The National Volunteering Strategy sets out the Australian government’s vision for volunteering in Australia over the next ten years. The aim of the strategy is to ensure that by 2021, volunteering is encouraged, supported and recognised by all Australians.

The volunteering landscape is changing as a result of wider social, economic and technological change. Technology has transformed the way we communicate and work. Governments, businesses, not-for-profit organisations and communities now work together in different ways.

While traditional forms of volunteering are still popular, new forms are emerging. As society changes, the ways in which people want to volunteer are also changing. More people want volunteer roles that are flexible, or require shorter hours or a shorter-term commitment. Governments, businesses and organisations that use volunteers and the wider volunteering sector must all respond to such changes.

Volunteering benefits our nation, our local communities and individual Australians. This strategy is a call to action for Australia’s volunteering community. It provides strategic directions for all levels of government, the business sector, the not-for-profit sector and the broader volunteering sector.