Note from the CEO 

May has been a busy but exciting month with both National Volunteer Week activities and the 2024 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards taking place with resounding success. We would like to thank everyone who participated in National Volunteer Week and all those who attended the 2024 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards. Special congratulations to our seven winners, who you can read all about below. All events during NVW2024 are so rewarding, not only for me, but for the entire Volunteering WA team, who work so hard to ensure our volunteers are properly celebrated.

To our Western Australian volunteers and members, thank you for all that you do. Our state couldn't function without your selflessness and dedication to community. I hope that the ‘Something for Everyone’ theme has inspired more people to give volunteering a go and support the causes they are passionate about. Imagine how rich our communities would be if everyone volunteered – even an hour a week.  

This month our membership achieved a major milestone in reaching 800 members. A great indicator that we respond to the sector’s needs and provide essential supports, advocacy, and value across our sector.

The State of Nation research report enabled us to identify gaps in the sector, areas for future investment and advocacy. On 7^th July we will be holding another CEO Roundtable to discuss these findings and developing our State Election platform. More details will follow shortly.  

I would also like to highlight our new Diversity and Inclusion training, please see details below.

I hope you find reading this month's edition of Volunteering WA Newsletter informative, enjoyable, and as always, happy volunteering.

Volunteering WA News

2024 winners announced | WA Volunteer of the Year Awards

Volunteering WA was honoured to announce and celebrate the seven outstanding winners of the 2024 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards on Thursday 23 May in Perth, during National Volunteer Week (20 – 26 May).

More than 300 volunteers, managers, and volunteer involving organisations attended the Awards with special addresses from His Excellency the Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM, Governor of Western Australia; and the Hon Don Punch MLA, Minister for Volunteering. 

Read about the 2024 WA Volunteer of the Year award winners.

National Volunteer Week wrap-up

National Volunteer Week took place between Monday 20 – Sunday 26 May 2024 and saw thousands of events and activities taking place across the country. Organisations and individuals alike came together to celebrate Western Australia’s volunteers. For some this involved hosting events to thank their volunteers, and for others it meant posting to social media.

From state-wide events to red-lit landmarks around WA, here's the rundown on 2024 National Volunteer Week.

Volunteering WA supports National Strategy of Volunteering

Volunteering WA is thrilled to be a major a supporter of the National Strategy for Volunteering, having been involved in the development from the beginning as a national peak body We encourage Western Australian volunteer involving organisations to support this important initiative, and help us advance the National Strategy's vision and strategic objectives. 

Volunteering WA recognises the immense value of volunteering in Australia, driving positive social impact, and creating a more cohesive society. Together, we can amplify our collective impact and create lasting change in communities nationwide. 

Pledge your support today.

Sector trends revealed in WA's State of Volunteering Report 

Have you read the latest statistics in volunteering? Western Australia's State of Volunteering Report is the result of the largest survey of volunteers and volunteer managers ever conducted in Western Australia, with the richest data set in more than a decade. 1.5 million people dedicate their time to volunteering in Western Australia, generating a substantial value of $63.9 billion for the state.

Take a look at our State of Volunteering Hub to see how the findings reflect your experience of volunteers and volunteer management.

Free diversity and inclusion training package

Volunteering WA is excited to announce the rollout of SBS Inclusion training to support volunteer involving organisations to build knowledge, skills and take actionable steps towards a more inclusive volunteer sector. The self-paced online training package will cover Core Inclusion, First Nations, Disability, and Cultural Diversity.

In addition to the self-paced training, Volunteering WA will also be offering live sessions with industry experts to support reflections and implementation of learnings.

Expressions of Interest open:

• Early-bird for Volunteering WA members - 30th May – 11th June 
• All volunteer organisations – from 12th June

This training package is free thanks to funding from the Australian Government Department of Social Services via the Volunteer Management Activity. 

Express your interest today *Note, spots are limited and criteria applies.*

New policy submissions to support volunteers

Volunteering WA actively advocates for changes to government settings to support volunteers. Recently, we collaborated on a submission to the Australian Government on how best to support volunteers providing financial emergency relief.  We called for greater investment in preparedness activities and funding the full cost of volunteer involvement.

Our final submission into the Productivity Commission Inquiry into how to double volunteering by 2030 supports their draft recommendation to engage with volunteers and the sector before making changes, calls for increased data on volunteering from the ABS and recommends further work be undertaken to explore tax rebates and deductions for volunteering. We are looking forward to the final report being released shortly.  
 

Be inspired by these volunteer stories

In the lead-up to National Volunteer Week, we celebrated some of our volunteers by sharing their stories online. From bushfires to national advocacy, read all about their journeys, experiences and advice on our Volunteer Stories webpage. 

A big thank you to Jawaria, Hannah, Josh and Vivienne for sharing their stories with us. Please contact Volunteering WA Marketing Coordinator, Krista to share your stories.

Volunteer management built for your way of working

Let INVOLVE help you streamline your workflow so you can spend less time on manual processes and more time on what matters.

INVOLVE is an Australian-designed and built volunteer management product. We are proud to have worked with volunteer peak bodies and volunteer involving organisations (small and large) to build a platform that ticks the boxes for volunteer managers, coordinators, and administrators. Check out our Premium, Essentials, and Free Plans, which can be tailored to suit the number of volunteers you coordinate. Contact the INVOLVE team now and let INVOLVE help you manage your volunteers your way.

Last chance to register | Volunteer Management Activity Showcase Event

Volunteering WA is bringing together the recipients of the most recent round of Volunteer Management Activity Project Grants so they can share their insights and help your organisation remove barriers to volunteering. Join us on Wednesday 12 June, Floreat (Perth), for a morning of learning, networking, and interactive workshops. 

This Showcase is free thanks to funding from the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Register now.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program for volunteer leaders

Did you know you know that in your first year of joining as a member of Volunteering WA, you have the opportunity to join Volunteering WA's national CPD program for free?

Click here to find out more on how the program works and the benefits of participation.

Alternatively, register to attend a short CPD information session on Thursday 6 June 2024. 

Welcome new members

Welcome to our newest Volunteering WA members: Bindaring Clothing Sale
and National Associate of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

Volunteering WA advocates on behalf of the volunteering ecosystem to ensure any policy changes result in better outcomes for volunteering. Membership to your volunteering peak body helps build a stronger sector. Please contact our team to become a Volunteering WA member and make volunteering matter across WA and within your organisation.

Volunteering WA Training & Events Calendar

>> See all upcoming workshops

Sector News

Federal and WA State Budgets released

The Australian Government committed to ongoing funding for the “Volunteering and Community Connectedness” stream managed by the Department of Social Services (which currently includes the Volunteer Management Activity program).  They also committed to invest in the General Social Survey managed by the ABS, which has traditionally been a source of data on volunteering.  There is no detail available as yet to the scope of these works.  

The WA State Government’s major announcement was $9 million to support WA’s essential volunteer emergency services.     

There was a disappointing reduction in funding for volunteer recognition events, with only $30,000 a year allocated to International Volunteers’ Day grants.  This equates to about 2 cents for every volunteer in WA.

Read more about the WA State Budget.

Small grant opportunity with Boronia Women's Pre-Release Prison

Each year, the Boronia Pre-release Centre for Women opens its doors to the public for a unique charity fundraiser event. The Gala Day features stalls selling goods made by prisoners statewide and an art auction with unique pieces. The proceeds from this event go to a charity, and your organisation can apply to be that charity for 2024.

To apply, make sure you fill out this Conflict of Interest document, then submit it along with your Application Form via the details listed on the last page of the form.

Volunteer Management Online Project

Thank you to everyone who has registered their interest and generously contributed ideas, feedback, and expertise over the past few months to the National Volunteer Management Online Project. Your input has been instrumental in refining the core functions of the Volunteer Management Online Project for its upcoming launch.

Click here if you would like to receive updates on the project.

Has a person with a Working With Children Card come to volunteer at your organisation?

If they are going to be engaging with child-related work, make sure you check their card. If a person comes to volunteer with your organisation and already has a Working With Children Card, sight it, validate it online to ensure it's current, and register their details with the WWC Screening Unit.

It's up to all of us to keep children's safety in check.

Free webinar to help you nominate your Australian of the Year

Who inspires you? Join Auspire's free webinar to find out how to nominate your Australian of the Year! With nominations officially opening on 1st June, Auspire is hosting an information webinar on how and why you should nominate someone.

The webinar will cover:

• the impact the Awards can have on communities and individuals
• how to nominate someone for these prestigious Awards
• how to promote the nomination opportunity to your members and users

Plus, we’ll hear from 2024 WA Young Australian of the Year, Kate Kirwin, Founder of She Codes Australia.

Register here to attend the webinar on Thursday 6 June.

New reporting requirements for non-charitable not-for-profits

Did you know that not all not-for-profits are exempt from income tax?

There is a new requirement from 1 July 2024 for:

• all NFPs with an ABN; and
• who are not listed as a charity with income tax exemption on the ACNC website

to lodge an annual report from 1 July 2024 with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to assess your income tax exemption status. This is a major new impost and considering options for your organisation or setting up the required access (through myGov) to report may take organisations some time. The ATO has prepared a fact sheet and NFP Law has developed this free resource to learn more about the upcoming changes.   

Do you have a role for student interns?

The McCusker Centre for Citizenship's internship program provides students with opportunities to contribute to the community. To facilitate these internships, the McCusker Centre for Citizenship partners with various not-for-profit, community, government and non-government organisations.

If you would like to host an intern this Winter (17 June - 19 July), please submit the role by the end of May. They're also accepting roles for Semester 2 (22 July - 18 October).

Find out more.

You're invited | Murdoch University pilot study

Volunteer managers in aged care settings are invited to participate in a workshop about supporting volunteers who engage with clients living with dementia in residential care settings. Volunteering WA is supporting this pilot study which is being undertaken by a team at Murdoch University.   

The research team invites you to a workshop on 6 June 2024 (1pm-3pm at Murdoch) to hear about their findings so far and share your experience of coordinating volunteer programs and supporting volunteers who engage with clients living with dementia in residential care settings and your experience of recruitment, training and longevity etc.  

Contact Dr Sally Paulin (email s.paulin@murdoch.edu.au or phone 0434 350 183) to register for the workshop or to get more information. Numbers are limited so early registration would be appreciated.

www.volunteeringwa.org.au  |  08 9482 4333  |  info@volunteeringwa.org.au

Volunteering WA empowers people and communities to enrich Western Australia.