Sometimes the right cause recruits you, and at other times you have to go
out and look for it. These links give you information about who, what and
where deals with volunteering for various good causes, and should help you
put your finger on a group that's right for you.
There are a number of agencies that try to match volunteers with jobs.
None of them covers all the possibilities, but if you know what you're
looking for they're very helpful indeed.
Click on one of the headings below or scroll down to view all of the
resources listed:
Do you want to do something about the Environment?
These are some of the groups you could approach.
National
Some organisations cover the whole of Australia (and may have a branch
in your area, or know if there's a suitable project nearby)
- Australian
Conservation Foundation (ACF)
ACF attracts volunteers with a range of skills, interests and backgrounds
who share a commitment to the environment and a desire to help achieve
their goals. Programs generally focus on a regular commitment of half
a day a week or more over a period of at least three months. Some of
the areas volunteers play a role in are marketing, library, administration,
campaigning, research and the volunteer office itself.
- Australian
Government Natural Resource Management
The Facilitators in each state can advise on which organisations are
seeking volunteers.
- Clean
Up Australia
Clean up Australia's mission is "To inspire and work with communities
to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment".
- Conservation
Volunteers Australia
Conservation Volunteers Australia offers a number of different volunteer
opportunities from one-day local environmental projects through to two-
week expeditions to remote outback locations.
- Green Skills
Green Skills is a community non-profit organisation that links environmental
training and employment programs to conservation work and sustainable
development.
- Greening
Australia
Volunteer activities organised through Greening Australia include planting, nursery work or seed collection.
- Greenpeace Australia
Greenpeace is an independent organisation campaigning to ensure a just,
peaceful, sustainable environment for future generations. Volunteers
work with local or fundraising community groups, are involved in campaign
actions or help out in one of the Greenpeace offices.
- Keep Australia Beautiful
Council
Through interaction with local governments, businesses, community groups
and committed individuals, Keep Australia Beautiful encourages a statewide
network of grassroots volunteers who work to deliver a cleaner environment,
better resource management and community beautification.
- Landcare
The group says: "Volunteering for community landcare is easy, fun and a great way to
give back to your community while shaping the future direction of the
environment in which you live. Join the thousands of Australians who
give time to their local landcare group."
- Waterwatch
Waterwatch is a community water quality monitoring program
funded by the Federal Government's Natural Heritage Trust. Monitoring
water quality is important for community education, environmental protection,
managing waterways and controlling pollution.
- Threatened
Bird Network
The Threatened Bird Network is a community based program of the Australian
Government's Natural Heritage Trust and Birds Australia. It aims to
encourage community participation in urgent conservation tasks for threatened
birds. TBN currently has about 5000 volunteers, and 29 projects on threatened
birds, registered.
- The Wilderness
Society
The Wilderness Society is a community-based environmental advocacy organisation
whose mission is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural
processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of
life on Earth.
State-based
The organisations listed above have state branches, and there are also
agencies that operate only in one state.
International
Many of the national organisations are branches of international agencies,
and there are many other agencies that operate in this area internationally.
Research the country you wish to work in.
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Are you young? Do you want to work with young people?
Young people (16 to 24 years old) are a growing volunteer base. According
to the 2000 ABS statistics the biggest growth area in volunteering was
youth, with an increase in participation among 18-24 year olds from 16.6%
to 26.8% between 1995 and 2000.
This section covers both young people as volunteers and volunteering
to work with young people (and it should be remembered that current practices
generally provide for police record checks in these circumstances).
National
- ActNow
"ActNow helps you take action on many of the issues affecting you and
your community. It helps you better understand our world and many of
the important issues we face, and it helps you do something about these
issues and inspire others to as well. It is driven by you."
- CanTeen
CanTeen is the Australian organisation for young people living with
cancer. CanTeen especially needs volunteers to help out on Bandanna
Day, held around October each year.
- Youth Challenge
Australia
"Youth Challenge Australia combines community development, health and
environmental work in adventurous projects carried out by teams of volunteers
aged 18-30 years."
- Vision
Generation (VGen)
World Vision's national youth movement, a group of passionate young
Australians aged 14 - 28 whose mission is to inspire, educate and empower
young people in the fight against global poverty and injustice.
- Scouts Australia
The aim of Scouting is to encourage the physical, intellectual, social,
and spiritual development of young people so they may play a constructive
role in society as responsible citizens and as members of their local
and international communities.
- Guides Australia
Membership of the Guides is open to girls from 5 to 18 years of age,
and women 18 years and over. Guides try a wide range of activities,
appropriate to their age and abilities. Members decide, plan, participate
in and evaluate their program, which is facilitated by an accredited
trained adult volunteer leader.
- YWCA
The YWCA is a voluntary organisation whose volunteer leaders direct
and inspire its work. Volunteers of all ages contribute at every level
of the YWCA, from the operational and administrative levels of the Organisation
through to mentoring, board and advisory roles.
State by State
- Give
& Gain (Victoria)
Give and Gain is an organisation run by young, positive volunteers,
enthusiastic about making a difference. Our organisation is dedicated
to increasing the awareness of the benefits of volunteering but also
aims to encourage other students and individuals to participate in volunteer
work.
- Yconnect?
(Victoria)
yconnect? is a Red Cross project comprised of over 250 young volunteers
aged between 18 and 35. It provides assistance both in metropolitan
Melbourne and rural Victoria through a number of projects and community
programs, focusing on supporting vulnerable people in the community.
While these programs are part of the important work of the Australian
Red Cross, they are also developed and coordinated solely by young people
in the community, and provide the opportunity for young people to participate
in interesting, relevant and exciting volunteer work.
- Adult Multicultural
Education Services (AMES)
Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) provides specialist, multicultural
language and employment services in Victoria. With the assistance of
Government contracts, AMES successfully educates and services almost
50,000 people every year. "Each year our committed and generous volunteers
assist over 1500 newly arrived migrants, many of whom are refugees,
with their English language and settlement needs."
International
- World Youth International
Australia (WYI)
WYI is an international development organisation WYI is a South Australian
based not for profit, non-religious and non-political charitable organisation
that offers people over the age of 18 the opportunity to travel to a
developing country and volunteer in a meaningful way.
- Youth Ambassadors
for Development
The Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program places
skilled young Australian volunteers, aged 18-30, on short-term assignments
in developing countries throughout Asia and the Pacific.
Other
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Volunteering for University Students
All universities have information on volunteering for students; some
organise their own volunteer programs, or have vocational streams that
do. The following list is not exhaustive: check your own university's
website for details.
By university
By faculty
Other resources
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Do you want to work with indigenous people?
- Indigenous
Community Volunteers (ICV)
ICV is a national independent, not-for-profit company that offers
support to Indigenous communities to pursue their community development
goals in their own way. ICV is making a difference by providing volunteers
who can transfer their skills to people in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities and organisations. ICV matches skilled volunteers
with approved short to medium term projects. Communities and organisations
choose the most suitable volunteer for their project.
Do you want to volunteer overseas?
- Ampersand
The Ampersand Network has been developed to assist students find volunteer
positions in Australia and overseas.
- World Youth International
Australia (WYI)
WYI is an international development organisation WYI is a South Australian
based not for profit, non-religious and non-political charitable organisation
that offers people over the age of 18 the opportunity to travel to a
developing country and volunteer in a meaningful way.
- GAP
GAP Activity Projects (GAP) Ltd. is an educational charity, registered
in the UK, that offers 17 to 25 year olds the opportunity to live and
work overseas for up to a year, as a volunteer.
- Oxfam
Volunteering is a great way to be a part of Oxfam Australia's work. Oxfam relies on the valuable support of more than 1,200 volunteers throughout Australia who help us to change the lives of people living with poverty and injustice around the world. By becoming a volunteer you have an opportunity to help make a difference. Whether it's with events, communications, campaigns, administration, fundraising or program support, we have opportunities for volunteers with a whole range of different skills, knowledge and experience.
- Australian Trust for
Conservation Volunteers
Manages Green Corps, an environment initiative for young people; the
site gives info about current conservation projects, and how to participate
in projects in Australian and overseas.
- Palms
Australia
Palms Australia engages and links people wanting to build a just, sustainable
and interdependent world with communities requesting assistance to alleviate
and eradicate poverty and to overcome oppression, disadvantage and injustice.
- Volunteering
for International Development from Australia (VIDA)
ViDA is Australia's newest international volunteer program sending skilled
Australians to work in the Asia Pacific.
- RedR
Australia
RedR Australia works with United Nations agencies through Standby Staffing
Arrangements funded by AusAID.
- Interserve Australia
Interserve is an international Christian sending agency.
- International Medical Volunteers
Association (IMVA)
The IMVA site provides networking opportunities for potential volunteers,
volunteer organisations and medical practitioners working in international
development.
- Engineers Without Borders
Australia
An organisation aimed at helping communities in need through engineering
related projects. The unique part of EWB is in involving younger engineers.
These younger engineers (students & graduates) are mentored through
the development process by more experienced engineers.
- Australian Business Volunteers
ABV contributes to poverty reduction, sustainable development and good governance by providing Australian expert volunteers who, through sharing their skills and experience, assist businesses and organisations in developing countries to grow and thrive. The program focuses on clients in South East Asia and the Pacific.
- Australian
Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD)
"Places skilled young Australian volunteers, aged 18-30, on short-term
assignments in developing countries throughout Asia and the Pacific."
- AFS
Intercultural Programs
AFS Intercultural Programs is one of the world's largest not-for-profit community-based volunteer organisations and is dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through intercultural exchange. AFS offers exchange programs to over 50 countries worldwide.
Volunteering programs based in other countries that may also offer opportunities
for Australians, and some are listed on links programs such as Australian
Volunteers International and World
Volunteer Web.
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Are you interested in volunteering at Events?
- Volunteering
Australia (Events)
Are you interested in event volunteering? We are looking for volunteers
who would like to work at various major events.
- St. Johns Ambulance
Provides first aid care at public events throughout Australia and manage
a diverse range of community care and support programs.
Do you want to help the Emergency Services?
National
- Lifeline
Lifeline's 24-hour telephone counselling service is staffed by trained volunteers, who are available to answer calls from anywhere in Australia, at anytime. Lifeline also offers a range of other services such as suicide prevention and awareness programs. You can become a volunteer for Lifeline. Lifeline trains volunteers to become accredited Lifeline Telephone Counsellors or to help out in warehouses, shops, and administration areas.
- Australian Red Cross
"When lives are touched by emergency, crisis or disaster anywhere across
Australia you can be sure that our teams of trained volunteers will
be there to provide practical assistance and support". The Red Cross
also organises blood donations.
- St. Johns Ambulance
Provides first aid care at public events throughout Australia and manage
a diverse range of community care and support programs.
- Salvation
Army
Working with the Salvos will make you a partner with us in our community service programs, which last year assisted more than one million Australians. With your help, we will continue to be there for those in crisis.
State
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Do you want to join a School Council?
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Do you want to get on a Board or Committee of Management?
- Our
Community Board Matching Service
A free service is designed to help individuals make a deeper, longer
lasting connection with their community, and to allow community groups
to access a new pool of skilled and willing helpers.
Do you want to contribute from home to a range of
causes?
- volunteer X change
You can now contribute your time, skills, and experience over the internet
from your home and office to a wide range of local, national and international
causes. If you have an internet connection you can be a true Virtual
Volunteer.
And if, at the end of the page, you still haven't found what you were
looking for, look at the field from another angle - check out these other
pages.
- Find a Local Group
- sorted by state or region
- [Find a Group in my Interest Area]
- Find a Group that
Matches my Skills - sorted by areas of expertise
- Provide Corporate
Support - for companies that want to support volunteering
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