Skip to main content

What are you looking for?

Enter keywords to search across resources, guides, training, tools, and more.

Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation

Factsheets
1 minute read

Complaints Handling Factsheet

Meeting National Standards and Strategy Seal Meeting National Standards and Strategy What's this?

Introduction

Complaints are a fact of life for most charities, and how you deal with them is crucial. It's about having a clear process for addressing concerns raised by anyone involved with your organisation, from staff and volunteers to service users and donors.

Summary

Effective complaints handling can:

  • Improve your services and programs

  • Boost your reputation and community standing

  • Increase support from existing and potential donors

  • Save money by preventing future problems

It's also a chance to learn and improve your practices, showcasing good governance. Poor complaints handling can damage your reputation and finances.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations & Managers

  • The guide, model policy and procedure, provides a step-by-step approach to handling complaints, making it easier for volunteer managers to address issues.

  • A fair complaints process fosters trust and shows volunteers their concerns are valued.

  • Effective complaints handling builds public confidence in your charity's work, attracting more volunteers and supporters.


Downloads and sources

More about the author

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is the national regulator of charities.

Contribute to the Gateway


More like this

Resources

Welcoming and Safe Volunteer Spaces

These guides and videos promote creating a judgment-free space for volunteers, emphasising inclusion for diverse groups and those facing challenges.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
Resources

Navigating Background Checks

This guide and weblinks explain Working with Children Checks (WWCC) and Working with Vulnerable People Checks (WWVP) required for volunteers in Australia including jurisdictional variations and resources.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
Resources

Foundations of Volunteer Management: Work Legally and Ethically

This unit explores Australia’s legal system and ethical frameworks, equipping you to apply laws, manage ethical dilemmas, and uphold integrity at work. Aligned with CHCLEG001, it builds practical skills for legal compliance and ethical decision-making.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, Volunteering ACT, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, National Volunteer Management Activity Project
Rosterfy
Tech

Rosterfy

Rosterfy is an end-to-end volunteer management software solution, that helps organisations streamline their volunteer management and engagement. Rosterfy offers automated solutions to manage volunteers efficiently.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management
Volaby
Tech

Volaby

Volaby is an end-to-end volunteer and people management platform, enabling organisations to do more with less! Built from the collective voice of our volunteer managers using the platform, Volaby helps you automate and simplify the volunteer and manager experience to save time and scale impact.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
VIKTOR
Tech

VIKTOR

VIKTOR is a volunteer recruitment system designed to run a referral service for volunteers. It allows you to create and advertise volunteer roles, enter volunteers and match them to roles offered by your members.
Volunteer database Recruitment Reporting
scheduled

Disability Inclusion Training - Next Steps

In collaboration with JFA Purple Orange, Volunteering SA&NT invites you to take the next step in inclusion. Disability Inclusion Training – Next Steps is designed to move you from awareness to action and spark lasting change.
Volunteering SA&NT
Free
scheduled

Let's Talk Child and Youth Safe Volunteering

This event is for people working with volunteer where we will be discussing the Child and Youth Safe Framework and refining your Statement of Commitment, Child and Youth Safe Policy, and Code of Conduct.
Volunteering Tasmania
Free
scheduled

Thriving through change: Project Management for Lasting Impact

Participants will leave with the foundation of a project idea tailored to their organisation needs, and a simple framework to begin shaping it into a clear, actionable plan using basic project management principles.
Volunteering SA&NT
Free