A JOINTLY commissioned survey by Volunteering Australia and National Australia Bank has found that 81 per cent of community organisations surveyed believe the demand for their services is greater now than at any time in the past.
The results come just weeks after National Volunteer Week, which was themed ‘Now, more than ever’.
The survey found that 91 per cent of organisations currently have volunteers assisting in their organisation, but 76 per cent of organisations surveyed in Australia said that they needed more volunteers.
Volunteering WA chief executive Mara Basanovic said the volunteering environment had changed, with more West Australians volunteering but doing so for a shorter period of time.
Volunteering Australia chief executive Cary Pedicini said while Australia had a large number of volunteers, the VA-NAB report revealed that services provided by community organisations were in greater demand than ever, and this required more volunteers.
Other findings of the survey include that: almost one-third of organisations surveyed say more than 75 per cent of their work is done by volunteers; and 66 per cent of organisations say a shortage of volunteers has a ‘big’ or ‘very big’ impact on their ability to deliver services.
NAB provides its staff with two days per year to volunteer, and over the past 12 years, has built relationships with more than 350 local community organisations.