 2000 to 56 hours in 2006”. It is expected
that this trend will continue due to the lifestyle values, motivations and barriers to volunteering
expressed by participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
The data provided by volunteer organisations that participated in the study indicated that volunteers
with a paid volunteer manager provided more hours of assistance than those managed by an unpaid
volunteer manager. However, it appeared that volunteers in organisations that did not have a
coordinator at all work the most hours per month. For the latter group, it would be worth exploring if,
for those volunteers, they feel the need to continue to work a high number of hours out of a sense of
obligation to keep the organisation running.
Figure 8: Hours of Voluntary Work
1 to 49 50 to 99 100 to 149 150 to 199 200 to 249 250 to 299 350 to 399 400 over0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Illawarra ABS Australia
Hours of voluntary work
Source: Adapted from Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007)
The Illawarra study found that volunteers aged 55 plus reported spending more time on volunteer work
than those aged 25 to 44 (excluding respondents on income support, who need to undertake 15 hours
per week). This matched organisational perceptions of the level to which volunteers assist in their
organisations. The organisations reporting voluntary activity of more than 200 hours per annum per
volunteer, also reported that the majority of their volunteers were in the age range 55 to 64 and 65 to
74 years, while organisations reporting less than 200 hours per annum per volunteer of activity
reported an age range from 18 to 75 years for their volunteers. One volunteer manager who attended
the focus groups stated:
“…there are so many choices now. The number of places wanting volunteers increased and the
volunteer pool decreased thinning the distribution of volunteers. We are all fighting for the same
people and our volunteers are exhausted because they work too many hours per week across multiple
organisations.”
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Volunteer RostersOrganisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research were asked about
patterns of work for their volunteers (Table 17) and volunteers were asked what best described when
they expected to volunteer (Figure 9).
Over 56.2% of organisations stated that their volunteers work a regular time each week,
with the health and community/welfare sectors reporting a higher than average level of
regular hours for volunteers, with 69.2% and 59% respectively. This corresponds to the 57%
of Illawarra individual volunteer respondents but is lower than the level of regular working
hours for volunteers reported in the National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2011, where
73.9% of respondents stated a high level of regular volunteer work hours. A volunteer
manager stated during the focus group discussions “I would be put off by an application
form which asked me to work regular hours every week.”
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of organisations surveyed for the Illawarra research stated that
their volunteers could undertake tasks when it suits them, with health sector agencies the
least flexible, at 46%. Only 28.5% of volunteers expected to work when it suited them,
indicating that organisations are providing a greater level of flexibility than they are, strictly
speaking, required to offer to satisfy their volunteers.
Slightly less than 22% of participating organisations stated that volunteers have to work set
hours, with health sector organisations requiring this from 30.7% of their volunteers and the
community/welfare sector from 20.5% of volunteers. Of volunteers 32.2% expected to work
set hours.
Thirty-six percent (36%) of the organisations surveyed in the Illawarra stated that their
volunteers work from a predetermined location, with the community/welfare sector indicating
this in 43.6% of cases, while health organisations required this only from 30.7% of
volunteers. Volunteer responses matched with 36.7% expecting to work from a
predetermined location.
Of the three parts of the day available for volunteers to be rostered to work, organisations
offered evening work the least often (12.5%), followed by afternoons (18.75%) and
mornings (28.13%). This was in keeping with the views of individual volunteers who were
surveyed, who indicated their preference for morning, followed by afternoon shifts, with
evening as the least favoured period for work (Table 18).
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
Figure 9: Volunteering Rosters by Organisations Offering and Volunteers Expectations by Age
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
Organisations 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84
Morning Afternoon Evening Regular Time When it Suits me Set Hours Predetermined Location
The preference not to work evenings was, however, by no means universal, with regularity of
volunteering rosters being considered a barrier by 6.2% of volunteer respondents and “no volunteer
work in the evening” being stated as one of the reasons that people did not volunteer. Many volunteers
work in multiple volunteer roles. This would precipitate a need for regular weekly commitment by
volunteer organisations to accommodate volunteers who do not wish to work different shifts, but who
want the flexibility to change their work hours when their circumstances change (Recommendation
2b). A common desire expressed by volunteers across all generations who participated in the survey,
was the need for more flexibility in work schedules.
In the future, structured, ongoing volunteer positions, which require a regular commitment from
volunteers over multiple years, may be more difficult to fill. Unlike the Builder generation, subsequent
generations see volunteering not as a civic duty, but rather a life enhancing opportunity for themselves
and the community, when they have time.
Volunteer SettingThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra individual volunteer survey asked respondents which work
setting they would like to volunteer in. Results indicate that most respondents prefer to volunteer in a
group, within the organisation, with peers or friends (Table 19). Generational analysis identified that
working in a group and within the organisation were the top two preferences for volunteers of all ages.
The 18 to 24 year olds were the only group where a majority of respondents reported that they would
like to have time or programs available through their work place (Table 19) and this was the only
instance which indicated a statistically significant difference in response between Generation Y and
Baby Boomers (p<0.05). Images of volunteering in corporate settings were judged as depicting the
least favourite context for volunteering (three images) due to the formal (office) environment they
represented. However, corporate settings appealed to respondents along the dimension of showing an
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
organised and sharing team culture. The 25 to 34 age group seemed the least likely to enjoy
volunteering alone or from a distance to the organisation. The 35 to 44 age group wanted to volunteer
the least one-on-one with clients, while the 55 to 64 year old group were the least concerned as to
whether they volunteered in groups or alone, and the 65 plus age group had a higher preference to
volunteer within the organisation, in a group and with peers/friends than any other generational cohort
(Table 19).
The survey results were triangulated with the data derived from the visual methodology. The images
with the most appeal (and never chosen as a least favourite) were:
group photos of Generation Y (12 times) with the appeal being friendship, support, team
work, fun, activity and accomplishment;
people working together in the community improving the environment (in and outdoors) and
on building sites (10) with the appeal being group work, helping each other, team work,
happy and accomplishment; and
working one-on-one with people (10) with the appeal being taking care of the elderly,
support and helping the less fortunate, compassion and rewarding.
The appeal of these images to those surveyed reflects the fact that one of the main values associated
with volunteering is helping the community. However the clear preference for group and team work
within the organisation will create challenges for volunteer managers in relation to developing effective
leadership structures and relationships for each group. The volunteer manager focus groups agreed
that multiple versus limited touch points for volunteers with management and staff had the ability to
influence the volunteer experience. Finally, this research indicates a fluid and mobile volunteer force,
often not bound to the organisational structure and working at a distance from the manager or other
staff.
Volunteer EngagementThere was some debate among focus group participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
study, as to whether volunteers should be treated in the same way as employees. Opinions varied
greatly. “We need to understand that a volunteer’s motivation is very different to employees.” While
motivations differ, the study identified that there are some conditions under which volunteers should be
treated the same as paid workers, namely in relation to legislated obligations, supervision, training and
feedback. Correlations can be drawn between volunteer organisations and the business sector, where
employee retention is also an emerging challenge.
The BlessingWhite Global Study identified the key issues behind retaining human resources. The
study assessed retention through employee engagement. They found that full engagement aligns an
employee’s job satisfaction and their contribution with the company’s success. This includes an
employee’s ability to use their “talents, discretionary efforts to make a difference, passions and a line
of sight of their own future and the organisations mission and goals”. This is clearly congruent with the
values presented in the volunteer survey and discussed at an earlier point in this report.
According to the BlessingWhite study only 37% of Australian employees are fully and 23% almost fully
engaged in their workplace. Forty-two percent (42%) of Baby Boomers were “fully” and 22% “almost
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
fully” engaged; Generation X was reported as being 35% “fully” and 24% “almost fully” engaged and
Generation Y only 23% and 20%, respectively iii. The study further found that, from all industries
surveyed, the highest employee engagement rates were reported in not-for-profit organisations (58%)
and in smaller organisations (40%). Seventy-seven percent (77%) of engaged employees reported
that they planned to stay with their employer, while 46% of disengaged employees reported that they
planned to leave the organisation. The BlessingWhite Report also found that managers play a critical
role in employee engagement and that the younger generation is the most passionate when engaged.
At the same time:
only 44% of managers delegate assignments effectively without micro-managing engaged
staff;
only 50% of engaged employees receive encouragement to use their talents from their
managers;
only 52% of engaged employees agree they receive regular, specific feedback on their
performance from their managers.
The BlessingWhite Report confirms that the availability of a coach or a mentor, other than the
manager, increases employee engagement through increasing the contribution an employee is able to
make in the organisation. It is likely that a “mentor not manage” approach will not only appeal to
younger generations’ need for coaching and delegation, but also to experienced Baby Boomers who
do not want to be ‘patronised’. McCrindle states “the best leadership style for Generation Y is
coaching, which balances between rank and role distinction and social relationships, is participatory
and both, directs and empowers” (Recommendation 1b, 1c).
The book ‘Uniting the Virtual Workforce’15 highlights the extent to which engagement of employees is
associated with physical, operational and personal relationship (affinity) distance. The authors claim
that the latter two are far more important than location. Physical distance reduces co-operation with
demographically different groups as they have a tendency to less information sharing. This could be
an issue for volunteer managers, as 64% of organisations state they utilise volunteers who do not
have a predetermined location from which to volunteer (affecting an estimated 2700 active
volunteers16).
Operational distance affects communication, perceived separation or disconnectedness and is
enhanced when multitasking is required which redirects the focus of tasks to what is close by.
Managers can directly influence operational distance by being consciously aware of it and how it
affects staff and volunteers. In particular, volunteer managers in a dual role would benefit from
increased consciousness as to how they allocate their resources to each role. Sobel, Lojeski and
Reilly advise that while technology can help overcome operational distance, it also requires an
understanding of its benefits and its limitations.
Relational distance is the most difficult to manage, as it includes an understanding and appreciation of
cultural, social and work values, and the differences in communication styles. Values directly impact
15 Sobel Lojeski K., Reilly R (2008) Uniting the Virtual Workforce: transforming leadership and innovation in the globally integrated enterprise, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey
16 This figure is based on volunteer managers survey responses on the number of volunteers working in their organisation.
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State of Volunteering in the Illawarra: 2012_________________________________________________________________________________
on how a person feels about an organisation. Sobel Lojeski and Reilly found trust to be a direct
influencer of affinity distance with high trust generating high organisational citizenship and increasing
job satisfaction. To strengthen trust and organisational citizenship, managers should share information
with volunteers and engage with them through every possible means, such as meetings and social
events, and create boundary spanning activities for employees and volunteers iv. The BlessingWhite
Report supports these findings and states that:
trust correlates with engagement levels, with 81% of engaged employees reporting that they
trust senior management, compared to 19% of the disengaged and 89% of the engaged
reporting that they trust their direct manager, compared to 42% of the disengaged;
forty-nine percent (49%) of engaged employees feel their manager has created a sense of
belonging in the department or team.
The report concludes with advice to managers to take control of their own engagement level to ensure
they are able to effectively engage team members, build an environment which aligns organisational
values and vision with talent, interests and efforts and develop mutually beneficial relationships
through coaching. Regardless of the employment status of managers or workers ie volunteer or paid
employee, an organisation should endeavour to engage with its workforce if it wishes to achieve a
higher level of employee or volunteer retention (Recommendation 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b).
Marketing Message and RecruitmentStudies into differences between generations indicate that there is no difference in the commitment of
each generation to altruistic values such as helping others. Volunteer recruitment programs for all
generations can therefore capitalise on emphasising these values in their promotional and recruitment
programs. All generations want meaningful positions, have clear expectations, understand the value of
volunteering to the volunteer and to the organisation and recognise the expected outcome or impact of
their efforts. They also all want to learn, gain growth opportunities and experience challenges that will
foster personal development.
Volunteer managers who participated in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra survey stated that it
was important to clearly articulate what the organisation could offer its volunteers, including the work
and social aspects of volunteering to ensure volunteer expectations remained realistic.
Research and focus group discussions indicated that the availability of a volunteer coordinator’s role
provides a potential growth opportunity for younger volunteers. One focus group commented that in
some sectors volunteer coordination roles act as an entry level position that allows for a career start.
Promoting a volunteer career path, leadership opportunities and coaching by a volunteer manager or a
volunteer mentor would meet the need for responsibility that many Generation Y volunteers are
seeking, while giving Baby Boomers a growth opportunity and a more stimulating volunteering
experience (Recommendation 1d).
Language17 and symbols used in volunteering are an important, final, consideration in the message
that volunteer organisations communicates to potential volunteers. Ellis notes that vocabulary needs to
17 Ellis, Susan J. (2010) The Word “Volunteer” can reveal, conceal or confuse, Online: http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/2010/10dec.html and
http://0.tqn.com/d/nonprofit/1/0/a/9/-/-/ellisslide2.png
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differ depending on the target audience. The visual methodology undertaken in the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra study indicated that commonly used volunteer symbols depicting one
hand or group of hands, the globe or digital images, may be confusing. In addition four common
themes of appeal emerged in the results from the visual methodology. The themes and the language
used by volunteers to describe the images are adaptable to the marketing message of volunteer
programs and projects (Recommendation 4c).
RelationshipsThe importance of relationships was consistently mentioned by participants in relation to all but the
Virtual Volunteering images. References were made to helping and working together, support and
team work, everyone being involved, bonding and friendship.
Generational Change“Young people helping” was noted as a powerful image within the one-to-one setting and the
technology setting. Comments on teaching and learning were elicited by images showing technology
and family settings. Participants in the imaging methodology component of the study commented that
many volunteers will be required in the one-on-one setting as Baby Boomers age.
EnvironmentPhoto images of the environment explored with study participants, related to both the physical
environment and the work environment. For the community and family images, improving the physical
environment and working outdoors generated positive comments, while for work environments fun,
friendly, good culture with work colleagues, interesting discussions, and assisting others through
teaching and active involvement (hands on approach) were appealing.
AttributesThe attributes that appealed most to participants in the image methodology phase of the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra research project, were happy smiling people, learning and knowledge
sharing and most of all, reward and accomplishment.
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Part 3 – Volunteering into the Future
Ageing Volunteer WorkforceIn Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2010, organisations
said the age cohorts with the largest proportion of volunteers were 55 to 64 with 44% and
65 to 74 with 26% of respondents, respectively.
Volunteer manager respondents to the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra survey reported that they
saw the ageing of the volunteer workforce as a significant future challenge. Volunteers aged 55 to 64
years comprised 25% and those aged 65 to 74 years comprised 38.3% of volunteers in the
organisations that participated in the research. This is in stark contrast to the proportion of volunteers
ranging from 18 to 44 years, which represented less than one third (27.2%) of volunteers reported in
the research.
Further sector analysis indicated a higher representation of older volunteers in the community welfare
and health sectors than in parent/youth/children and education organisations, regardless of whether
they were the sole sector or combined with a secondary and tertiary sector. This mirrors the findings
by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) that people aged 55 years and older volunteer
predominantly in community/welfare, health and religious organisations, those aged 65+ in
Arts/Heritage, 25 to 44 year olds in parenting/child and youth development sectors, the 35 to 44 age
group in education and training, and those aged 35 to 54 years in sport and physical recreation.
Focus group participants from the health sectors stated that their volunteers soon will be clients and
one participant stated that “with an ageing population there needs to be greater realisation of more
need for volunteers, which requires more support and involvement by government.”
Finally, age group analysis indicates that volunteers in Shellharbour and Wollongong may be younger
than those in Kiama and Shoalhaven. With the exception of one organisation, all Shoalhaven
organisations reported that the most commonly occurring age group for their volunteers was either 55
to 64 years or 65 to 74 years, while Wollongong-based organisations reported a broader distribution of
age cohorts within their volunteer workforce. The ageing of the population has significant implications
for the future recruitment of volunteers in rural regions, where many young people leave the town in
which they grew up to attend university or work in the city.
Demographic ChangeThe ABS Future Population Growth and Ageing18 report documents population ageing trends in
Australia over the past several decades and forecasts future trends as people live longer and reduced
fertility and immigration only marginally compensate for the increase in the proportion the population
aged 65 and over. Growth estimates for Australia’s population predict an increase to a total population
of at least 30 million people by 2056, with a population growth average of up to 1.4% per annum. The
Productivity Commission Report The Economic Implications of an Ageing Australia19 states that by
18 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2009) Future Population Growth and Ageing, Australian Social Trends 4102.0, 25 March
19 Australian Government (2005) Economic implication of an Ageing Australia, Productivity Commission Research Report, March, Online:
http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/69401/ageing.pdf
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2044-2045 one quarter of the Australian population will be aged 65 and over and the proportion of 80
year olds is expected to rise by almost 6%. The report identified that by 2044-2045 coastal urban
areas will have a higher proportion of aged people than metropolitan or inland areas due to internal
migration shifts, with an approximate population proportion of 26.8% of the 65+ age group. To place
this in perspective of the generational analysis presented in this report, by 2044-2045 Baby Boomers
will be 80 to 101 years old, Generation X 65 to 80 years, Generation Y 50 to 65 and Generation Z 35
to 50 years old. Currently the Baby Boomers constitute the largest population group in the Illawarra
with 23.4%, followed by Generation X with 19.8%, Generation Y and Generation Z with 19.4% each.
The Builders only comprise 13.5% of the Illawarra population, making the ageing population
‘phenomenon’ more pronounced. However, the Productivity Commission states that “an ageing
population is not a crisis” and that there will be a greater number of older people with more leisure time
to enjoy activities and contribute to the community.
The Productivity Commission report discussed the fact that population changes will lead to an
increase in volunteer numbers to around 6.8 million by 2044-2045. This means that there may be
more people available to volunteer in the region in the future, with those 75+ comprising 10% of the
national volunteer population compared to 4.8% in 2010v.
Salt’s projections for the future show that by 2020, 35% of the Australian workforce will be members of
Generation Y who have grown up in a world where technology is part of every day life. This cohort will
be commencing, or in the midst of, their child raising years (aged 28 to 42) in 2020. Generation X
(aged 43 to 57) who have adapted well to technology will constitute 37% of the working population and
Baby Boomers, currently less likely to work with technology than their younger cohorts, will only make
up 16% of the working population. In 10 years, most people still working and those only just retiring will
have adapted to and have had experience working with several forms of technology.
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Communicating with Volunteers
Communication Methods
Volunteer Organisations - Preferred MethodsThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer manager survey asked about the types of
communications currently used with volunteers. Face-to-face communication, on an individual basis
was reported as being used most often, with 31.9% of volunteer managers identifying this mode,
followed by phone (25.1%), email (17.9%) and face-to-face in team meetings (15.7%). More cost
effective means of communication such as social media and SMS were used by only 4.5% and 4% of
organisations, respectively. Some organisations also advised that they communicated with volunteers
by mail (letter) (2), newsletter (3) and message board (1). Considering the distributed nature of
volunteer management, it was surprising that one-to-one communication was still relied upon so
heavily by not-for-profit organisations, to connect with their volunteers.
Volunteers - Preferred MethodsVolunteer survey respondents were asked how they expected organisations to communicate with
them. The results indicated that the number one preference for volunteers of all ages is face-to-face
communication, either individually (70.9%) or in team meetings (60.1%), followed by phone (55.7%)
and email (51.3%). Eighty percent (80%) of volunteer respondents stated that they use email
technology (Table 22). Interestingly, statistical analysis reveals that Generation Y preferred
communication via text messages (SMS) significantly more than Baby Boomers (p<0.05), confirming
that the younger generation is using SMS more than previous generations. For all other methods of
communication no statistically significant difference between the generations was apparent.
Focus group participants deemed email and SMS very efficient, particularly, for short and mass
messages. But they also indicated that follow up contact via a phone call was required. Discussion
with both managers and volunteers confirmed that their preferred communication technologies were
telephone, including text messages and email. They felt each technology should be used for best
effect:
Phone calls for discussions where questions may arise and more complex matters need
elaboration.
SMS for brief messages of changes, reminders or urgent notifications.
Email for information dissemination and non-urgent matters.
Respondents in the Millennial Impact Report (Feldmann et al, 2012) said that they did not like long
emails, but preferred the email to tell the main story and the action required with links to more
information on the topic. This is possibly due to viewing emails on a smart phone where longer emails
require more megabytes to download.
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Internet AccessIn the Illawarra, 79% of Illawarra residents accessed the Internet in 2010-201120 and 74% of
households have the Internet connected, with almost 69% connecting via broadband and 3.4% via
dial-up connection21. Of those residents with broadband connection, 78.4% live in a separate house,
11% in a flat, unit or apartment, and 9.8% in a terrace house or townhouse. Dial up connections are
slightly more common in the latter two dwelling types.
Ninety percent (90%) of Australians aged 44 and less access the Internet, 85% of persons aged 45 to
54 and 71% of the 55 to 64 year olds access the internet. Only 37% of persons aged 65 and over have
accessed the Internet in 2010.
Online TechnologiesThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer managers’ survey asked about the types of online
technologies their organisations use. Responses indicated that most of the common technologies
were in use, including websites (48.4%), internet (26.6%) and some social media (20.3%) however
there was little evidence of the use of more recent or emerging technologies. While online calendar
and shareware were showing some take up by a few organisations, blogs, wikis, and online forums
were rarely used as a means of communicating with volunteers (Table 22). Interestingly, unpaid
volunteer coordinators seemed to be equally or more interested than paid managers when it came to
adopting online technologies with 42.9% working with internet compared to 22.2% of paid managers,
and a higher percentage using shareware and wiki - 7.1% for each, compared to 6.6% and 0%
respectively for paid managers (Table 20).
Among the six organisations which stated that they employed volunteers aged between 18 and 44
years, four used more than three online technologies, particularly websites and social media such as
Facebook and, to some extent, blogs. Conversely, the four organisations with volunteers in the age
group 65 to 85 reported using no online technology or only one online technology medium. None of
these four organisations had a website. A typical comment regarding the types of online technologies
used was “most seniors may not have or be up-to-date with mobile phones or internet”. This sentiment
was confirmed in the focus groups where there was general agreement across groups that older
generations preferred more traditional methods of communication such as phone calls and mail, and
younger generations communicated more online. They stated that older volunteers wanted to keep the
social and personal touch that they have lived with for most of their lives. Also, many older volunteers
do not have computers or mobile phones to readily access online technologies. One volunteer
manager said “(I) would like to go online, but am stopped by the older generation who are not on
email.”
Social NetworkingThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra volunteer survey identified that new volunteers expected
their organisation to communicate significantly more through the internet, Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
wikis and shareware such as Google (p<0.05) than experienced volunteers (Table 22). It is interesting
20 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011b) Household Use of Information Technology, Australia 2010-11, 81460DO004_201011
21 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011a) Voluntary Work, Australia 2010, 4441.0
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to note that respondents anticipated use of the online calendar as a communication tool more
frequently than they expected Facebook to be utilised, even though the latter medium was generally
used as a communication tool by 35.5% of respondents versus online calendars at 18% (Table 22).
Respondents from Generation X and Generation Y were more likely to be engaged with social media
and to use SMS and other technologies for communication. Social networking sites were accessed by
88% of 18 to 24 year old volunteers, who identified as internet users, 75% of 25 to 34 year olds, and
58% of 35 to 44 year olds. Those aged 45 and above currently use social networking sites less than
younger age cohorts (Table 23) however adoption of Facebook among people from the 35 to 45 years
age cohort has grown during the past two years and continues to show significant increase.
Some volunteer managers during focus groups discussed the use of social media. They said they use
Facebook for some programs but not for others, depending on the target group for the project. Some
thought that the use of Social Media led to the organisation losing the “personal touch” with its
volunteers. Other participants stated they would have liked to use Social Media, but were stopped by
policy and approval processes which made access or information flow nearly impossible, or their
organisation was in the process of implementing policy and procedures which were deemed
necessary before technology was used (Recommendation 3e).
Bennett et al22 discuss how social networking in the workplace is still under-appreciated and under-
valued. They state that with these tools the control of content can shift from the site owner to the
contributor of material. The focus groups interviewed for the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
research identified significant hesitation by volunteer managers to introduce social media because
they felt it would be something else they would need to maintain. However, social media is not just
about keeping people informed, but also a means for providing recognition, having conversations,
sharing knowledge, gaining feedback, creating social links and creating a fun collaborative and
participatory work environment. Bennett et al state “social networks, blogs, wikis and RSS feeds can
facilitate networked conversations, information sharing and problem solving” not just among
volunteers, but also among staff. A couple of volunteer focus group participants could see the benefit
of Facebook as a social connector at the broader organisation level. They commented that Facebook
could be used to disseminate organisational information, social events or engage volunteers in
discussion on organisational matters. Facebook was also considered an interactive alternative to email
to assist with attendance notices and replacement of volunteers unable to undertake their rostered
shift on any given day. For Generation Y, peers are the new family, and online peers are just another
part of their ‘family’.
New technologies also have the potential to have a positive impact on improving staff and volunteer
interactions and helping with matching volunteers to organisations. Social media has the potential to
break down hierarchical barriers and remove silos and therefore could provide empowerment to
volunteers to effectively contribute to a volunteer program or event and to organisational decision
making (Recommendation 2c).
22 Bennett, James; Owers, Mark; Pitt, Michael; Tucker, Michael (2010) Workplace impact of social networking, Property management, Vol.28, No. 3, pg.138-148
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The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research unearthed a number of good examples of the use
of Facebook by volunteer organisations. One organisation promoted and used Facebook for a
Humanitarian Forum, which led to a lot of input and feedback by young people to whom they would not
normally have access. Another organisation advised that Facebook is an excellent tool for peer
support. One volunteer focus group participant provided an example of how Facebook was used to
help a Saudi Arabian family, who had moved into the neighbourhood without many household items.
Posting a request for assistance for household goods resulted in an overwhelming response.
Marketing to Volunteers via Information TechnologiesThe Millennial Impact Report found that social networks constitute a key channel for organisations to
engage with members, but they can also assist in sharing information about the organisation with
those in the community who are currently not part of it. The report found that “respondents shared
information on Facebook with 74% posting about cool events, 69% about statistics, 65% share news,
61% opportunities, 47% share videos, 39% invitations and 36% about the impact the organisation
has.” TheBernard23 notes that if Facebook is cultivated like a garden it has the potential to turn into a
recruitment tool attracting new volunteers. Bennett et al conclude that this “shift can lead to increased
brand reputation and a more transparent culture. When the Facebook community develops, it
becomes part of people’s life.” (Recommendations 3e, 2c).
The Australian Communications and Media Authority stated in its third report that during June 2011
555,000 Australians streamed video and movie content including using YouTube and it is predicted
that video streaming will emerge as the preferred medium for promotion and marketing in the coming
decade.
The Millennial Impact Report found that members of Generation Y want to find out about not-for-profit
organisations through a website (65%), social medial (55%), e-newsletter (47%), print (19%) and face-
to-face (17%). Therefore, a website is the primary point of contact and source of information for people
from this generation to find out about volunteering organisations. The report identified that when
people tap into a website, the “About Us” page of the site is usually viewed first, with 88% or
respondents interested in finding out the organisation’s purpose and values. Forty-three percent (43%)
looked at the donation page, 41% for volunteer opportunities and events and 30% for videos and
photos. The report found that the overall look of the website has to be professional, with compelling
visuals if it is to attract and retain visitors. Focus group respondents for this report stated that they
judge the character of an organisation from its website. In addition, websites need to be mobile phone
scaleable and readable, only featuring the most important content and remaining easy to navigate.
Volunteer organisations need to ensure that they have the appropriate online and communication
technologies in place to support their activities. Organisations with limited funding and resources to
facilitate the introduction of information and communications technology will find the road to a
networked environment more challenging unless funding and/or assistance from sponsors is sourced
to support this transition (Recommendation 2c, 3e).
23 Bernard, C (2011) Is Facebook an Effective Volunteer Management Tool? NTEN Change, A quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders
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Mobile TechnologiesHaving access to the Internet is a pre-requisite for the use of online and communication technologies
via personal computer or laptops, but is not required for mobile phone communication.
A report into the emerging mobile telecommunications market in Australia, commissioned by the
Commonwealth of Australia’s Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)24, provides a
comprehensive overview of the use and uptake of communications technology during 2011. The report
states that:
Fixed line telephone services are declining. During 2011 19% of the total adult population,
and 37% of 18 to 24 year olds, do not have a fixed line telephone.
There are now more mobile phone consumers (87% of households) than subscribers to
fixed line telephone services (81% of household consumers).
Fixed line/home telephone calls are still the most often used method for communication with
97% in metro and 99% in non-metro areas.
Mobile phone calls were following closely behind fixed line phone calls with 90% in metro
and 88% in non-metro areas and texting from mobile phones was used by 80% of metro
and 72% of non-metro users.
Email communication was used by 84% of metro and 78% of non-metro respondents.
Social networking was used by 45% of metro and 39% of non-metro respondents, with
Facebook being used by about 7.6 million, YouTube by 5.77 million, and Twitter by 1.047
million Australian users.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)vi was used by 34% of metro and 27% of non-metro
users with 25 to 34 year olds making up the majority of users (43%) followed by 18 to 24
year olds (21%) and finally the 35 to 49 age group (19%).
The ACMA report found that the mobile phone market for the 18 to 44 year segment was almost
saturated (96% to 98%), closely followed by the 45 to 54 age group with 91% of all persons with a
mobile phone. In addition, 78% of consumers 65 and above have taken up mobile phone technology.
Data regarding mobile phone dispersion among volunteers attending the Volunteering Illawarra
referral service since 2010, indicates that 25% of Baby Boomers do not have a mobile phone
compared to 6.3% of Generation Y (Table 21).
The ACMA report indicated that 37% of Australian mobile users own a smart phone. The State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra research identified that smart phones were used by just 25.2% of
Illawarra survey respondents, indicating that older mobile phone technology is still predominant in the
local market. However, as at April 2011 smart phone users accessed email and social networks (74%
each) through their mobile devices.
The ACMA report also considered generational differences in usage of mobile phones, with 18 to 24
year olds accessing six different communication services with a bias towards texting and social media,
while 55 to 64 year olds accessed four different communication services, reducing to three different
24 Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) (2011a) The emerging mobile telecommunications service market in Australia, Communications Report 2, 2010-2011
series, Commonwealth of Australia
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communication services for those 65 and above. The last cohort demonstrates a bias towards voice
and email communications.
According to ACMA, VoIP services are increasing in popularity as services become more readily
available. Most VoIP is currently used for long distance and international calls as the price is much
lower than for a fixed-line call. However, current usage of VoIP in Australia is for video connectivity
which allows for a real-time link with others. People living in regional and urban areas reported using
VoIP less than those in metropolitan areas, but more than those living in rural regions. Surprisingly,
the distribution of users across age ranges is reasonably similar, with usage ranging from 25% to 33%
and the highest rate being reported for the 25 to 34 age group. Males reported using VoIP slightly
more than females with 29% of males and 27% of females classing themselves as users, while people
who were employed used VoIP slightly more than those who were unemployed, with figures of 29%
and 26%, respectively.
VoIP has the potential to assist in coordination of volunteers and projects at a distance to the
organisation or for managers coordinating multiple locations. It will assist in reducing the time for travel
to different locations, reducing the physical distance of locality, reducing the cost of phone calls and
improving visual cues during conversations and discussions.
Barriers to Using TechnologyVolunteer managers were aware that they need to move towards the use of online technologies if they
wish to communicate effectively with younger generations of volunteers and potential volunteers.
Focus group discussions with Baby Boomer volunteers identified that a minority of the participants
were familiar with using information technology on a regular basis and they had either a work or
personal need or interest for using it. There was strong disinterest among many Baby Boomer
volunteers in learning about information technology. However, there were also strong reactions from
volunteer managers which indicated that they themselves were hesitant to change and would need
training. “I would have to leave my job if I have to use them (online technology).” There was a
perception reported that online technologies were “more work” and that it was something else which
needed managing and looking after. “I do not want to create a hardcopy and online newsletter. It just
increases my work to do that.”
The ACMA25 report found that the lack of perceived want or need for a mobile phone is the highest
barrier to mobile phone uptake with 48% of respondents reporting this as their main reason for not
using this technology. Similarly the World Trends and Forecasts Newsletter reported findings on the
uptake of technology by senior adults. They stated that the biggest barrier for seniors was lack of
awareness of what technology could do and of the need for the internet in their life. However, the
article also noted that when seniors learn about technology and go online, they become enthusiastic
users, creating profiles on social networking sites, using text messaging and online banking26. There
25 Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) (2011b) Converging communications channels: Preferences and behaviours of Australian communications users,
Communications Report 3, 2010-2011 series, Commonwealth of Australia
26 USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future, www.digitalcenter.org ; Association for Psychological Science, www.psychologicalscience.org; AARP, www.aarp.org in
Cohen, Aaron.M. (2010) Wiring the Elderly, World Trends and Forecasts, The Futurist, www.wfs.org
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are significant opportunities to engage Generation Y volunteers to educate and mentor seniors in the
use of new technologies (Recommendation 2e, 5d).
Across the focus groups that contributed to the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra project, there was
consensus that the use of technology depended on the volunteer role and should only be implemented
if it benefited the volunteer role. However, one participant commented that “organisations should use
all available technology including social media, so they can cater for everyone even if not every
volunteer uses every technology available.” This sentiment was also voiced in the Millennial Impact
Report which states that organisations should use multiple platforms to engage with volunteers.
The cost of using and updating technology was another commonly suggested barrier to its
introduction, with these factors considered to be a challenge for both volunteers and volunteer
organisations. Cost was also considered a barrier by ACMA which found that a low end mobile plan
cost from just below $49 per month to more than $98 per month, making it prohibitive for people on
low incomes. Additionally, focus group participants commented that organisations would have to invest
resources to train volunteers in the use of the technology.
Creating Best Value For Volunteering Organisations From the Use of Online TechnologiesRespondents from volunteering organisations that participated in the State of Volunteering in the
Illawarra research indicated that traditional modes of communication remain the preferred method for
volunteer managers and electronic forms of communication are under-utilised. At the same time, the
literature review that informed the study indicated that many seniors do take up new communication
technologies. While the introduction of internet technology may provide less than optimum return on
investment for organisations in which a majority of their volunteers are aged 65 and above,
communication using mobile phone technology could be introduced more broadly as this technology is
widely used even among seniors. Although the communication methods favoured by older volunteers
may not appear to encourage the adoption of internet communication, organisations run the risk of
excluding younger volunteers or failing to connect with them in an effective way, if they do not also
introduce internet as a medium for engagement.
Sobel Lojeski and Reilly found that to breach “virtual distance” people should be asked what their
preferences for communication technology solutions are and which forms they see as being of benefit
for collaboration. Organisations seeking volunteers need to consider the type of volunteer they want to
attract, the type of media used by this volunteer target group and whether its use would benefit
collaboration in the project.
Members of Generation Y and, to some extent, Generation X, are generally more likely to embrace
newer technology and expect their peers, supervisors and managers to be able to work with these
technologies. Online applications, a website and social media, wikis, blogs and other forms of IT-
based communication are expected as the norm by this generation. Rather than each medium being
assessed for relevance and/or implemented on a stand-alone basis, the suite of applications needs to
be viewed and adopted as a package, including adequate resourcing to ensure they are maintained
for currency and appropriateness of content (Recommendation 2c, 4a, 4b). There is therefore an onus
on not-for-profit organisations to upgrade their technology and up-skill staff (Recommendation 2c).
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Organisations, particularly those that are resource poor, could benefit from a “shared service”
approach to online volunteer management, where one organisation hosts basic online technology that
is accessed by a number of others. For instance, member organisations could have the option to
receive access to a website space, which is centrally hosted, and uses easy web building tools (similar
to Weebly (www.weebly.com). This would reduce the cost to organisations in adapting to new
technology including hosting, registering domain names and using complex software or paying for
website updates (Recommendation 3e).
To get the best value out of technology, people who manage volunteers need to be aware of its
potential and trained in its use. The requirements set out in Ellis and Craven’s Virtual Volunteering
Guidebook provide a useful starting point for organisations and volunteer managers that wish to take
advantage of the opportunities for virtual volunteering that technology can offer.
In the final analysis, modernising the ways that organisations communicate with their volunteers needs
to be driven by volunteers – members of voluntary community management committees and boards.
They therefore need to be aware of how technology could benefit their organisation and willing to
make changes to the way things have always been done. Management committees/boards may be in
a position to draw on the skills and knowledge of younger board members to assist them in developing
a long-term technology strategy for their organisations to aid them in managing the different needs and
expectations of different volunteer age cohorts (Recommendation 2c).
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Emerging Trends in VolunteeringThe State of Volunteering in Australia report released in 201227 states that one-in-two organisations
had introduced new ways of volunteering in recent times. Volunteering Australia’s National Survey on
Volunteering Issues 2011 asked respondents about using their professional skills, volunteering with
the family or through work, using technology and incorporating travel with volunteering. Findings from
these studies have been used to inform the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research project and
to frame discussions and the scope of inquiry with volunteer focus group participants.
Technology and Virtual VolunteeringTechnology has the power to transform the ways that volunteering is undertaken. It has the potential to
provide services at a distance, and yet reduce distance while maintaining social presence using
technologies such as Skype (VoIP) and Facebook. The Virtual Volunteering Guidebook28 outlines how
volunteering via the internet can engage volunteers for technical assistance but also for direct client
contact, for instance undertaking an electronic ‘visit’, providing mentoring or instructions, help with
language instructions or online training.
The State of Volunteering in the Illawarra findings in relation to the incorporation of technology into
volunteering, showed that only 9% of volunteer respondents reported a preference to work in a
volunteer setting that relied on technology (Table 19). Interestingly there was no statistical difference
in relation to this preference between the generations, however there was a statistical difference within
the Baby Boomer generation between those aged 45 to 54 years and those aged 55 to 64 years
(p<0.05). The visual images methodology component of the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
research showed that images relating to technology appealed (nine images) when technology was
used in group settings teaching or training others, particularly when the young were helping with
technology. Images relating to virtual volunteering (six) were the least preferred across all respondent
age cohorts. The reasons provided by respondents included a dislike of technology or a sense that
technology was boring. These views were reflected by focus group participants who in many cases did
not wish to work with technology or were hesitant to up-skill to new technologies. There is potential for
volunteer organisations to bring together members or volunteers who are skilled in the use of new
technologies (particularly younger people) to work with other volunteers (including older Baby
Boomers) to up-skill them in the use of communications technology.
The attitudes expressed by participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research concur
with the National Survey of Volunteering Issues finding that:
In 2010, “2.6% of volunteers were performing volunteer duties virtually using technology”
and in 2011, “12.8% of respondents’ preferred way of volunteering will be through new
forms of technology including social media.”
27 Volunteering Australia (2012) State of Volunteering in Australia 2012 Report, pg.23
28 Ellis and Cravens (2000) The Virtual Volunteering Guidebook, ImpactOnline Inc, www.impactonline.org
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As a final consideration, the introduction of virtual volunteering models frequently relies on virtual
volunteers working in their own time and own space (at home). Volunteer organisations with paid staff
that engage a volunteer to work from home will be obliged to comply with their State’s Work Health
and Safety legislation, including the need to assess risks associated with the home site and develop
risk management plans to address those risks. Volunteer organisations thinking about the introduction
of virtual volunteering need to be clear about their duty of care regarding a safe work environment for
their volunteers, including the extension of WHS planning and monitoring to their volunteers’ homes 29
(Recommendation 5d).
Family Volunteering and the Engagement of Young People as VolunteersThe need to ensure that volunteer activities are compatible with life stage and life choices of current
and potential volunteers requires examination of the impact of family responsibilities and preferences
on volunteering. While volunteers and potential volunteers from the Baby Boomer generation are no
longer caring for their children, a significant proportion find themselves caring for grandchildren on a
regular basis, while members of Generation X are closely involved in raising their own children. This
indicates that models of volunteering that reflect “family centred volunteering” require consideration, as
this trend will remain for at least another 15 years.
In the 2011 National Survey of Volunteering Issues, volunteers stated that 10.8% of
volunteers would like the whole family to be able to participate in volunteering.
In the research conducted by Volunteering Illawarra, family volunteering was among the least
preferred settings with only 7% of respondents indicating a preference for this type of volunteer setting
(Table 19). The images of adults working with children did not generate a strong association in relation
to getting children involved in respondents’ volunteering activities. Baby Boomer focus group
participants overwhelmingly expressed a preference to keep their volunteer work separate from their
role in minding grandchildren. They stated that volunteer work was a special time for them and done
for personal satisfaction, while minding children was support provided to their family. Only one
participant, a Generation Y parent, thought she could see a benefit of involving children in
volunteering. “Not everything is about money, children can gain from helping others. I can see children
participating in aged care…for instance painting nails for the elderly.” However, it is also possible that
this type of activity will be done more on an informal basis, as members of Generation X and older
members of Generation Y will soon be required to provide care to their own, ageing parents.
Some respondents expressed concern regarding the ethical implications of having children
volunteering in work places, the demand for increased supervision of child volunteers, the quality of
work produced when supervising children and the need to ensure compliance with Work Health and
Safety legislation and insurance requirements. The constraints of WHS legislation and other health
regulations and standards required for aged care organisations will dictate the volunteering activities to
which children and young people can contribute in this sector. “Go Volunteering” provides some
examples of the type of projects family volunteering may be suited for30.
29 Work Cover http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
30 Go Volunteer (2009) Want to Volunteer: Involving Families in Volunteering, Accessed: 10 July 2012, Online: http://www.govolunteer.com.au/organisations/default.htm
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It is recommended that volunteer organisations that are considering family volunteering programs or
considering engaging young people under 18 as volunteers, review their insurance policy/ies. Some
insurance may include age restrictions which will need to be amended to cover people under the age
of 18 years. Alternatively, young people who are engaged in volunteering through schools, clubs or
church groups (as opposed to through a family volunteering program) may be covered by the school
or club’s insurance policy or via the insurance policy held by the leadership program that is auspicing
their volunteering activity (eg Duke of Edinburgh Award)31.
Organisations may also find that their policy and procedures may need to be updated to facilitate
engagement of younger volunteers, including but not limited to, clarifying organisational responsibility,
supervision of children and specification of the type of activities suitable for young people. Another
area for organisations to review is their risk assessment and risk management plan. “When
supervising young volunteers a ‘working with children’s check’ is not required, however a volunteer
declaration form should be completed” (Recommendation 5a, 5b).
One-to-One Service VolunteeringCensus data indicates that volunteers aged 55 and above are assisting mostly in the sectors of:
community/welfare, health and religion. This reflects the pattern of volunteering reported by
respondents to the Volunteering Illawarra State of Volunteering in the Illawarra survey. Baby Boomers
and younger members of the Builders generation constituted the majority of volunteers in the aged
and health care sector. People aged 75 to 84 years in particular, reported a higher preference for
volunteering in roles where they worked one-on-one with clients, compared to any other age group.
However, over the next decade, as the population ages and at the same time volunteers from these
age cohorts start to move from being service deliverers to service recipients, their increased need for
support services and their withdrawal from volunteering roles, will start to impact significantly on the
health system and service needs.
The Productivity Commission report on an Ageing Australia quotes “aged care expenditure increases
for those aged 80 and above, with the proportion of 80 year olds expected to rise to 9.1% by 2044-
2045 from 3.3% in 2002-2003. [In addition,] the Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that by 2021
less than half of people over 65 will be living in couple families and there will be fewer children per
family, reducing the number of potential carers per family. In addition, women bearing children later
will potentially reduce the capacity or willingness of women to also provide aged care.” The report also
projected that the ratio of females between 50 to 64 will drop “from 2.5 potential carers per person
over 80 in 2002-2003 to under 1.0 in 2044-2045”. In the short-term, the number of informal carers
available will reduce from 2013 onwards, disproportionately to the amount of care needed in the
community. This shortfall in the level of informal care available will impact on the demand for formal
community care, including the demand for formal volunteering services.
31 Youth Volunteering (2012) General Advice on engaging Volunteers under 18 years, Accessed: 10 July 2012, Online:
http://www.youthvolunteering.com.au/organisations/engaging-volunteers-under-18-years
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There is, however, some good news for the future of one-to-one volunteer service delivery in the
Illawarra. The ABS census 201132 data shows that the population of Baby Boomers aged 48 to 55
years of age, is larger than the Baby Boomer population aged above 55 and there is a larger number
of female volunteers in the 35 to 54 age group than in older age groups33. It is therefore reasonable to
predict that there will be an increased pool of potential volunteers moving into the 55+ (retirement) age
range over the coming decade. Respondents from this age group who participated in the Volunteering
Illawarra visual imaging activity indicated that the images representing people working one-to-one
supporting the elderly or assisting those less able, were among those with the most appeal. However,
volunteers who participated in other aspects of the survey overwhelmingly reported a preference to
assist the community in groups rather than alone or one-on-one, and within the organisation rather
than from a distance.
Life style values and volunteer preferences may require organisations that require volunteers to assist
in face-to-face service delivery (for example aged care facilities or in-home support) to review how
they provide their services and engage with volunteers. Baby Boomers, unlike the Builder generation,
may leave their volunteer role for a period of time to travel, while members of Generation X are busy
with their own family. Generation Y do not feature in high numbers in the volunteer cohort at present
and rely on close relationships with peers, making them less likely to put up their hands to volunteer in
traditional one-to-one settings. However, there may be opportunities for organisations to create a
number of social connections to an individual or family rather than relying on one individual to provide
voluntary care. For Generation Y, peers are often perceived to have the same status as family and
social interaction is more important for this generation than any other. Service providers may therefore
benefit from identifying opportunities to make the one-on-one service environment less solitary and
more social and from building in more flexible structures and approaches to delivering direct care
services via volunteers (Recommendation 5c).
Travel and VolunteeringThe trend for retirees from the Baby Boomer generation to “go on the road” for at least part of each
year has the potential to impact on their availability as volunteers and the capacity of volunteer
organisations to rely on them for “all year round” service. At the same time, there is potential for
volunteer organisations to draw on the skills and contribution of travellers as they pass through a city,
town or neighbourhood, for short-term projects and volunteering stints.
“I am combining my travel with my volunteer work in conservation. We are going to a remote
community to help them clean up debris and garbage from the waterways…. while the organisation is
the same, the role is very different to the one I have here...and I had to organise this myself.”
In the 2011 National Survey of Volunteering Issues, volunteers state that 25.2% would
like to incorporate travel and volunteering.
Focus group participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research project were asked
about their attitudes in relation to combining travel and volunteering. There was some consensus
32 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011c) Census of Population and Housing, Illawarra (107) Online: http://www.abs.gov.au/census
33 The 55 to 64 age group excludes those persons volunteering in the community sector and receiving income support.
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across two groups regarding the opportunities associated with volunteering for an organisation that
has national presence, which would allow for volunteering through a network of linked agencies as
people travel. However some older volunteer respondents and others who were receiving income
support stated that the combination of travel and volunteering held little appeal for them.
Many volunteer travel organisations and opportunities to volunteer “on the move” can be accessed via
the Internet. However, most offer volunteer posts that are for a specific purpose and at a specific
location, usually on a short-term basis, eg one to two weeks. Some websites target Australia’s Grey
Nomads ie people aged over 50 travelling around Australia, often for an extended amount of time.
Websites such as www.thegreynomads.com.au are useful as they cater to organisations posting
volunteer jobs and volunteers posting their skills and scheduled availability for volunteer work.
A recent Volunteering Australia research project into ‘grey nomads’ potential to assist in projects in
outback towns, has resulted in several towns developing ongoing projects with which travelling
volunteers can assist (Onyx et al, 2010). The findings from the research indicated that grey nomads
are predominantly interested in talking to local people (84%) and visiting historic landmarks (75%) or
other local features such as craft, the natural environment or industries, as well as attending festivals
or sporting events. The type of projects respondents were interested in ranged from historic or
environmental preservation to sharing their knowledge and expertise with local students or
professionals.
Cridland34 investigated the patterns of grey nomad migration north in Australia during the winter
months. Volunteer organisation focus group participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
project confirmed that the migration of local volunteers occurs during winter and creates a significant
gap for their organisations and for service provision. While there is little research that can provide
advice to directly assist local volunteer organisations breach the gap, there is information available on
patterns of the travelling volunteer that may assist with planning the volunteer workforce. For instance,
volunteer organisations could tap into the grey nomad market and recruit for volunteer roles outside of
the traveller’s normal place of residence, by building better connections between themselves and
sharing information and referral. Some organisations may find that a more cooperative approach will
enable their organisation to tap into a pool of skills for specific short-term projects.
Cridland in his research into the grey nomad phenomenon, takes into consideration age and socio-
economic factors such as employment and pension scheme. He identified that:
those retired people with a fixed residence are less likely to have a need to find employment
whilst travelling than those without a residence, with the former group being the majority of
travellers;
former professionals and managers are usually self-funded and former trades people,
farmers, self-employed, labourer and those who worked in transport are more often on a full
or part pension;
self-funded retirees tend to spend more per day, prefer caravan parks and are more likely to
stay in tourist towns/cities or large inland centres, while those on a part or full pension prefer
34 Cridland, Shane (2008) An analysis of the winter movement of grey nomads to northern Australia: planning for increase senior visitation, PhD Thesis, James Cook University,
Online: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/7901
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camping sites, tend to spend less, which is linked to their preference to stay in smaller
coastal or inland towns;
most grey nomads plan a trip in less than one month usually travelling to the same location
each year with only 13.5% planning a trip four to six months ahead and 16.9% six to 12
months ahead. The latter are more likely to be those who want to experience multiple
locations and do not want to duplicate locations from previous trips;
as grey nomads age (65+) and their number of trips increases to above four, the stops
between destinations will shorten, they will visit fewer destinations and stay longer in a
single destination for the entire winter;
those aged 65 and below are more likely to wander around the country undertaking short
weekly stays to explore a location; and
grey nomad destinations are influenced by the type of activities they are seeking.
Influencers of the likelihood of a grey nomad visiting the same destination again include
social interaction with like-minded people such as travellers or locals. In some instances the
people that grey nomads regularly meet up with at their “homes away from home” become
their new social group.
The implications for volunteer organisations of the grey nomad phenomenon are:
the Baby Boomer generation is only just starting to enter retirement, the oldest Boomers
being 67 years of age, and the youngest due to retire by 2030. The number of volunteers
(and potential volunteers) expressing a wish to travel will increase, reducing the pool of
volunteers in their usual place of residence, but increasing the potential for volunteers who
are passing through to become involved in short-term projects;
organisations do not get a lot of notice when a volunteer organises a trip which will take
them away from their usual duties for a length of time. However, organisations
understanding the travel patterns of their volunteers may be able to plan better for these
events and consider alternatives such as increasing the number of students in work
experience that they take on during this time;
organisations in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven tend to be too far south to attract grey
nomads who are travelling to one destination, usually chasing the sun and warm weather.
However, organisations on the south coast could offer short-term projects suitable for those
wandering volunteers who want to experience the different regions in Australia;
organisations may benefit if they plan for certain types of volunteer jobs and projects that
are based on travelling volunteer preferences and that include provisions around timing, the
nature of the job/project and the place of promotion;
volunteer organisations could market the possibilities of volunteering in similar roles/
organisations in different locations across Australia; and
organisations may benefit from strategies that will increase travelling volunteers’ connection
with their organisation or their type of organisation
allow for knowledge sharing of projects and work methods across locations;
assist volunteers to create an ‘instant’ social network through volunteering.
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(Recommendation 3c)
“Volunteers” on Income SupportThere is considerable debate in the sector whether persons receiving income support
(Centrelink/Newstart) and working in the community are volunteers. This cohort has to undertake at
least 15 hours of work per week to be eligible for income support. One focus group consisted of
participants from this cohort. This group was very clear that they were not concerned with emerging
trends in volunteering. As they only work two (2) days per week, time constraints did not necessitate
combining family with volunteering and travelling was not feasible due to Centrelink requirements.
Also, corporate volunteering was irrelevant, given their current employment status. However, some
interesting comments were made about the role they take in organisations:
participants’ friends found it inappropriate for them to do work for ‘free’ – hence, even
though they are paid, the perception is still that this work is for free;
organisations were quick to understand the skill set these people bring to their organisation,
tap into these skills and “use us to run their business”;
there was some frustration among participants that organisations took on volunteers for
roles they should be appointing a paid worker for - “We are seen as a replacement to
permanent workers”;
with high unemployment levels in the Illawarra region, volunteering was seen as a better
option than having to attend Centrelink regularly; and
the cost of attending volunteer work locations made it prohibitive and often unfeasible for
these volunteers to attend more than two days per week.
“I am a volunteer first and then a Newstart recipient. That’s why I want to enjoy my work instead of just
taking on anything…I also want to be close to home due to travel costs.”
Corporate VolunteeringCorporate volunteering is an emerging trend within the context of corporate social responsibility and
receives a reasonable amount of coverage in the media. However this form of volunteering was not
seen as important among the participants in the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra research project
and only 6.5% of all respondents (15% of 18 to 24 year olds) expressed a desire to have corporate
volunteering programs or time made available through work. Indeed the two interviews held with
members of Generation Y as part of the study, indicated that for these respondents, a separation of
work and volunteering activities is desirable. Further research into the nature, opportunities for and
constraints in relation to corporate volunteering within the Illawarra will need to be undertaken, both to
better understand this phenomenon and to ensure that the potential for local organisations to benefit
from this trend is realised.
The National Survey on Volunteering Issues in 2011 found that 10.2% of participants
want to volunteer through their work, and employee supported programs may not be
taken up by employees because they are already volunteering independently to the
company.
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Part 4 – Recommendations and Conclusion
RecommendationsRecommendation 1 - Leadership
a) Volunteer organisations to recognise management committee and board members as
volunteers and to resource them to develop the leadership skills necessary for strong
governance of the organisation.
b) Volunteer managers/coordinators to link younger volunteer(s) with an experienced volunteer
or staff member to create a support system and a career development opportunity.
c) Volunteer organisations to develop a trust-based work environment to build organisational
citizenship and ensure a leadership style which permits engagement of employees and
volunteers.
d) Volunteer organisations to recognise their touch points with volunteers within the
organisation to ensure consistency of service and to create leadership structures and
values which can be adopted across multiple groups, units and departments.
e) Volunteering Illawarra to undertake more research into issues affecting management
committees and corporate volunteering.
Recommendation 2 – Strategic Planning
a) Volunteer organisations to ensure that their organisational culture is defined via a set of
values in the Strategic Plan and marketing message and that the organisational structure,
management functions and volunteer positions are aligned with these values.
b) Volunteer organisations to incorporate a “volunteer goal” with associated strategies and
activities in their Strategic Plan to achieve the required generational transition including:
flexibility of work arrangements; and
recruitment, retention and engagement.
c) Volunteer organisations to incorporate technology into organisational strategy to:
address generational transitions in the volunteer population, as well as new forms
of volunteering;
ensure appropriateness of the type and use of technology for programs, projects
and the marketing message; and
ensure training of staff and volunteers.
Recommendation 3 – Coordination of General Volunteer Activities
The sector has significant duplication in training and processing of volunteers. Therefore, it is
recommended that volunteer organisations develop and implement a centralised approachvii:
a) develop a centralised approach to training for volunteers, particularly in WHS and general
work related activities by sector;
b) centralise funding for training of volunteers, so organisations are not burdened by this cost;
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c) develop a central and transferable approach for processing and records managing
paperwork necessary for volunteer recruitment such as police checks, children checks,
confidentiality forms etc to assist travelling volunteers and reduce cost for organisations;
d) develop a database for volunteers to register their interest in a demand driven system,
rather than supply driven system, to help reduce the cost of recruitment, assist in matching
volunteers to appropriate organisations by identifying their skills and interests and
assessing against the requirements of the organisation; and
e) provide shared resources to not-for-profit organisations including:
access to a web space managed from a central host and domain;
develop a ‘model’ technology or social media policy for organisations who do not
have the capacity to undertake this (similar to the Model Constitution available from
Fair Trading NSW).
Recommendation 4 – Marketing Volunteering
a) Volunteer organisations and volunteer referral centres to adapt their marketing message to
facilitate the changes in technology and volunteer values and preferences and ensure it
reaches the desired volunteer group.
b) Volunteer organisations and the local volunteer referral centre to ensure the visibility of
volunteer roles online and promote the referral centre and its role in the community in
general media and on volunteer organisation’s websites.
c) Volunteer organisations and the local volunteer referral centre to manage the use of
volunteer symbols and images in the community to maximise effectiveness of message and
minimise confusion.
Recommendation 5 – New Forms of Volunteering
a) Volunteering Australia to develop specific resources to assist organisations with
implementing family volunteering, particularly in relation to WHS, insurance and other
legislative matters.
b) Volunteer organisations to review their programs to determine if they are suitable for family
volunteering and to promote these volunteering opportunities to members of Generation X.
c) Volunteering organisations requiring volunteers to deliver one-to-one personal services, to
review how their services are provided and establish a future-focused approach for these
services, based on volunteer preferences regarding working in groups or peers.
d) Volunteer organisations to review their business functions to explore opportunities to adopt
virtual volunteering as a means of gaining support for their organisation, particularly utilising
skilled professionals currently in the work force.
ConclusionThe State of Volunteering in the Illawarra report was commissioned by Volunteering Illawarra to better
understand the region’s volunteer sector and to articulate the context for local volunteer organisations’
strategic planning for the future. The report investigates the issues affecting volunteer management in
not-for-profit organisations and provides an analysis of the sectors utilising volunteers, expectations
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and perceptions regarding volunteering of experienced and new volunteers and explores generational
differences and emerging trends in volunteering. The report captures local issues, identifies
commonalities and challenges faced within the region and references the findings of Volunteering
Australia’s National Survey on Volunteering Issues, the State of Volunteering in Tasmania report
published in 2010 and a range of other recent government reports and academic literature.
The report was presented in four parts:
Part 1 - a literature review addressing generational change and its impact on volunteering.
Part 2 - discusses the findings regarding management and leadership from the State of
Volunteering in the Illawarra research.
Part 3 - explores the future of volunteering including the impact of new technologies and
emerging trends in volunteering.
Part 4 - provides recommendations derived from the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra
research project.
The report documents five objectives that Volunteering Illawarra sought to achieve through the State
of Volunteering research project:
Objective 1 - to better understand the organisational factors and characteristics that impact on
volunteer management. This research identified that there are many commonalities, but also
some significant differences in the ways that organisations manage their volunteers,
particularly between larger organisations, with a well-developed structure, functional
differentiation of job roles and an established organisational “brand” and smaller, less well-
resourced organisations. The research also revealed the growing pressure on health sector
organisations to find volunteers willing to take on the increasing number of positions in one-to-
one social support services. This in turn creates pressure for volunteer peaks to find and
match suitable volunteers to health sector organisations.
Objective 2 - to determine if there were particular trends and issues for different sectors
utilising volunteers. Outcomes against this objective were inconclusive due to the sample size
of both the organisational and volunteer survey.
Objective 3 - to assess the expectations and perceptions of volunteers in relation to
volunteerism. This aspect of the research led to the conclusion that in many instances
volunteers’ expectations regarding the systems and processes that organisations should have
in place are met. However, in a significant number of instances, organisations are not meeting
their volunteers’ relational and interpersonal expectations, in basic areas such as
introductions, regular meetings, feedback, recognition or even a verbal “thank you”, which
show volunteers on a regular basis that they are being valued by the organisation for which
they volunteer. Expectations regarding training and development, particularly for new
volunteers, were also not met sufficiently by volunteering organisations. A clear message for
volunteer managers emerged from the study, re the value of improving volunteer engagement
as a means to reduce the huge challenges posed by the time and cost associated with
volunteer recruitment and retention.
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Objective 4 - examined emerging trends in volunteering. The most significant trend affecting
organisations is the adoption of new technologies and the opportunities that technology
presents for use across different generations to maximise its effect.
Objective 5 - addressed the question of volunteering organisations’ readiness for generational
transition. The study concluded that only a few local organisations are working on ways to
ensure that, as the Baby Boomer generation moves on to a “post-volunteering” life phase,
they will be in a position to tap into subsequent generations’ motivations and expectations so
as to maintain a sustainable volunteer work force. Lifestyle changes, volunteer incentives and
increased competition for volunteers will make it increasingly difficult for organisations to find
volunteers as the Baby Boomers move on. Online and in particular communication technology
need to be embraced and implemented in organisations to attract younger volunteers in the
future.
The report concludes with a number of recommendations for volunteering organisations to assist them
in achieving a viable, long-term volunteer workforce:
1. better coordination of volunteer activities;
2. strategic planning;
3. new forms of volunteering;
4. leadership; and
5. marketing volunteering.
The recommendations are available for consideration, adaptation and possible adoption by
government agencies, volunteer referral centres and not-for-profit organisations.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Research Design
Literature ReviewThe literature review examined motivations of current and future generations of volunteers, to identify
factors that will impact on the future sustainability of the voluntary sector. Analysis of popular culture,
opinion pieces and academic research allowed for a comparison of attributes, work and lifestyle
values, as well as leadership and volunteering trends, between Builders, Baby Boomers, Generation
X, and Generation Y (based on McCrindle’s typology). Generation Z were briefly addressed in the
review, but have been excluded from further analysis and discussion as the data available on the
attitudes and values of this emerging generation was too limited to allow accurate descriptors for this
group to be developed.
SurveyTwo questionnaires were developed using binary scales, importance rankings, multiple choice
selections and open text responses. In most questions respondents were ‘forced’ to provide an
opinion. The sectors and age ranges were aligned with descriptors from the Australian Bureau of
Statistics. In addition the survey questions permit comparisons to the State of Volunteering in
Tasmania Report 2010 and Volunteering Australia’s National Survey of Volunteering Issues.
One questionnaire was sent to not-for-profit organisations that utilise volunteers and the other to
volunteers in the region.
The volunteer organisation/managers’ survey was distributed to current or past Volunteering Illawarra
members and to other organisations sourced from publicly available directories. A total of 207 survey
requests were sent to organisations including 111 emails and 96 hard copy surveys, to reach
organisations without internet access. Organisations included all sectors with the exception of sporting
clubs, primary and high schools. These were excluded due to the nature of volunteers in these
sectors, either being participants in the sport or parents of children attending the sport or school.
Sixty-four (64) responses from not-for-profit organisations were received being 31% of the total survey
requests. Organisations were able to self-select the survey completion and therefore results may not
be completely representative of the region and should be read as indicative and not conclusive.
The volunteer survey was promoted through not-for-profit organisations utilising volunteers, the
media, through Volunteering Illawarra referral contacts and at the Volunteer Expo held during National
Volunteer Week 2012. A total of 166 surveys were received of which 92 were hard copy surveys, 18
were soft copy surveys returned by email and the remainder were online surveys. Eight hard copy
surveys were deemed invalid and were removed from the sample. The completion rate of the
remaining 158 surveys was 80.3 percent.
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Focus GroupsThe focus group data enhanced and complemented the survey data by providing more in-depth
qualitative data to issues discovered in the survey. The participants nominated themselves.
Seventeen (17) volunteer coordinators from different sectors participated in three focus groups; one in
Kiama and two in Wollongong and another eight participants attended the volunteering interagency
meeting at which some issues were explored further.
The focus group sessions were moderated and each group was asked seven (7) questions. The key
themes discussed were:
skills for managing volunteers;
recruiting the volunteer work force;
retention of volunteers;
recognition programs;
communication methods;
training; and
reimbursement.
The volunteering interagency meeting discussed four questions about:
succession planning;
time to achieve goals;
how to manage the aging volunteer force; and
treating volunteers like employees.
Eighteen (18) volunteers from the Baby Boomer generation participated in three focus groups in
Wollongong. In addition, two interviews were held with volunteers representing Generation Y. Two
themes were discussed:
emerging trends in volunteering; and
using technology including Social Media.
InterviewProspective volunteers could opt in to complete a short questionnaire during the referral interview at
Volunteering Illawarra. The interview questionnaire was to determine volunteer expectations and
motivations to volunteering. A total of 16 interviews were held from 27 May to 15 June 2012. Nine
respondents had volunteered before.
Referral Follow-Up CallsProspective volunteers completing the referral interview were listed in a referral book for follow-up
calls. Using a random sample, 46 follow-up calls were made with prospective volunteers attending
Volunteering Illawarra from May to October 2011.
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Visual Methodology - ImagesImages showing different settings relating to volunteering were presented to and discussed with
research participants. The aim of the images was to identify the appeal of and/or participants’
preference for particular volunteer settings. The settings were as follows:
community setting such as in construction, environmental, gardening, kitchen;
corporate setting such as presentations, meetings, team work;
family setting such as parent or adult working with children;
one-on-one setting where individuals assist the elderly or infirm;
generational group setting such as Generation Y or Baby Boomers in group photos;
technology setting showing individuals or groups maintaining computers or in computer
training;
virtual volunteering setting such as a single person sitting with or working on the computer
and photos stating online volunteering; and
volunteer symbols such as the hand or hands or generic digital images.
One image of each of the settings was combined in a stack from which participants were asked to
select the three images with the most appeal and the one with the least appeal. Participants were
asked to provide the reason of appeal for each image.
Twenty-two (22) participants attending the Volunteer Expo or focus groups selected 64 pictures with
the most appeal and 18 with the least appeal. Eighteen (18) participants were 55 years or older.
Presentation of DataParticipants in the research program self-selected and therefore results may not be completely
representative of the region. The data has not been weighted to be reflective of the Illawarra
population. Hence it should be read as indicative and not conclusive.
Percentages have been rounded to the nearest one digit and statistical differences were only tested
for volunteers for generational analysis and between new and experienced volunteers.
The average (mean) has been provided in addition to percentages. The mean is derived from the
importance ranking measured from 1 to 5. A higher mean indicates a higher level of importance
across all respondents.
Alignment of the age range of survey participants to Australian Bureau of Statistics age cohort
descriptors, means that for the purposes of the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study, the Baby
Boomer generation is considered to be 45 to 64 years old and Generation Y is aged 18 to 34 years,
the Builder generation is 65 years and older and Generation X is the 35 to 44 age group which is
under-represented in the study. Both the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation Y take a couple of
the cusp years from Generation X (see literature review).
Overall response to the State of Volunteering in the Illawarra study showed that 52% of respondents
were aged 45 to 64, 6.6% were aged 35 to 44, 16.1% were aged 18 to 34, and 22.3% were above 65
years of age. The age range from all research instruments was compared to the ABS Census
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statistics in NSW and the Illawarra and the Tasmanian respondent profile. The respondent profile for
the Illawarra did not match the region’s demographic profile with a large proportion of participants
coming from the 55 to 64 age group.
SectorRespondents were asked to provide information on the sectors they work in. Up to three sectors could
be selected. The volunteers currently in the volunteer work force stated the sector(s) they were active
in and prospective volunteers stated the sector(s) they would like to volunteer in. Volunteer
organisation data is represented in Table 1 and volunteer data in Table 2 provides a comparison
between organisational data and volunteer data.
Community/Welfare SectorThirty-nine (39) (almost 61%) organisations stated that the community/welfare sector was the primary
sector in which they worked and six (31.58%) the secondary sector. Twenty-eight (28) organisations
worked only in this sector. In comparison, 55% of volunteer respondents worked in this sector with
43% stating it as the primary sector.
HealthThirteen (13) (20.31%) organisations stated this to be the primary sector, five (26.32%) the
secondary, and two the tertiary sector. Eight organisations identified health as the sole sector in which
they worked. Of volunteer respondents, 17.7% worked in this sector with 8.2% stating it as the
primary and 5% as the secondary sector.
Education/TrainingFour (6.25%) organisations stated this to be the primary, two the secondary and one the tertiary
sector, with three organisations stating education/training as the sole sector. Of volunteer
respondents, 24.7% worked in this sector with half stating it as the primary sector.
Parenting/Children/YouthThese organisations were represented with two primary, three (14.29%) secondary, and four (50%)
tertiary sectors indicating that parenting/children/youth are a major annexation to the community/
welfare and health sectors. Of volunteer respondents, 12.6% worked in this sector with 5% stating it
as the primary and 3.8% each as the secondary and tertiary sector.
The organisational survey indicated that the most common combination of sectors was health as the
primary and community/welfare as secondary sector with five organisations, and one organisation
stated this in reverse. Due to the sample size, reference to sectors is only possible for the community/
welfare and the health sectors.
Less than 6% of volunteer survey respondents were from the Sport and Recreation, Local
Government, Religion and Law/Justice/Political sectors, while organisations in these sectors provided
little to no input to the study.
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Figure 10: Volunteer and Organisational Respondents by Sector
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%
Law/justice/political
Religious
Local government
Sport/Physical recreation
Emergency Services
Parenting/Children/Youth
Other
Environment/animal welfare
Arts/Heritage
Health
Education/Training
Community/Welfare
Total Volunteer responses Total Organisation responses
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Appendix 2 – Generational Differences and Their Impact on Attitudes to VolunteeringOne of the key challenges faced by volunteer organisations into the future will be the sustainability of
the volunteer workforce. As the current generation of older volunteers continues to age, the attraction
and retention of successive generations of volunteers is critical. A literature review into generational
similarities and differences in work values, lifestyle values, leadership and management styles and
volunteering trends between Builders, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y covered current
media and non-academic texts as well as scientific researchviii.
The literature review indicated a number of different approaches to generational segmentation. For the
purpose of this study McCrindle’s35 generational typography was adopted:
“Builders” born from 1925 to 1945;
“Baby Boomers” born from 1946 to 1964;
Generation X born from 1965 to 1979;
Generation Y from 1980 to 1994.
Baby Boomers’ attitudes to volunteering have been studied in two research projects: Heartbeat
Trends36 aimed to uncover the “needs, fears, expectations and aspirations in relation to retirement and
the fit of volunteering in this context” and Esmond37 investigated the motivations and barriers of Baby
Boomers entering the volunteer market, providing strategies to recruit and support this group of
volunteers.
The core and work values and expectations of each of the generations are summarised in Table 3. A
snapshot of generations in 2020 is provided for age, working population, life stage and volunteer
potential in Table 4.
BuildersBuilders are a relatively small generation with only 2.5 million people residing in Australia in 2000 38,
making up 13% of the population, with only 2% still working. This generation remembers and
experienced the Great Depression, World War Two, war rations, and high unemployment during
childhood and youth. Many of their traits arise from this experience. They value loyalty in every part of
their life blended with mutual obligation, moral responsibility and a high level of respect for elders and
authority. Their upbringing taught them to save and therefore they are financially conservative and
uncomfortable with debt. This has resulted in less consumption, a tendency to buy only to replace and
little need to follow trends, for instance in fashion where hand-me-down clothes were the norm. It
should be no surprise that this generation holds the largest share of wealth after Baby Boomers.
35 McCrindle, Mark (2009) The ABC of XYZ: understanding the global generations, UNSW Press, Sydney, Australia
36 Heartbeat Trends (2001) Older People & Volunteering, Premier’s Forum on Ageing, NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, September
37 Esmond, Judy (2001) BOOMNET: Capturing the Baby Boomer Volunteers, A research project into Baby Boomers and Volunteering, Department of the Premier and Cabinet,
Perth, Western Australia
38 Salt, Bernard (2001) The Big Shift: welcome to the third Australian culture: the Barnard Salt Report, Hardie Grant Publishing, Victoria, Australia
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This generation is cautious and at times untrusting of change and yet they have introduced major
change in the way Australians approach retirement, starting the ‘grey nomad’ movement and they
have witnessed major social transitions during their lifetime. As parents of Baby Boomer children, the
Builders are the first generation for whom regular contact with a number of – or indeed any –
grandchildren was not guaranteed (due to declining birth rates and Baby Boomer mobility). On the
other hand, the Builder generation is also often substantively involved in caring for grandchildren (due
to working Boomer parents). They are the last generation with gender-specific roles where women
stay at home to take care of children and parents. It is also the last generation that considered civic
duty before personal want. They are the generation that raised and supported Baby Boomers to
expect a carefree lifestyle.
Baby BoomersBaby Boomers are the largest generation, increasing the population by 1.6 million people from pre-
Boomer generations and making up 24% of the population. They have been described as the
generation who forged new culture in every lifecycle stage, and who will reinvent retirement to
downshifting rather than full retirement. As at 2009, 36% of Australia’s workforce is made up of Baby
Boomers and by 2020 only 16% will remain in the workforce. From 2011 on, the first Baby Boomers
will start to retire and from 2021 most will be at an age where volunteering is no longer viable. The
ageing of the Baby Boomer generation will have significant impact on demand for health services over
the next few decades39. Baby Boomers are more educated, assertive and demanding than previous
generations. Having grown up and spent most of adult life in a time of economic growth and business
innovation, they have been able to build wealth, and yet, their biggest concern is having enough
money to enjoy their accustomed lifestyle in retirement. It is therefore not surprising that being out-of-
pocket for expenses is a barrier to volunteering.
Some key attitudes affecting this generation are growing up with free education; organising life around
work; enjoying life; and “putting yourself first after a life of hard work”. Typical Baby Boomer
stereotypes are: valuing company loyalty, commitment and status; job security and stable work
environments; having respect for authority and hierarchy4041; preferring teamwork and discussion42;
and being idealistic and optimistic. Empirical testing identified that Baby Boomers are significantly
more optimistic than other generations while status is seen as less significant for this generation 43.
However this may be more attributable to their stage in life when compared to aspiring younger
generations.
39 Salt, Bernard (2006) The Big Picture: life, work and relationships in the 21st century, Hardie Grant Books, Victoria, Australia
40 Hui-Chun, Yu; Miller, Peter (2005) Leadership style: The X Generation and Baby Boomers compared in different cultural contexts, Leadership & Organization Development
Journal, Vol.26, Iss.1/2, pg. 35-50
41 Wong, Melissa; Gardiner, Elliroma; Lang, Whitney; Coulon, Leah; (2008) Generational differences in personality and motivation; Do they exist and what are the implications
for the workplace?, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol.23, No.8, pg.878-890
42 Levy, Lester; Carroll, Brigid; Fancoeur, Joline; Logue, Mary; (2006) The Generational Mirage? A pilot study into the perception of leadership by Generation X and Y, 20:20
Series, Hudson, New Zealand
43 Cennamo, Lucy; Gardner, Dianne; (2008) Generational differences in work values, outcomes and persons-organisation values fit, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol.23,
Iss.8, pg.891-906
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Baby Boomers have more lifestyle choices44 than any other generation before them and will spend
retirement travelling, in further education, informal volunteering as grandparents or carers of older
people and formal volunteering for organisations.
Baby Boomers are no less willing to make a difference than previous generations, however, they do
not do it as a civic duty as per the pre-Boomers mandate, but rather due to transferring their focus
from success in their careers to wanting to make a contribution to society and a rediscovery of the
idealistic side of their personality. They will need to know their involvement is making an impact and a
difference to remove the barrier to participation posed by indifference. Volunteering experiences for
this generation need to promote a sense of personal satisfaction and appeal to their sense of
organisational commitment, stability in work environment and status by showing the benefits of the
organisation, its structure and guidelines, providing a level of public recognition and giving a sense of
safety and support. Due to this generation’s professional life, they will bring a higher level of
expectation to volunteering. They demand well organised and professionally managed organisations
that do not waste their time; want limited bureaucracy or internal politics and set clear expectations;
and they expect meaningful, interesting, creative and challenging work to gain new insights. For
instance, training is valued by this generation to help acquire new skills. In this context, training should
focus on their volunteer roles. Baby Boomers also want support including insurance and work health
and safety (WHS) training. They will expect organisations to respond and act on feedback; they want
to be valued as an equal contributor to the organisation and considered within the rewards system.
In their volunteer roles, they look for routine and weekly commitment, but flexibility to change the
weekly time or postpone participation to undertake other activities. Volunteering should not add to the
stress of balancing other commitments, so their complex, multifaceted and time poor lives can create
barriers to them entering volunteering. Other barriers include missing the connection between what
they are passionate about, and the opportunities available, and a lack of knowledge about the sense
of satisfaction volunteering can bring. Many of these barriers could be reduced with marketing
messages that offer potential volunteers positive images relating to experiences, challenges,
stimulation and growth opportunities. Esmond recommends changing the marketing message, while
Baby Boomers are considering their retirement options and ahead of their lifestyle changes, to best
attract them to volunteering when the time comes.
Generation XGeneration X experienced childhood and adolescence during a period in history that included the
Vietnam War, political activism and political unrest, family unit changes due to divorce and major
economic and social change associated with the shift from manufacturing to service related industries.
In 2009, this generation made up 21% of the population and they comprised 44% of the work force. By
2020 workforce participation of this generation will have reduced to 37%. Generation X parent families
are often living on two incomes and maybe above their means, while they like to make sure they have
enough time for their family and are actively involved in their children’s education. Salt states that they
have forged far greater change in social values than Baby Boomers, changing courtship rules, opening
44 Merrill Associates (2002) Exploring the next generation of retirees: the Baby Boomers, Online: http://merrillassociates.com/topic/2002/08/exploring-next-generation-retirees-
baby-boomers/
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the door for gay and lesbian culture and having changed the expectation of staying in one organisation
for the duration of their career. Their personality traits are more individualistic; they tend to have more
self-esteem and are more assertive than Baby Boomers45. Generation X emphasis balance in life and
juggles many priorities such as family, friends, hobby, community work and the job46. Possibly as an
attribute of their busy lifestyle, members of Generation X are described as requiring less interaction
with other people than members of Generation Y.
At work they embrace technology, and are willing to work hard, but not without reward or at the
expense of the family. They are awaiting senior management positions and are keen for a change in
management style from directing to collaboration, from micro-managing to macro-managing and from
“IQ to EQ with people-centred leadership”. Alternatively, they are sidestepping into their own creative
businesses, developing new products and services by experimenting and thinking laterally. Cennamo
and Gardner state that Generation X is after more status than Baby Boomers. And Wong et al report
that Generation X are significantly more motivated by progression and power than the other
generations. Unlike Baby Boomers, Generation X see their job as a contract rather than a calling. This
makes Generation X more self-reliant and competitive than previous generations.
Reaching out to this generation to engage them in volunteering is facilitated via internet and
communication via email or text messaging. They have limited hours to spend on volunteering and
want local rather than global opportunities. Volunteer organisations need to provide flexibility in their
roles and schedules, offer technology centred opportunities and provide information on the impact of
being involved, as well as what volunteers will learn and gain from the experience47. Generation X
women have children later in life (average age for first birth has risen from an average of 26 years in
1993 to 30 years in 2010) and with the latest Xers only just moving into the life stage where they are
contemplating children, the volunteer availability of this generation will predominantly be in child
related activities for at least another decade.
Generation YGeneration Y was born into a context of social change and economic prosperity with a shift to the
knowledge based economy driven by information technology and a growing environmental awareness.
In 2009, they comprised 21% of the population with a workforce representation of 18%. This should
rise to 35% by 2020. Generation Y shares numerous characteristics with Generation X and builds on
these to create their own lifestyle. This generation focuses more on relationships with peers, rather
than family, akin to a tribal approach, looking out for each other, “as no one else will”. Wong et al
confirm that members of Generation Y enjoy interactions with others significantly more than members
of the Baby Boomer generation and Generation X.
Generation Y has been stereotyped as seeking instant gratification and being able to afford it, as they
live longer with their parents/family, are single for longer and delay child-bearing and would rather
45 Twenge, Jean M. (2010) A review of the empirical evidence on generational differences in work attitudes, Journal of Business Psychology, Vol.25, pg 201-210
46 Wendover, Robert W. (2006) Generational Shift, Government Finance Review, Apr. Vol.22, Iss.2, pg.90-92
47 Unknown (2008), Generation X and Y: Who they are and what they want, Board Matters Newsletter, Governance & Management Pty Ltd, Vol.8, No.3, November Online:
http://www.governance.com.au/board-matters/fx-landing.cfm?loadref=2
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work a second job than alter their lifestyle. Balance is important to members of Generation Y, they
have a hectic work and social life as life is as much about enjoyment, their friends and their many
other commitments as it is about work. Twenge found that Generation Y has less commitment to work
ethics and beliefs, that work is less central to their lives than Baby Boomers and he noted the
importance members of Generation Y place on life balance.
Sheahan states in his book “Generation Y: Thriving and Surviving with Generation Y at Work” that this
is the most educated, resourceful and tech savvy generation. They have grown up accustomed to
speed, triggered by information technology48. Recruitment campaigns seeking to employ volunteer and
paid workers from Generation Y will have to be completed more quickly, as members of Generation Y
do not want to have to wait weeks for outcomes49 or go through too many interview stages. Sheahan
states that members of Generation Y are not accustomed to working with old technology and expect
others to be as technologically minded as themselves. However, their know-how and creativity can be
tapped into for technology and process improvement and efficiency.
The job attitudes of members of Generation Y relate more to what business can do for them than to
what they can do for their employer. They will question their employer organisation’s provision of
training, career breaks, study leave, reporting lines, the work environment and performance
appraisals. They work overseas and travel, and change career path when they desire. Merrill
Associates state that the loyalty of Generation Y to employer organisations is low, as they have seen
the redundancies of their parents, however, Twenge’s literature review found no difference between
generations’ intentions to leave work. Generation Y want their jobs to have purpose and meaning, new
challenges and experiences and provide responsibility and promotional opportunities. Generation Y is
significantly more motivated by promotional opportunities, status and freedom than Baby Boomers.
Meier and Crocker’s50 study into work characteristic motivations found that promotions and respect are
only a small influencer (with 25% and 24%, respectively) when compared to characteristics such as
leadership and salary (100% each) or interesting work (79%). However, Cennamo and Gardner found
that this generation has lower person-organisation fit for extrinsic values (eg rewards, benefits, salary)
and status than Baby Boomers. It seems important for volunteer organisations to provide rewards,
recognition or other benefits to enhance the feeling for the younger generation that they are valued by
their volunteer organisation.
The work place needs to be fun, flexible, modern and provide a feeling of belonging and engagement
that generates passion and optimism. Meier and Crocker’s study confirmed work atmosphere to be the
fourth most important motivator with respondents citing that they enjoyed a fun, friendly, relaxed team-
oriented and positive environment, followed by flexible work schedules. With Generation Y happily
mixing social and work life, managers can turn their willingness to socialise and collaborate into
informal feedback sessions on work related issues. Managers need to ensure policies and procedures
48 Merrill Associates (2004) Five Generational Differences Shaping Leadership, Online: http://merrillassociates.com/topic/2004/08/five-generational-differences-shaping-
leadership
49 Sheahan, Peter (2005) Generation Y: Thriving and surviving with Generation Y at work, Hardie Grant Books, Victoria, Australia
50 Meier, Justin; Crocker, Mitchell (2010) Generation Y in the workforce: Managerial Challenges, The Journal of Human Resources and Adult Learning, Vol.6. Iss.1, pg.68-78
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are practical and communicated clearly, along with their rationale and then hold volunteers from
Generation Y accountable for their actions.
While Sheahan states that members of Generation Y want individuality and personal growth
opportunities to increase their employability beyond their current employer organisation, Wong et al
found no significant difference in these motivations and personal traits between generations. Meier
and Crocker’s research shows that growth opportunities have only a mild influence on job motivation.
A Deloitte Survey found that volunteer programs offered by corporations are one of the benefits most
valued by Generation Y51 as volunteering as part of corporate social responsibility programs allows
them to combine the potential for personal growth with work.
They want supportive, energetic and inspiring leaders, who empower and mentor, rather than
managers who direct and restrict. Levy et al found in their pilot study that members of Generation Y
are seeking role models who can teach them and help them grow. Balancing autonomy and support
and the merging role of manager and leader will be among the many challenges for managers. In
addition, leadership is no longer associated with position, but is achieved by people with leadership
qualities and those who ‘earn it’. Those qualities pertain to managers who learn, experiment, make
mistakes and find solutions to problems in a transparent and collaboratively engaged way.
As volunteers, Generation Y can be reached through their peers and by using a range of information
technologies and social media. Volunteer organisations should design positions that are meaningful
and with real responsibility, provide leadership development challenges, and opportunities so young
people can work in a group or part of a group. James Adonis, quoted in the Auckland Herald, makes
the prediction regarding Generation Y as managers, that employees will need to become more
sociable, multi-taskers and independent thinkers used to macro-management rather than the micro-
management style typical of the Baby Boomer generation52.
Generation ZGeneration Z born from 1995 to 2009 is currently undertaking primary and secondary schooling. This
generation is growing up with world events such as international terrorism, wireless technology, crude
oil peak, environmental awareness and activism, and a shift from exploitation to environmental
protection and care. This generation benefits from the programs put into place across the education
system to support and foster a civic duty and volunteer habits in young people. McCrindle states that
this is the most materialistic generation yet, being mollycoddled by their Generation X parents living an
organised life with limited freedom, lots of extra-curricular activities and playing mainly indoors due to
the perceived danger in the local community. While this generation does not feature in this analysis of
generational impacts on volunteering due to the fact that their current age makes them a little too
young to recruit as volunteers, in 2013 the first of this generation will reach adulthood and by 2022 all
members of Generation Z will have reached their teenage years.
51 Trunk, Penelope (2007) What Generation Y really wants, Time, Thursday 5 July, Online: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1640395,00.html
52 Anonymous (2008) Next generation will do nicely thank you, Herald on Sunday, Auckland, New Zealand, 09 November, pg.51
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Appendix 3 – Research Data
List of Tables and FiguresTable 1: Organisations Responses by Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sector..................................82
Table 2: Volunteer Responses by Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sector.........................................82
Table 3: Summary of Work Values across Generations.......................................................................83
Table 4: Generations in 2020...............................................................................................................84
Table 5: Volunteer Management from the Volunteer’s Perspective......................................................84
Table 6: Sectors by Volunteer Management........................................................................................85
Table 7: Volunteers Expectation of Processes in Place in Organisations and their Relevant Importance Level..................................................................................................................................................... 86
Table 8: Value in Volunteering..............................................................................................................88
Table 9: Motivations to Volunteer.........................................................................................................89
Table 10: Importance Factors compared by Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Management........................89
Table 11: Differences between New and Existing Volunteers..............................................................90
Table 12: Recognition Factors Provided by Organisations and Volunteer Expectations......................91
Table 13: Reimbursements Expected by Volunteers............................................................................91
Table 14: Challenges Experienced by Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Managers.....................................92
Table 15: Matching Volunteers to Organisations..................................................................................92
Table 16: Barriers to Volunteering........................................................................................................93
Table 17: Volunteer Organisation Work Availability and Retaining Volunteers.....................................93
Table 18: Volunteer Work Preferences.................................................................................................94
Table 19: Volunteer Setting Preferences by Age..................................................................................94
Table 20: Use of Online Technology for Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Management..............................95
Table 21: Illawarra Volunteer Mobile Phone Users...............................................................................95
Table 22: Volunteers Expectations and Usage of Communication Technology...................................96
Table 23: Social Media Usage..............................................................................................................96
Table 24: Generations/Competencies Matrix.......................................................................................97
Figure 1: Volunteer and Organisational Respondents by Sector............................................................4
Figure 2: Paid and Unpaid Managers of Volunteers.............................................................................11
Figure 3: Volunteer Management – A Comparison Between Volunteers and Organisations in the Illawarra and Tasmania........................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 4: Organisations with Formal Training and Resources to Pay in Place.....................................15
Figure 5: Importance Factors - Managing Volunteers...........................................................................21
Figure 6: Volunteer Reimbursement versus Local Government Area...................................................30
Figure 7: Job Descriptions – Comparison between Illawarra and Tasmania........................................37
Figure 8: Hours of Voluntary Work.......................................................................................................40
Figure 9: Volunteering Rosters by Organisations Offering and Volunteers Expectations by Age.........42
Figure 10: Volunteer and Organisational Respondents by Sector........................................................73
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Table 1: Organisations Responses by Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sector
Sectors No Primary
% Primary
No Secondary
% Secondary
No Tertiary
% Tertiary
Community/Welfare 39 60.94% 6 31.58% 1 12.50%
Health 13 20.31% 5 26.32% 2 25.00%
Parenting/Children/Youth 2 3.13% 3 15.79% 4 50.00%
Education/Training 4 6.25% 2 10.53% 1 12.50%
Emergency Services 1 1.56% 2 10.53% 0 0.00%
Other 2 3.13% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Sport/Physical recreation 1 1.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Arts/Heritage 1 1.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Environment/animal welfare 0 0.00% 1 5.26% 0 0.00%
Local government 1 1.56% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
Table 2: Volunteer Responses by Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sector
Sectors Primary Sector
Secondary Sector
Third Sector Total
Arts/Heritage 8.23% 5.06% 4.43% 17.72%
Community/Welfare 43.04% 8.23% 3.80% 55.07%
Education/Training 12.66% 8.23% 3.80% 24.69%
Emergency Services 4.43% 6.33% 1.27% 12.03%
Environment/animal welfare 8.86% 6.96% 0.63% 16.45%
Health 8.23% 5.06% 4.43% 17.72%
Law/justice/political 0% 0% 1.90% 1.90%
Local government 1.90% 1.27% 1.90% 5.07%
Parenting/Children/Youth 5.06% 3.80% 3.80% 12.66%
Religious 3.80% 1.27% 0% 5.07%
Sport/Physical recreation 3.16% 1.90% 0.63% 5.69%
Other 8.86% 2.53% 1.27% 12.66%
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Table 3: Summary of Work Values across Generations
Builders Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y
Cor
e Va
lues
Dedication/sacrifice
Conformity
Law and order
Delayed reward
Duty before pleasure
Optimism
Idealistic
Youth
Health and wellness
Diversity
Personal satisfaction loyal to skills
Self-reliance
Pragmatic
Life-long learners
Diversity
Optimism
Confidence
Resourceful
Social ability
Street Smart
Take ownership
Wor
k Va
lues
Hard work
Respect for authority
Adherence to rules
Work hard
Loyal to employer
Team oriented
Earn money
Wants stable work environments
Respect for authority and hierarchy
Technically challenged
Will work hard but not at the sacrifice of family
Motivated by progression
Change jobs for promotion
Think globally
Money is not everything
Prefers to work alone
Technically savvy
Mix work and social life
Multi-taskers
Team oriented
Enjoy interactions
Technology part of life
Want inspiring leaders and collaborative work place
Are after promotional opportunities and status
Expe
ctat
ions
Promotions based on longevity
Loyalty to the organisation
Wait to be told what to do
Respect based on position/title
Live to work
Relentless pursuit of goals
Want to manage/control
Know the best way
Change is painful but inevitable
Rule the workforce
Create the culture
Work to live
Promotions based on ability
Mobility
Computers are part of everyday routine
Attitude/fun important in workplace
Expect a say and want to be heard
Prefer structured environments
Want a relationship with their boss
Want training, mentoring, responsibility and challenges
Relate best with Builders
Source: Adapted from Hui-Chun and Miller (2005), Patota et al (2007)
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Table 4: Generations in 2020
Generation Age 2020Working Population 2020
Life Stage Volunteer Population
Baby Boomers 57 to 75 16%
Retiring fast
Increased needs for health services
Comparing it to 2011 it will be the largest volunteer group
But reducing as Baby Boomers age
Generation X 42 to 56 37%
Working and taking on management positions
Children in late primary school education and onwards
Enjoying lifestyle as children move out
Increasing hours as children grow up
Planning for retirement – need to promote options for volunteer work
Generation Y 27 to 41 35%Working and taking on management positions
Family & Children focus
Reduced as focus turns to family and child raising
Generation Z 12 to 26 12%
Students
Early career stage
Tech savvy generation, which grew up with wireless technology
Increased involvement as schools and higher education institutions engage more
Generation most risk averse due to being mollycoddled
Table 5: Volunteer Management from the Volunteer’s Perspective
Count %
I currently don’t volunteer 33 20.89%
A full-time paid manager/coordinator 55 34.81%
A part-time paid manager/coordinator 15 9.49%
A volunteer coordinator 34 21.52%
A combination of paid and volunteer coordination 9 5.70%
No manager/coordinator needed/relevant 2 1.27%
No manager/coordinator, but it would be good to have one 0 0.00%
I don’t know 10 6.33%
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Table 6: Sectors by Volunteer Management
Sectors Paid Unpaid Not Relevant Not Sure
Arts/Heritage 47.37% 31.58% 0.00% 21.05%
Community/Welfare 71.01% 18.84% 1.45% 8.70%
Education/Training 53.85% 26.92% 3.85% 15.38%
Emergency Services 66.67% 25.00% 8.33% 0.00%
Environment/animal welfare 35.00% 50.00% 5.00% 10.00%
Health 63.64% 31.82% 0.00% 4.55%
Law/justice/political 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Local government 50.00% 25.00% 0.00% 25.00%
Parenting/Children/Youth 46.15% 30.77% 7.69% 15.38%
Religious 75.00% 25.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Sport/Physical recreation 33.33% 66.67% 0.00% 0.00%
Other 77.78% 16.67% 0.00% 5.56%
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Table 7: Volunteers Expectation of Processes in Place in Organisations and their Relevant Importance Level
In PlaceNo
answer
Not important Very ImportantMeanNo
answer Yes No % % % % %
Insurance cover for volunteers 5.48% 90.41% 4.11% 5.06% 7.59% 1.27% 10.13% 20.89% 55.06% 4.21
Introduction to relevant staff and volunteers 0.00% 93.15% 6.85% 3.16% 5.70% 3.16% 15.19% 31.01% 41.77% 4.03
Induction to Work Health and Safety relevant for role 0.00% 87.67% 12.33% 1.90% 5.70% 6.33% 17.72% 30.38% 37.97% 3.90
Induction to policy, procedures and processes 2.74% 87.67% 9.59% 2.53% 6.33% 6.96% 22.78% 23.42% 39.97% 3.82
Induction to role or service responsibilities 2.74% 87.67% 9.59% 3.16% 8.23% 5.70% 20.25% 29.11% 33.54% 3.76
Transparent feedback processes 12.33% 80.82% 6.85% 12.66% 7.59% 3.16% 21.52% 26.58% 28.48% 3.75
Regular contact with staff or volunteer manager/coordinator 5.48% 86.30% 8.22% 5.06% 7.59% 4.43% 23.42% 31.65% 27.85% 3.71
Policy and Procedures applicable to staff and volunteers 6.85% 86.30% 6.85% 5.70% 8.86% 3.16% 25.32% 25.95% 31.01% 3.71
Position descriptions for volunteer roles 4.11% 90.41% 5.48% 2.53% 11.39% 5.70% 18.99% 30.38% 31.01% 3.66
Training in Work Health and Safety 5.48% 78.08% 16.44% 4.43% 8.23% 8.86% 23.42% 25.32% 29.75% 3.62
Documented organisational values 2.74% 84.93% 12.33% 3.80% 8.23% 5.06% 28.48% 28.48% 25.95% 3.61
Recognition of volunteer contribution 1.37% 84.93% 13.70% 2.53% 10.13% 10.13% 19.62% 25.95% 31.65% 3.60
Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses 5.48% 82.19% 12.33% 4.43% 13.92% 7.59% 20.25% 19.62% 34.18% 3.55
Regular meetings with volunteer managers/coordinator 5.48% 80.82% 13.70% 3.16% 10.76% 6.96% 26.58% 25.95% 26.58% 3.52
Entry interview 2.74% 80.82% 16.44% 2.53% 10.13% 8.86% 27.85% 23.42% 27.22% 3.50
A Grievance Policy 2.74% 78.08% 19.18% 4.43% 13.92% 10.13% 22.78% 19.62% 29.11% 3.42
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In PlaceNo
answer
Not important Very ImportantMeanNo
answer Yes No % % % % %
Recruitment process 2.74% 75.34% 21.92% 3.80% 10.13% 11.39% 28.48% 21.52% 24.68% 3.41
Regular meetings with staff 5.48% 69.86% 24.66% 5.06% 12.66% 11.39% 27.22% 21.52% 22.15% 3.31
Training or professional development in other role related activities 5.48% 72.60% 21.92% 5.70% 16.46% 10.76% 20.89% 25.32% 20.89% 3.25
Paid training for volunteers 17.81% 47.95% 34.25% 7.59% 32.91% 13.92% 20.25% 12.03% 13.29% 2.55
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Table 8: Value in Volunteering
No answer
Not important Very Important Mean P Value
% % % % % Overall Centrelink clients
18-35 years
45-64 years
Gen Y vs Centrelink
Generation Comparison
BB vs Centerlink
Receiving support 0.63% 6.33% 4.43% 22.15% 31.01% 35.34% 3.85 3.68 4.16 3.66 0.19 0.06 0.82
Receiving respect 0.63% 7.59% 3.80% 9.49% 31.01% 47.47% 4.08 3.84 4.26 3.87 0.33 0.21 0.75
Receiving feedback 3.80% 9.49% 5.70% 19.62% 29.75% 31.65% 3.71 3.58 3.84 3.48 0.50 0.30 1.00
Receiving an induction to the organisation 1.90% 8.86% 5.06% 18.99% 31.65% 33.54% 3.77 3.63 4.00 3.64 0.34 0.26 0.75
Receiving an induction to the role 2.53% 7.59% 3.16% 13.29% 37.97% 35.44% 3.93 3.63 3.68 3.91 0.79 0.52 0.24
Receiving role specific training 1.27% 10.76% 3.16% 20.25% 29.75% 34.81% 3.76 3.37 3.84 3.66 0.23 0.56 0.22
Having a job description 3.16% 16.46% 11.39% 23.42% 20.25% 25.32% 3.27 3.37 3.26 3.10 0.98 0.70 0.65
Having a sense of purpose 1.90% 5.06% 0.63% 6.33% 32.91% 53.16% 4.31 3.47 4.37 4.09 0.03 0.25 0.10
Giving back to the community 1.27% 3.16% 1.27% 8.86% 32.28% 53.16% 4.33 3.32 4.79 4.09 0.00 0.00 0.01
Meeting people 10.13% 3.16% 5.70% 17.09% 29.75% 34.18% 3.96 3.16 3.47 3.30 0.48 0.66 0.51
Developing friendships 6.33% 3.16% 6.96% 24.05% 32.91% 26.58% 3.78 3.11 3.53 3.44 0.34 0.83 0.19
Having a position that meets my interests 1.90% 6.33% 2.53% 9.49% 32.28% 47.47% 4.14 3.68 4.21 4.03 0.28 0.56 0.31
Having a position which develops my skills 1.47% 19.12% 7.35% 19.12% 22.06% 30.88% 3.39 3.00 4.75 3.02 These questions only featured in the online
survey and the sample was too small for analysis
Having a position which uses my skills 0% 10.29% 5.88% 7.35% 30.88% 45.59% 3.84 3.17 4.88 3.54
*p<0.05 significant level using two sample t-test and assuming unequal variances
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Table 9: Motivations to Volunteer
Motivation to Volunteer Count %
Help/give back to community 108 44.08%
Learning/Work experience 22 8.98%
Meeting People/Friendship 21 8.57%
Satisfaction/Reward 18 7.35%
Purpose/Need 17 6.94%
Skills using/sharing 14 5.71%
Have time 12 4.90%
Active 8 3.27%
Interest/enjoyment 8 3.27%
Centrelink 7 2.86%
Feeling valued 6 2.45%
Duty 2 0.82%
Language 2 0.82%
Table 10: Importance Factors compared by Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Management
Important item when managing volunteers No Manager Unpaid Manager Paid Manager
Providing support to volunteers 13.57% 21.15% 19.74%
Respecting volunteers 16.43% 15.41% 17.29%
Building a relationship with volunteers 10.00% 18.13% 15.81%
Providing an induction to the organisation 14.29% 13.29% 15.37%
Providing an induction to the role 17.14% 11.48% 12.49%
Providing a job description 14.29% 12.08% 10.92%
Providing role specific training 14.29% 8.46% 8.38%
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Table 11: Differences between New and Existing Volunteers
Variable P(T<=t) two-tail
Mean New
Mean Experience
d
Receive feedback 0.01 4.16 3.60
Paid Training 0.04 3.15 2.43
Intranet 0.03 2.23 1.58
Facebook 0.04 2.03 1.43
Twitter 0.03 1.80 1.25
Blogs 0.01 2.03 1.31
Wikis 0.02 1.90 1.27
Shareware 0.04 1.90 1.33
*significance level at p<0.05, assuming unequal variances
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Table 12: Recognition Factors Provided by Organisations and Volunteer Expectations
Organisation
Volunteers
Recognition Factors Count P(T<=t)
two-tail*Not important Very Important
Mean% % % % %
Being valued as part of the Organisation
1 0.47 3.16% 1.27% 8.23% 13.46% 34.81% 4.23
Feedback 10 0.18 8.86% 1.27% 11.39% 22.78% 20.25% 3.69
Thank You Verbal 8 0.95 10.13% 3.16% 9.49% 18.35% 24.05% 3.66
Reference letter 0 0.03 17.09% 6.96% 15.19% 7.59% 15.19% 2.95
Certificate of Appreciation 18 0.37 20.89% 8.23% 10.76% 10.76% 12.03% 2.76
Length of service 10 0.38 21.52% 6.33% 15.82% 10.76% 9.49% 2.69
Morning/Afternoon Tea 10 0.56 21.52% 7.59% 18.35% 8.86% 6.30% 2.54
Lunch/Dinner 20 0.22 24.68% 5.70% 17.09% 10.76% 6.33% 2.51
Volunteer Week Celebration 10 0.56 25.32% 7.59% 13.29% 10.13% 7.59% 2.49
Conference attendance 1 0.64 26.58% 9.49% 13.29% 7.59% 6.96% 2.36
Recognition in Publications 10 0.9 27.85% 9.49% 9.49% 6.96% 8.86% 2.35
Thank You Cards or Letters 9 0.49 29.75% 11.39% 12.03% 7.59% 4.43% 2.17
Awards 5 0.85 30.38% 12.03% 11.39% 3.80% 6.96% 2.15
Party/Event 30 0.83 32.28% 8.86% 11.39% 5.70% 3.80% 2.03
Gift/Prize 14 0.89 39.24% 10.13% 8.23% 3.16% 2.53% 1.73
*significance level at p<0.05, assuming unequal variances
Table 13: Reimbursements Expected by Volunteers
Organisations VolunteersReimbursement Type Count Count %
Phone 5 35 13.70%
Travel 21 40 15.60%
Meals 11 45 17.60%
Petrol 18 62 24.20%
Volunteer work purchases 8 74 28.90%
Any reimbursements 18 Not measured
No reimbursements 6 45
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Table 14: Challenges Experienced by Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Managers
Challenges of Volunteer Management Overall Paid Manager (including mix)
Unpaid Manager
No Coordinator
Recruiting suitable volunteers 80.30% 80.00% 85.71% 100.00%
Aging volunteer workforce 48.48% 53.33% 42.86% 50.00%
Retaining volunteers 43.94% 42.22% 64.29% 0.00%
Matching volunteers to the organisation 37.88% 35.56% 35.71% 100.00%
Not having enough time to achieve goals 34.85% 40.00% 21.43% 50.00%
Providing appropriate training 31.82% 33.33% 28.57% 25.00%
Not enough money to achieve goals 22.73% 26.67% 21.43% 0.00%
Background checking for volunteers 18.18% 22.22% 14.29% 0.00%
Managing the relationship between paid staff and volunteers 18.18% 22.22% 7.14% 25.00%
Lack of security in funding 16.67% 17.78% 21.43% 0.00%
WHS/Risk management/Insurance needs 16.67% 20.00% 7.14% 25.00%
Lack of support from the governing body/senior management 7.58% 6.67% 7.14% 25.00%
A negative attitude from paid staff towards volunteers 4.55% 4.44% 7.14% 0.00%
Table 15: Matching Volunteers to Organisations
ReasonsNo Not
Taken Up Referral
No Terminated
Role
Why did you leave your
role
Time eg commenced work or study 2 3 4
Organisations had no vacancy/ job finished 4 1 2
Could not get an interview with organisation 4
Found volunteer work by themselves 3
Were not interested in the work that was referred 3
Health changed 3 2 2
Other personal circumstances changed 2 3 2
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Table 16: Barriers to Volunteering
Barriers to Volunteering Count %
Organisational matters including staff, other volunteers and clients 26 17.81%
Time/life balance 21 14.38%
Work/Study 17 11.64%
None 16 10.96%
Family 13 8.90%
Suitability of work 13 8.90%
Regularity of volunteering 9 6.16%
Health including learning ability 11 7.53%
Money 7 4.79%
Drive/place of organisation 7 4.79%
Hobbies/Travel 4 2.74%
Language 2 1.37%
Table 17: Volunteer Organisation Work Availability and Retaining Volunteers
Work Pattern Yes No Retaining Volunteers Challenge
Undertake the work when it suits them 57.81% 42.19% 43.24%
Regular time each week 56.25% 43.75% 47.22%
Work from a predetermined location 35.94% 64.06% 47.83%
Morning 28.13% 71.88% 33.33%
Work set hours 21.88% 78.13% 57.14%
Afternoon 18.75% 81.25% 16.67%
Evening 12.50% 87.50% 37.50%
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Table 18: Volunteer Work Preferences
Volunteer Setting Count % Responses % Respondents
Expect to work a regular time each week 90 28.50% 56.96%
Expect to work from a predetermined location 58 18.40% 36.71%
Expect to work set hours 52 16.50% 32.19%
Expect to work when it suits me 45 14.20% 28.48%
Expect to work in the morning 33 10.40% 20.89%
Expect to work in the afternoon 26 8.20% 16.46%
Expect to work in the evening 12 3.80% 7.59%
Total 316
Table 19: Volunteer Setting Preferences by Age
Volunteer Setting Overall Count
Overall % 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65<
Volunteer in a group 121 18.79% 15.09% 15.79% 16.98% 15.18% 22.53% 19.21%
Volunteer in the organisation 115 17.86% 16.98% 15.79% 13.21% 17.86% 15.93% 21.47%
Volunteer with peers/friends 89 13.82% 11.32% 13.16% 15.09% 14.29% 12.64% 15.82%
Volunteer alone 74 11.49% 13.21% 7.89% 13.21% 12.50% 13.19% 10.17%
Volunteer one-on-one with clients 67 10.40% 9.43% 10.53% 3.77% 9.82% 11.54% 10.73%
Volunteer using information technology 58 9.01% 7.55% 10.53% 9.43% 12.50% 6.59% 9.04%
Volunteer with family members 45 6.99% 7.55% 10.53% 9.43% 5.36% 8.24% 5.65%
Have time or programs available through my work place 42 6.52% 15.09% 7.89% 9.43% 8.04% 3.85% 4.52%
Volunteer from a distance to the organisation 33 5.12% 3.77% 7.89% 9.43% 4.46% 5.49% 3.39%
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Table 20: Use of Online Technology for Paid and Unpaid Volunteer Management
Online TechnologyOverall
Paid Manager
(including mix)
Unpaid Manager
No Coordinato
r
Count % % % %
Website 31 48.44% 48.89% 42.86% 50.00%
Internet 17 26.56% 22.22% 42.86% 25.00%
Social Media eg Facebook, Twitter, YouTube 13 20.31% 22.22% 21.43% 0.00%
Online Calendar 3 4.69% 8.89% 7.14% 0.00%
Blogs 1 1.56% 6.67% 0.00% 0.00%
Shareware eg Google Groups, Documents or Calendar 2 3.13% 6.67% 7.14% 25.00%
Online forums 5 7.81% 4.44% 0.00% 0.00%
Wikis 5 7.81% 0.00% 7.14% 0.00%
Table 21: Illawarra Volunteer Mobile Phone Users
Generations Count %
Builders 39 40.21%
Baby Boomers 96 25.00%
Generation X 15 8.47%
Generation Y 20 6.27%
Generation Z 1 20.00%
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Table 22: Volunteers Expectations and Usage of Communication Technology
No Answer
Not Important Very ImportantMean Technolog
y Usage% % % % %
Face-to-face – individually 1.90% 8.86% 5.70% 12.66% 27.22% 4
3.67% 3.81 n/a
Face-to-face in team meetings 3.16% 16.46% 6.33% 13.92% 27.85% 3
2.28% 3.39 n/a
Phone 2.53% 17.72% 5.06% 18.99% 26.58% 2
9.11% 3.33 n/a
Email 3.80% 27.85% 3.80% 13.29% 19.62% 3
1.65% 3.07 80.00%
Mail 3.80% 39.87% 12.03% 14.56% 16.46% 1
3.29% 2.34 n/a
Website 6.33% 48.73% 7.59% 13.29% 12.03% 1
2.03% 2.06 63.23%
SMS 5.06% 51.90% 6.96% 12.03% 12.03% 1
2.03% 2.03 n/a
Online Calendar 6.96% 63.92% 5.70% 11.39% 5.70% 6.33% 1.57 18.06%
Intranet 7.59% 63.29% 6.33% 12.03% 7.59% 3.16% 1.51 24.52%
Online forums 7.59% 68.35% 7.59% 9.49% 3.80% 3.16% 1.35 13.55%
Facebook 8.23% 69.62% 5.06% 9.49% 3.80% 3.80% 1.35 35.48%
Blogs 6.96% 72.78% 6.96% 8.23% 1.27% 3.80% 1.28 18.71%
Shareware eg Google Groups 8.23% 74.05% 5.06% 5.70% 3.16% 3.80% 1.25 12.26%
Fax 6.96% 75.32% 6.33% 4.43% 3.16% 3.80% 1.25 n/a
Wikis 7.59% 75.32% 5.06% 7.59% 1.27% 3.16% 1.21 14.84%
Twitter 6.96% 77.22% 5.06% 6.96% 0.63% 3.16% 1.19 7.10%
YouTube 7.59% 76.58% 5.70% 6.96% 0.63% 2.53% 1.16 25.81%
Table 23: Social Media Usage
Year Communication Services Social Networking Usage
18 to 24 6 88.00%
25 to 34 5.4 75.00%
35 to 44 5 58.00%
45 to 54 4.7 45.00%
55 to 64 4 29.00%
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65+ 3 32.00%
Source: ACMA (2011a)
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Table 24: Generations/Competencies Matrix
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Source: Patota et.al (2007) Leveraging Generational Differences for Productivity Gains, Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, Vol.11, No.2, pg1
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Questionnaires
Questionnaire - State of Volunteering in the Illawarra – Volunteer Organisations PerspectiveVolunteering Illawarra is undertaking a research project into volunteer management and would
appreciate your time in completing this survey. The aims of the project are to gain a clear
understanding of issues concerning volunteering in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region. Your input
will assist Volunteering in reassessing its services and better support the volunteer sector with their
volunteer needs, as well as assist you to adapt to the changes in the volunteer landscape.
The survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete and is anonymous. The survey will form the
basis of focus group discussions.
Survey QuestionsQ.1 How are your organisations volunteers managed?
Please tick one
☐ By a full-time paid manager/coordinator
☐ By a part-time paid manager/coordinator
☐ By a volunteer coordinator
☐ By a combination of paid and volunteer coordination
☐ No manager/coordinator needed/relevant
☐ No manager/coordinator, but it would be good to have one
Q.2 What do you deem important when managing volunteers?Please rank a minimum of three with 1 being the most important item
Items Rank by Importance
Providing support to volunteers
Respecting volunteers
Providing an induction to the organisation
Providing an induction to the role
Providing a job description
Building a relationship with volunteers
Providing role specific training
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Q.3 Please indicate which of the following your organisation has in place for its volunteer manager/coordinator?Please tick the most appropriate answer
Manager/Coordinator: Yes Partly No Not sure
Not relevant
Receive support from the board/senior management in managing volunteers
Receive/have formal training or professional development in volunteer management/coordination
Receive sufficient resources to pay for training or professional development
Q.4 Which challenges do your volunteer manager/coordinators have?Please tick as many as applicable
☐ Recruiting suitable volunteers
☐ Aging volunteer workforce
☐ Matching volunteers to the organisation
☐ Providing appropriate training
☐ Retaining volunteers
☐ Not having enough time to achieve goals
☐ Not enough money to achieve goals
☐ Lack of security in funding
☐ Background checking for volunteers
☐ Managing the relationship between paid staff and volunteers
☐ WHS/Risk management/Insurance needs
☐ Lack of support from the governing body/senior management
☐ A negative attitude from paid staff towards volunteers
☐ Other (please specify)
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Q.5 Please indicate which of the following your organisation has in place for its volunteer management?Please tick the most appropriate answer for each statement
Yes Partly No Not sure
Not relevant
Recruitment process for volunteers
Entry interview for volunteers
Position descriptions for volunteer roles
Recognition of volunteer contribution
Policy and Procedures applicable to staff and volunteers
Induction to policy, procedures and processes
Induction to role or service responsibilities
Induction to Work Health and Safety relevant for role
Introduction to relevant staff and volunteers
Regular meetings with volunteer managers/coordinator
Regular meetings with staff
Regular contact with staff or volunteer manager/coordinator
Training in Work Health and Safety
Training or professional development in other role related activities
Paid training for volunteers
Insurance cover for volunteers
Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
Q.6 How does your organisation show recognition of volunteer contribution?Open text response
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Q.7 What items do you reimburse volunteers for?Open text response
Q.8 Does your organisation have a Grievance Policy?Please tick the most appropriate answer
☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
Q.9 Do your volunteers have an opportunity to give feedback?Please tick the most appropriate answer
☐ Yes, we have a structured process
☐ Yes, we have an informal process
☐ No, there is no opportunity
☐ Not sure
☐ Not relevant
Q.10 Do your volunteers have an opportunity to provide input into organisational decision making?Please tick the most appropriate answer
☐ Yes
☐ Yes, we involve volunteers in service orientated decisions
☐ Yes, we involve volunteers in strategic decisions
☐ No, there is no opportunity
☐ Not sure
☐ Not relevant
☐ Other (please specify)
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Q.11 How do you communicate with your volunteers?Please rank a minimum of three with 1 being the communication type used most
Communication Type Ranking
Face-to-face – individually
Face-to-face in team meetings
Phone
Fax
SMS
Online Technology
Other
Q.12 What types of technology do you use for communications?Please select as many as applicable
☐ Website
☐ Intranet
☐ Social Media e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
☐ Blogs
☐ Wikis
☐ Online forums
☐ Online Calendar
☐ Shareware eg Google Groups, Documents or Calendar
☐ Other (please specify)
Q.13 Which statement(s) best describes your organisations utilisation of volunteers?Please tick as many as applicable
☐ Volunteers work a regular time each week
☐ Volunteers work in the morning
☐ Volunteers work in the afternoon
☐ Volunteers work in the evening
☐ Volunteers can undertake the work when it suits them
☐ Volunteers need to work set hours
☐ Volunteers need to work from a predetermined location
Q.14 How many hours do your volunteers help per month?Number
Q.15 How many volunteers does your organisation have on its books?Number
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Q.16 How many active volunteers does your organisation have?Number
(Active relates to currently engaged with the organisation)
Q.17 If there is a big difference between the number of volunteers on your books and active volunteers, what in your opinion are the reasons for this difference?
Q.18 Which age range do your volunteers belong?Rank at least three age groups from highest number of volunteers in age group (1) to least number of volunteers (8)
Age Rank Age Rank Age Rank Age Rank
18-24 35-44 55-64 75-84
25-34 45-54 65-74 85 <
Q.19 Does your organisation have a succession plan in place for volunteer managers /coordinators?Please tick one
☐ Yes ☐ No
Q.20 Please indicate which sector(s) you are predominantly working in.Tick only one in primary, one in secondary, one in third sector
Sectors Which is your Primary Sector?
Do you service a Secondary
Sector?Do you service a
Third Sector?
Arts/Heritage
Community/Welfare
Education/Training
Emergency Services
Environment/Animal
Health
Law/Justice/Political
Local Government
Parenting/Children/Youth
Religious
Sport/Physical Recreation
Other
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Q.21 Which LGA are you located in?Select major one
☐ Wollongong ☐ Kiama
☐ Shellharbour ☐ Shoalhaven
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Questionnaire - State of Volunteering in the Illawarra – Volunteers Perspective
Volunteering Illawarra is undertaking a research project into the expectations of volunteers when
volunteering and would appreciate your time in completing this survey.
The aims of the project are to gain a clear understanding of issues concerning volunteering in the
Illawarra region. Your input will assist Volunteering Illawarra and organisations utilising volunteers in
reassessing their services and ensuring support meet volunteer needs.
The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete and is anonymous.
Survey QuestionsQ.1 In the organisation you are working in, who manages volunteers?
☐ I currently don’t volunteer
☐ A full-time paid manager/coordinator
☐ A part-time paid manager/coordinator
☐ A volunteer coordinator
☐ A combination of paid and volunteer coordination
☐ No manager/coordinator needed/relevant
☐ No manager/coordinator, but it would be good to have one
☐ I don’t know
Q.2 What setting do you like to volunteer in?(Select answer for each statement)
Yes No
Volunteer with family members
Volunteer with peers/friends
Have time or programs available through my work place
Volunteer one-on-one with clients
Volunteer in a group
Volunteer alone
Volunteer from a distance to the organisation
Volunteer in the organisation
Volunteer using information technology
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Q.3 What do you value in a volunteering role?(Select importance level for each statement)
Not Important Very Important
1 2 3 4 5
Having a position that meets my interests
Having a position which develops my skills
Having a position which uses my skills
Receiving support
Receiving respect
Receiving feedback
Receiving an induction to the organisation
Receiving an induction to the role
Receiving role specific training
Having a job description
Having a sense of purpose
Giving back to the community
Meeting people
Developing friendships
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Q.4 Please indicate which of the following you would like a volunteer organisation to have in place.(Select importance level for each statement)
In place Not Important Very Important
Yes No 1 2 3 4 5
Documented organisational values
Recruitment process
Entry interview
Position descriptions for volunteer roles
Recognition of volunteer contribution
Policy and Procedures applicable to staff and volunteers
Induction to policy, procedures and processes
A Grievance Policy
Induction to role or service responsibilities
Induction to Occupational Health and Safety relevant for role
Introduction to relevant staff and volunteers
Regular meetings with volunteer managers/coordinator
Regular meetings with staff
Regular contact with staff or volunteer manager/coordinator
Training in Occupational Health and Safety
Training or professional development in other role related activities
Paid training for volunteers
Insurance cover for volunteers
Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses
Transparent feedback processes
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Q.5 Does your organisation offer recognition for volunteers?(Select relevant answer)
Yes ☐ Continue by answering each statement in Q.6
None is offered where I volunteer ☐ Continue by answering each statement in Q.6
No recognition is necessary ☐ Go to Q.7
Q.6 What recognition would you expect as a volunteer?(Select importance level for each statement)
Not Important Very Important
1 2 3 4 5
Party/Event
Volunteer Week Celebration
Lunch/Dinner
Morning/Afternoon Tea
Certificate of Appreciation
Recognition in Publications
Reference letter
Thank You Cards or Letters
Thank You Verbal
Length of service
Awards
Gift/Prize
Feedback
Conference attendance
Being valued as part of the Organisation
Q.7 Does your organisation offer reimbursements?(Select relevant answer)
Yes ☐ Continue by answering each statement in Q.8
None is offered where I volunteer ☐ Continue by answering each statement in Q.8
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No reimbursement is necessary ☐ Go to Q.10
Q.8 What reimbursements would you expect as a volunteer?(Select answer for each statement)
Yes No
Petrol
Travel
Phone
Volunteer Work Purchases
Meals
Q.9 How do you expect your volunteer organisation to communicate with you?(Select importance level for each statement)
Not Important Very Important
1 2 3 4 5
Face-to-face – individually
Face-to-face in team meetings
Phone
Fax
SMS
Website
Intranet
YouTube
Blogs
Wikis
Online forums
Online Calendar
Shareware eg Google Groups
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<single choice – radio button for each row– Hide Tip ‘No’>
Q.10 Do you use the following online technologies?(Select answer for each statement)
Yes No
I have access to online technology (if no go to question 12)
Smart phone
Website
Intranet
YouTube
Blogs
Wikis
Online forums
Online Calendar
Shareware eg Google Groups
Q.11 Which online technology/ies do you use to research organisations to volunteer for?Open text response
Q.12 Do you have an opportunity to provide input into organisational decision making?(Select as many as apply)
☐ I currently don’t volunteer
☐ Yes, I am invited to staff meetings
☐ Yes, I am involved in client service/program orientated decisions
☐ Yes, I am involved in strategic decisions
☐ No, there is no opportunity
☐ Not sure
☐ Not relevant
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Q.13 Which statements best describe how you expect to volunteer?(Select as many as apply)
☐ Expect to work in the morning
☐ Expect to work in the afternoon
☐ Expect to work in the evening
☐ Expect to work a regular time each week
☐ Expect to work when it suits me
☐ Expect to work set hours
☐ Expect to work from a predetermined location
Q.14 What difficulties/barriers do you have to undertake volunteer work?Open text response
Q.15 What motivates you to undertake volunteer work?Open text response
Q.16 How many hours can you help per week?Open text response
Q.17 How many years have you been volunteering?Months Years – number fields
Q.18 How many volunteer organisations have you volunteered for?☐ Zero
☐ 1-2
☐ 3-5
☐ 6-10
☐ 11-15
☐ 16-20
☐ 21+
Q.19 Which age range do you belong to?☐ 18-24
☐ 25-34
☐ 35-44
☐ 45-54
☐ 55-64
☐ 65-74
☐ 75-84
☐ 85 <
Q.20 Please state your Gender:
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☐ Male ☐ Female
Q.21 Please indicate which sector(s) you are volunteering in (current volunteers)/you like to volunteer in (new volunteers).Select only one in each column
SectorsWhich is your
Primary Sector?
Do you service a Secondary
Sector?Do you service a Third Sector?
Arts/Heritage
Community/Welfare
Education/Training
Emergency Services
Environment/Animal Welfare
Health
Law/Justice/Political
Local Government
Parenting/Children/Youth
Religious
Sport/Physical Recreation
Other
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Endnotes
Page 117
i Generational differences have been empirically tested in several studies. Twenge (2010) undertook a
review of empirical evidence about the generational differences in work values and personality differences in
the work place. Meier and Crocker (2010) studied work characteristics and leadership preferences of
Generation Y who had entered the workforce. Cennamo and Gardner (2008) focused on comparing work
values across generations, between person-organisational value fit and their impact on organisational
outcomes. Wong et.al (2008) provided scientific insights into the existence of differences for personality and
motivations between three generations working in Australia. Levy et.al (2006) undertook a pilot study in
Australia and New Zealand on the generational changes affecting business and leadership, comparing
popular culture stereotypes with social science research.
ii The Volunteering Australia website promotes accredited training for volunteers. It links to the Community
Services and Health Industry Skills Council, which developed a Certificate I, II and III in Active Volunteering.
The Certificate completion takes 118 hours, 226 hours and 284 hours, respectively, and a total of 209, 332,
and 126 completions were recorded for 2010 (https://www.cshisc.com.au/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=760&Itemid=184). The Certificate is not available by NSW TAFE
Illawarra Institute, despite the institute promoting voluntary work and work experience stating that through
volunteering people can gain skills, build or broaden social and work related networks
(http://www.illawarra.tafensw.edu.au/page/support-for-students/disability-services/voluntary-work-and-work-
experience/).
iii Globally, Australia had the highest engagement rates behind India. India has also the lowest
disengagement rates of all countries surveyed.
iv The authors are defining organisational citizenship as “those behaviours not strictly required by a job
description with many of those having an altruistic nature.” Examples giving were helping others, sharing
information, encourage team mates when they are down, finding out what is happening in the organisation
and how they can contribute.
Boundary spanning activities were those which could help build relationships for a collective identity across a
workforce separated by location or relationships.
v The Productivity Commissions Report on Ageing Population in Australia makes projections to possible
futures. These projections vary depending on Government policy in relation to fertility increases and
migration. The impact of longevity changes also impacts on the ageing population. Medical progress against
certain illnesses, population health, fitness and nutrition all influence if the population is able to grow older
(Ageing) or if the current upper age ranges remain the same (no Ageing) into the future. The Report found
that the latter change particularly can make a difference of about 5% in the 35-44 and 75+ for projected
volunteers per age group.
Figure – Projected share of volunteers by age group 2044-45 - with and without ageing
vi VoIP is either accessed by a PC or laptop using Skype or through a VoIP handset, which is similar to a
fixed-line handset (ACMA, 2011a). VoIP uses megabits (MB) which are deducted from the plans overall data
allowance (estimates are 28 to 76 MB for a one hour call or 2.3 too 6.3 MB for a five minute call) (ACMA,
2011b).
vii The proposed recommendation 2 – ‘Coordinating general volunteer activities’ fits with the NSW Office for
Communities “aim to continue our work with government agencies and the community sector and to develop
practical resources that support volunteering.” (http://www.volunteering.nsw.gov.au/about_us). A central
approach to a volunteer database (NSW or Australia wide) could consist of organisational information from
participating organisations, as well as persons interested in volunteering. This database could be updated by
participating organisations, volunteer referral centres and volunteers with position descriptions, contact
details, skills, and relevant personal checks and application information. Volunteers could register online and
set up their profile only visible to member organisations of referral centres. The profile could include interests
or skills of the volunteer, if a police check or work with children check is available and its currency. And
volunteer referral centres could update the database with organisational membership, currency of policy
checks (and others), and referral interviews undertaken.
The benefits of the central database and website space are
a ‘forced’ mechanism to get organisations online,
helping the transition that is necessary to make organisations be noted by volunteers (and to
survive),
a central access point for referral centres, but also volunteers looking for volunteer organisations
and positions in their area.
viii Generational differences have been empirically tested in several studies. Twenge (2010) undertook a
review of empirical evidence about the generational differences in work values and personality differences in
the work place. Meier and Crocker (2010) studied work characteristics and leadership preferences of
Generation Y who had entered the workforce. Cennamo and Gardner (2008) focused on comparing work
values across generations, between person-organisational value fit and their impact on organisational
outcomes. Wong et.al (2008) provided scientific insights into the existence of differences for personality and
motivations between three generations working in Australia. Levy et.al (2006) undertook a pilot study in
Australia and New Zealand on the generational changes affecting business and leadership, comparing
popular culture stereotypes with social science research.