Skip to main content
Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation
Policies & Procedures
1 minute read

Developing a volunteer policy

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

This guide provides an overview of how organisations can develop a volunteering policy. It outlines key elements and considerations to ensure policies support effective, safe and consistent volunteer involvement.

The resource supports organisations to align volunteer policies with governance, legal considerations and health and safety requirements, strengthening organisational practice and accountability.

Benefits for volunteer managers

  • develop volunteer policy
  • define clear and structured volunteer roles and expectations
  • communicate how and why organisations involve and engage volunteers
  • align workplace practices with legal and governance requirements.

How to apply this resource

This resource is most useful when developing or reviewing volunteer policies, strengthening governance frameworks, or ensuring compliance with legal and safety requirements.

Downloads and sources

More about the author

Contribute to the Gateway

Leave feedback

Was this resource useful?

Make a Suggestion

If you find a great resource that isn't in the directory or want to provide feedback on the Volunteering Gateway, drop us a line!

More like this

Weblinks

Volunteering and the Australian curriculum

A collection of lessons and units of work to help teachers and organisations support young people’s involvement in volunteering.
1 minute read
Volunteering Australia
Youth or Student
Tools or Toolkits

Volunteers in Aged Care Training and Resource Kit

This toolkit intends to help aged care volunteers access training and information. It is also for aged care Volunteer Managers and volunteer-involving organisations to help them meet their volunteer training needs.
1 minute read
Department of Health Disability and Aging
Older Volunteers, General
Factsheets

Volunteer Reward and Recognition

This document highlights the importance of valuing and appreciating volunteers. It offers practical strategies for volunteer organisations to enhance motivation and retention, such as saying thank you, including volunteers in decision-making, and offering training sessions.
1 minute read
Volunteering Queensland
General
Be Collective
Tech

Be Collective

A volunteer management & community engagement platform. Be Collective is all about empowering volunteering and the organisations supporting volunteering to build stronger, more sustainable networks for doing good.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management Donations
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
VIKTOR Lite
Tech

VIKTOR Lite

VIKTOR Lite enables volunteer involving organisations to recruit volunteers via a range of websites run by local governments, state peaks, local volunteer resource centres, Volunteering Australia and SEEK Volunteer.
Volunteer database Recruitment Onboarding / training Reporting
scheduled

Masterclass: Advanced Communication for Volunteer Leaders

Discover advanced communication and resolution skills with communication and conflict expert, Tulsi van de Graaff
The Centre for Volunteering
Check Listing for Details
scheduled

Not-for-profit Risk: Current Legal Issues for the Board Agenda - Sep 2026

Stay up to date on key legal risks affecting not-for-profits. This webinar covers psychosocial hazards, privacy, cyber security and AI, with practical guidance on risk management, director liability and governance.
Justice Connect's Not-for-profit Law Training
A$49.00
scheduled

Volunteering SA&NT Roadshow Workshop Burra SA

Connect with volunteer leaders, coordinators and community organisations to share challenges, solutions and good practice. Explore the National Standards, volunteer engagement tools and support from Volunteering SA & NT.
Volunteering SA&NT
Free