Report on the Review of the Volunteer Management Activity

Volunteering is a cornerstone of Australian society, contributing significant value to the economy, community cohesion and individual well-being. Volunteers play a key role in service delivery across a wide range of sectors including aged care, disability, family and community services, disaster resilience, environmental management, sports, arts and culture. The act of volunteering creates a sense of participation and belonging, builds skills, connections and wellbeing, creates pathways to employment and forges stronger communities.

The Volunteer Management Activity (VMA) provides support through Volunteer Support Services to individual volunteers, volunteer leaders and managers, and Volunteer Involving Organisations to encourage, support and increase participation in volunteering. 

The Australian Government currently provides a total of $18.8 million (excluding GST) in funding from 1 January 2018 until 30 June 2021 for the VMA, plus indexation.

Next steps

The Department is seeking submissions on the Discussion Paper to inform the development of options for the future of the Volunteer Management Activity program post 30 June 2021.

Please use the template provided for submissions on the Discussion Paper. Submissions will close at 5pm (AEDT) on 3 April 2020.

For further information on the Review or the submissions process, please contact the Department via VolunteerManagement@dss.gov.au.

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