Volunteering New Zealand has produced an update report on the status of the volunteering sector as at May 2021.  This report outlines our key findings and offers a series of recommendations for the sector’s recovery and improved resilience and preparedness for the future.

Our work draws on data collected via stakeholder feedback and a focus group with Volunteer Centres, and our own research. This report captures the challenges and opportunities faced by the volunteering sector as we move through the post-Covid-19 recovery period. We found the changes brought about by the pandemic created many challenges but also opportunities.

This report outlines our key findings and offers a series of recommendations for the sector’s recovery and improved resilience and preparedness for the future.

Read the report.

Key findings

Some of our key findings include:

  • Some older volunteers stopped volunteering, and some are prevented from volunteering because they have more life commitments (such as looking after grandchildren)
  • A wave of new volunteers, across different age groups, began volunteering
  • Funding is the biggest challenge for volunteer organisations
  • Regional differences have become bolder, and the demographics of some local communities are changing
  • Some community organisations have experienced an increase demand for their services, stretching staff and resources
  • Many organisations and volunteers embraced new technologies and online ways of volunteering.

Read the report.

Our recommendations:

Our recommendations are that:

Volunteering New Zealand will:

  • Guide the development of a National Volunteering Strategy
  • Encourage greater collaboration across the sector
  • Prepare the sector for new and different ways of engaging with volunteers

We are asking the sector to:

  • Plan how to retain first-time post-Covid-19 volunteers
  • Plan how to encourage diversity of volunteers across demographics and communities
  • Prepare for future changes in the volunteering landscape, including technology changes

We are asking decision-makers to:

  • Provide additional funding that supports strategic opportunities
  • Commit to promote and value volunteering and volunteers