News

This opinion article is one in a series of responses by thought leaders in response to our State of the Decade of Volunteering report. Tania Jones is a PhD candidate and researcher at Victoria University of Wellington.

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I want to begin by congratulating Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand and the author team on the State of the Decade of Volunteering report. This is a thoughtful, rigorous and generous piece of work that captures both the complexity of the sector and the deep commitment of those within it. It offers invaluable clarity on the state of the sector over time.

Volunteering is evolving

Reading the report through a youth empowerment lens, I was struck by the disconnect it surfaces between national statistics and the lived perceptions of many volunteer-involving organisations. While participation remains strong, the experience on the ground often feels like decline. I see this not as a contradiction, but as clear evidence that volunteering is evolving in healthy ways — becoming more flexible, more informal, and more closely woven into everyday life.

One of the most under-recognised forms of this is volunteering connected to schools. Parents remain one of our largest and most consistent volunteer cohorts, yet their contribution is often invisible, informal, and unevenly supported. These moments of contribution matter not only to schools, but to children themselves. When young people see parents role-modelling volunteering as normal, valued and purposeful, they begin forming their own civic identities long before they begin their own path as volunteers. This is also where early seeds of social entrepreneurship are often planted, as young people observe adults identifying needs, mobilising others, and creating practical responses within their communities.

The power of digital tools to support volunteering

The report’s focus on limited technology uptake is also critical here. Digital tools have enormous potential to support schools and other VIOs to make volunteering easier, more equitable, and more visible, especially for time-poor families. Better systems and further research can help close the perception gap by capturing the full picture of who is contributing and how.

What stayed with me most is the sector’s quiet optimism. Despite structural pressures, the resilience and care remain strong. The opportunity before us is to invest in the systems, practices, and pathways that reflect modern life, and to recognise that the future of volunteering is already taking shape, often closer to home than we realise.

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This opinion article is one in a series of responses by thought leaders in response to our State of the Decade of Volunteering report.

Amanda Reid is the Chief Executive Officer/ Tumu Whakarae of BERL. She has expertise in the Māori economy, indigenous trade, workforce development, diversity, and evaluation and impact measurement.

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There have been clear shifts in volunteering participation for many organisations since the 1970s.

From my research, what we’re seeing is that  motivations for both unpaid volunteering and paid work are shifting generationally.

Younger people tend to be more strongly motivated by values, so they're looking for values alignment between their personal values and the organisation or cause. For older people, motivation tends be around community and belonging, and about contribution to where they are at.

I think it's not that motivation is disappearing. I think it's just diversifying. What that means is that we need to change how we organise and recruit volunteers. Our systems and maps for engagement were designed for a different era and no longer fit modern lives. Some of the research I've looked at shows that younger age groups are more likely to volunteer for one-off kind of events than to do an afternoon on an ongoing basis.

Need for flexibility for recruitment

Which makes it challenging when you have complicated induction processes for training and on boarding. There may be really good reasons, like some places need a lot of health and safety and support wrapped around, and there are genuine duty-of-care requirements. Those requirements still matter, but they can also create friction if not designed flexibly.

One-size fits-all recruitment doesn't work. It doesn’t work in employment, and it doesn’t work in volunteering. We need segmented, culturally relevant pathways that fit different age groups, different people's availability. All this takes resource, and no one’s paying organisations for this to take an approach in a different way. When motivation matches opportunity, then people don’t need persuading - they need enabling. Motivation is not the issue; fit is [the issue].

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Volunteering in New Zealand is under strain as people have less time to volunteer and organisations are being asked to deliver more.

This is according to a State of the Decade of Volunteering report, released today by Volunteering New Zealand.

“Although the overall volunteer rates show a small increase, fewer people are volunteering with community organisations and for less time. This is putting pressure on organisations and the communities they serve,” says Volunteering New Zealand Chief Executive Michelle Kitney.

53% of New Zealanders volunteer (Stats NZ 2025 update), an increase of 2.3% since 2021 when 50.7% volunteered. However, those volunteering through an organisation has decreased from 30.2% in 2021 to 27.6% in 2025.

“It has been a decade of transformation in volunteering practices with a clear shift toward flexible, episodic, and shorter-term roles,” Michelle says.

Rather than a ‘civic core’ of volunteers doing most of the work, there is a wider pool of people offering what time they have. Volunteers, particularly younger people, are increasingly motivated by personal values, skills development and alignment with causes they care about.

Victoria Davy, head of Volunteering at Blind Low Vision New Zealand says the State of the Decade report raises opportunities for the sector.

“I was particularly encouraged by the sections on the next generation of volunteers and what they are looking for.

“I am already reflecting on the elements of our own volunteering function that I will intentionally rebuild to attract these volunteers in ways that suit them, while also ensuring continuity of services delivered by volunteers for our clients.”

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International Year of the Volunteer (IVY26)

2026 is the International Year of the Volunteer – an opportunity to recognise volunteering and improve the infrastructure around volunteering.

Michelle Kitney says, “Volunteering doesn’t just happen, it requires good management, strategic planning and investment to enable volunteer engagement.”

Volunteering New Zealand is encouraging anyone with an interest in volunteering to respond to a survey about a Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering.

“Your ideas are crucial to enable us to formulate our Call to Action. Government, funders, community organisations and volunteers can all help shape the future for volunteering,” Michelle says.

The State of the Decade of Volunteering report and the Call to Action survey are here.

ENDS

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Additional quotes from thought leaders

What will improve volunteering?

“The younger generation of volunteers are seeking new ways to contribute...There is urgency for the sector to address the professionalism of volunteer recruitment, management, support, and recognition if we are to continue delivering vital services to New Zealanders. ”

- Victoria Davy, Head of Volunteering, Blind Low Vision NZ

“We must take people on a journey, one they are controlling, allowing them to adapt their commitment over time as we create and curate meaningful ways for people to engage with the causes they are passionate about. ”

- Rob Jackson, UK Consultant

“There are clear pressures and structural tensions in the sector... there’s an opportunity: not to reassure, but to rally stronger government recognition, resourcing, and attention to the cumulative strain being absorbed by committed volunteers. ”

- Dr Blake Bennett, University of Auckland

“How are our practices becoming more flexible, responsive, and welcoming for people who are time-poor, mobile, digitally savvy, and keen to contribute in purposeful ways?...The task ahead is not to recreate volunteering as it once was, but to recognise and support what it is becoming.”

-         Angela Wallace, SociaLink (Bay of Plenty)

The full opinion pieces from these thought leaders are here.

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It's International Year of the Volunteer! We want to use this to call for change to improve volunteering in New Zealand.

What do you think would make the most difference?

Please share your views in this survey.

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Volunteer management is not a solo project – it needs a whole organisation to engage volunteers, Rob Jackson said at a recent webinar on influencing.

Volunteer managers need to be proactive about involving others and realising the value of volunteers.

The webinar, From the Top Down – Influencing, on 18 February, was attended by people from a wide variety of organisations.

What Volunteers Bring

Rob posed the question: Why involve volunteers at all?

Participants gave many responses to what volunteers contribute and why organisations value them.

Impact Statements

To influence others – stakeholders inside and outside your organisation – Rob noted the importance of setting goals. “What change do you want to see and what will things be like if this change happens?”

One participant had previously posed this question to her wider team and came up with a volunteer impact statement, vis: “volunteers with their freely given time, empathy, and experience enrich our culture, strengthen our connections, and enhance the support we provide ...”

Organisational Reflections

If hypothetically given unlimited money, participants would:

• Invest directly in volunteers, reimburse expenses, develop capability and     strengthen community connection.
• Support volunteers more effectively and intentionally.

Participants came away with ideas to map stakeholders and how to influence them, as well as setting goals for volunteer engagement.

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See more from Rob Jackson: https://linktr.ee/robjconsulting

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Volunteers in the Bay of Plenty provided great support in the recovery from the Mauao (Mt Maunganui) and Welcome Bay storm events of late January.

A team of volunteers organised by SociaLink Volunteering Services supported the He Maimai Aroha Community Care Centre.

Volunteer team well-prepared and welcoming

“We want to say how amazing our emergency volunteer team has been. They welcomed people, cared for the space and created a welcoming environment for people to reflect on our community loss,” says Liz Davies, Chief Executive of SociaLink.

Heather Chander, an emergency volunteer, has had a role welcoming people as they arrive.

“It is very touching that so many have come to reflect, pay their respects, or, through their feelings, create a tribute to those who have been so tragically taken. The outpouring of love has been truly humbling.”

Jo Veale, Chairperson, Mount Business Association says the volunteers were well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of our community members and contributed their time freely and with goodwill.

“Volunteering Services has played a pivotal role in the successful staffing of our community care centre, He Maimai Aroha. Their dedicated efforts have significantly enhanced our ability to provide comprehensive care and support to those in need.”  

Volunteer Co-ordination behind the scenes

Volunteering Services provided the volunteer co-ordination to mobilise volunteers at short notice.

Volunteering Services is supporting Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council with emergency volunteers. The councils in turn partially funded Volunteering Services to establish an emergency volunteering database and Volunteer Management System.

“Our preparedness work has proved invaluable, resulting in solid relationships, agreed ways of working and a volunteer management system that could be activated at short notice.

“The system was tailored to support volunteering in an emergency, and a team of over 100 standby emergency volunteers were onboarded,” Liz Davies says.

The online Volunteer Management System meant that volunteers could register to help, view volunteer opportunities and self-assign to tasks –a sustainable way to ensure ongoing volunteer support and to enable the Volunteering Services team to be responsive to emerging needs and new requests for help.

Volunteering Services is also collaborating with Student Volunteer Army (Waikato) to provide volunteer support across the storm-affected region in Western Bay of Plenty.

With more severe weather events likely, it’s vital to be prepared for involving volunteers after an emergency.

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What's your story?

Find out how to tell your volunteer story. Let's make 2026 a year of volunteer storytelling.

Have you ever wondered what Volunteer Journey Mapping looks like? About 20 volunteer managers from across the motu experienced this in a workshop with volunteer engagement expert Tobi Johnson at the end of January in Wellington.

This was no talk-fest but a hands-on workshop which saw us sharing and debating as we wrote ideas on large murals.

About volunteer journey mapping

Tobi says, “Mapping the volunteer journey from first touch to fond farewell is an excellent way to better understand changing volunteer motivations and needs as they move through your organisation from joiner, to learner, to doer to potential leader.”

The key steps were:

1. Identify key touchpoints in the volunteer journey
2. Analyse current volunteer needs & barriers
3. Brainstorm possible upgrades and team tasks
4. Identify potential challenges to implementing changes
5. Prioritise and choose next steps

There were three murals, covering different phases of the volunteering lifecycle, in-line with Volunteering New Zealand’s Best Practice Guidelines:

• Recruit, engage, welcome and onboard
• Support, leadership, train and grow
• Feedback, recognition, impact and exit.

What we learnt

This process meant we had to think of the volunteer’s needs – both informational and emotional – at each step. We were putting ourselves in the volunteer’s shoes which informed what changes we would recommend.

As one post-event respondent said to the question, What did you enjoy most about the workshop? “Getting a comprehensive idea of the volunteer journey from start to finish - and how much work it takes! It was also lovely to share experiences with other groups. Really enjoyed being on our feet and interactive.”

A large amount of information was captured on the murals. Volunteering New Zealand is considering how we use this knowledge to inform our Guidelines work.

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Useful resources

Tobi Johnson has shared some of her most useful resources:

Improve the volunteer experience with a journey map (podcast)

Volunteer management progress report

Volunteer return on investment calculator

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It’s International Volunteer Year, and one of the ways to mark that is to tell impactful volunteer stories. We encourage you to make 2026 a year of storytelling!

We are making it easy with:

·       Social media tiles “What’s your story?” Get Canva template

·       A tag: #IVY26stories

·       A form template in Microsoft Forms (adjust as you like).
Note: requires users to sign in to Microsoft

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Celebrate volunteering: Your stories show the power and diversity of volunteering across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Why participate: Help us showcase the impact of volunteers during International Volunteer Year. Boost support for your community organisation. Read our blog: Why Storytelling is a Powerful Way to Recognise and Celebrate Volunteers

How to get involved: Collect, share, and submit your best volunteer stories. Here's a great article on Collecting Volunteer Impact Stories.

You can send us your completed stories on this form 

Volunteering New Zealand will share some of the stories each month. We’ll select some of the most impactful stories of volunteers to attend a special event later in the year.

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2026 Sample questions/ template

Use these questions to build your own form:

1.      What is your name

2.      What is your email address?      

3.      Which organisation(s) do you volunteer for?

4.      What inspired you to start volunteering?

5.      Describe your volunteering journey

6.      What do you gain from volunteering?

7.      Are there any challenges or barriers to volunteering, and what could help overcome them?

8.      Is there anything else you’d like to add to your volunteering story?

9.      Please consent for your story to be used by us on our channels (Y/ N)

10.  Upload photos or video

11.  Social media handles (Optional)

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By Michelle Kitney

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Mahi Tahi, Mahi Wātea was developed to give community groups greater confidence to engage disabled people as volunteers.

It is an excellent resource, providing clear and straightforward, practical tools that help organisations reflect on curren tpractice, identify barriers, and take action, from role design and onboarding, to retention strategies. It is an excellent tool to start from or strengthen your inclusion journey.

The Guide and Framework are here: https://volunteeringauckland.org.nz/nonprofits/resources

Volunteering is constant and also evolving

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Volunteering remains a constant and key enablerof community life and our collective wellbeing. Voluntary participation ratescontinue to increase, but how we want to give our time is changing.

We know time, cost-of-living pressures and digital barriers can make participation uneven.

At the same time, there is a clear opportunity: communities are asking for flexible, purpose-driven roles and for inclusive practice that welcomes everyone, including disabled people and our super diversecommunities.

Approximately a quarter of New Zealanders identify as disabled, so inclusion cannot be an ‘add‑on’. It must be built into how we design and deliver volunteering.

Inclusive volunteering built into practice

Inclusive volunteering doesn’t happen by chance; it is a programme design and leadership choice.

The Enabling Good Lives approach reinforces self‑determination,person‑centredsupports, ordinary life outcomes, and ‘mainstream first’ all of which can translatedirectly into how we recruit, onboard and support volunteers.

Practically, enabling volunteers meansremoving barriers: designing flexible roles, providing accessible materials and spaces, buddy systems and peer support,asking about access needs rather than medical details, and building feedbackloops so volunteers can shape their experience. But most importantly it meansbeing person and volunteer centric.

Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart the 2023 Volunteering NZ Best Practice Guidelines. Co-designed by the community sector and volunteers and provide a mandate and framework for all organisations to engage with volunteers from a people first approach.

Mahi Tahi, Mahi Wātea gives leaders the roadmap to make inclusion the norm.

I encourage you to download the guide, use it to review your volunteering engagement and programmes.

One or two small changes can make a difference. If we each make small, deliberate shifts, we will collectively strengthen volunteering accessibility and inclusion practice nationwide.

My congratulations to Cheryll Martin and her team at Volunteering Auckland, the contributors and partners who have brought Mahi Tahi, Mahi Wātea to life, and all those working every day to make volunteering in Aotearoa inclusive and strong.

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Volunteering New Zealand supports the global Call to Action for the future of volunteering, issued on International Volunteer Day, 5 December.

Volunteers and volunteer managers in New Zealand were among those who responded to the global consultation which led to the Call To Action.

Volunteering New Zealand Chief Executive Michelle Kitney says: “New Zealand’s voluntary sector proudly participated in the co-design of the Global Call To Action which aims to improve the conditions for volunteering.”

25 years of volunteering action

The Universal Declaration on Volunteering in 2001 described volunteers as fundamental building blocks of community and civic life. Volunteers are our first responders during disasters, the hands and hearts behind food banks, the voices leading campaigns, and the neighbours lending a hand when it’s needed the most.

Twenty-five years later the world is getting ready to celebrate, elevate, recognise and support volunteers, with the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. This is a vehicle to enable all stakeholders to work together to promote the vital role that volunteers play in ensuring just and sustainable societies.

Two years of preparations globally to mark the International Volunteer Year 2026 (IVY 2026) brought together the voices of close to 14,000 people from 164 countries to respond to the question: to better harness the power of volunteering towards sustainable development, what needs to change – and who has the power to change it?

Launched on December 5 2025, the Global Call To Action

The challenge is clear: for volunteering to realise its full potential, we need to collectively identify the key actions needed, across diverse contexts and stakeholder groups, to unlock greater investment and create enabling environments for volunteering to thrive.

This Call to Action represents the collective voices of volunteer-involving organisations, national leadership for volunteering organisations, the private sector, funders and governments gathered in 2025 through surveys, local dialogues, and global discussions. From their perspectives, this call sets out the key actions needed for volunteering to realise its full potential.

In response to the Global Challenge Paper, Volunteering New Zealand convened with regional volunteer centres, member organisations and the wider sector, collated shared feedback and insights and synthesised and submitted this into the Global Call To Action process.

“We elevated sector voices directly by sharing key quotes and feedback. This fed into the insights paper and into the final Call To Action,” Michelle Kitney says.

Three action areas

This Call to Action outlines three action areas: Recognition, Support and Safeguarding. Each has an underlying principle and key actions addressed to specific stakeholders. Across all areas, volunteers themselves play a central role as advocates and partners in driving this agenda forward.

1 Call to Action: Recognition

Volunteers should be systematically recognised, valued, and celebrated, shifting from symbolic appreciation to systemic recognition through policies, funding, and integration of volunteering into relevant strategies.

2 Call to Action: Support

Volunteering is not always cost free, nor does it always happen automatically. It requires an enabling environment to support participation and maximize its impact, while adapting to evolving social and ecological conditions.

3 Call to Action: Safeguarding

Together, we can build a future where volunteering is recognized, supported, and protected everywhere, for everyone.

It is now more urgent than ever to create safe environments where volunteering can thrive. The safety, rights, wellbeing and dignity of volunteers, and the people with whom they engage with, across all contexts, are paramount to ensure they contribute without fear of harm or exploitation.

How to get involved

Get involved in recognising, supporting and protecting volunteers and volunteering. What you can do now:

·      Share the Call to Action statement within your organisation and your networks. Use your social media channels to show your support for the Call to Action using the hashtag #futureofvolunteering

·      Say ‘Yes’ to being part of the Call to Action movement and get involved by registering your details at iave.org/calltoaction and forum-ids.org/ international-volunteer-year-2026.

·      Use IVY 2026 as the year to take action on one or more of the commitments.

Learn more

Learn more about the movement by reading the Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering Challenge Paper and Insights Paper.

·      Call To Action

·      Insights Paper

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Together, we can build a future where volunteering is recognised, supported, and protected everywhere, for everyone.

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2026 will be International Volunteer Year (IVY26) – as declared by the UN General Assembly. Volunteering New Zealand and the Volunteer Centres throughout the motu have begun planning for this significant event.

The previous International Year of the Volunteer was in 2001, 25 years ago, when Volunteering New Zealand was created.

Significant changes ushered in

The International Year of Volunteers 2001 was a catalyst for enhanced recognition, policy change, capacity building, and research into volunteering, with a lasting impact on government and civil society practices worldwide. See the IVYGlobal Evaluation Report 2002.

In New Zealand, there were a range of initiatives to promote volunteering. Government provided funding support for Volunteering New Zealand and Volunteer Centres; and a policy project looked at barriers to volunteering in government legislation and policy. See the Report of the Ministerial Reference Group for International Year of Volunteers 2001.

Long-lasting effect

Global volunteer involvement after IYV 2001 was marked by greater recognition and institutional support, but formal participation rates fell in many regions even as volunteer hours and impact increased. Also, policy environments broadened to support volunteerism’s evolving role.

In New Zealand, there has been promotion and recognition of volunteering through National Volunteer Week and other campaigns; continued government funding support for Volunteering New Zealand Volunteer Centres; research, through Statistics New Zealand, on the uptake of volunteering.

Bucking the international trend of declining volunteering rates, volunteering in New Zealand has increased. In 1996, 41% of adults undertook unpaid work, by 2023 that was 53%.

Plans for IVY 2026

IVY 2026 is an opportunity to emphasise the power of volunteering, encourage greater investment in volunteering, and secure commitments from governments and others to support volunteering.

IAVE has been gathering insights from around the world into Call to Action on the Future of Volunteering. Find out more from IAVE.

Volunteering New Zealand also has plans underway to leverage IVY26, including:

·       A decade of State of Volunteering reports analysis

·       Reflective piece on the decade’s learnings

·       Policy recommendations for the Government

·       Thought-leader consultation (12 contributors)

At the Volunteering Changemakers Hui on 10 October, we held an interactive session for delegates to:

·      consider the opportunities and challenges for the future of volunteering, and

·      Ideas to Celebrate IVY26.

We welcome your feedback on these notes.

See our International Volunteer Year campaign page and resources.

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We’re looking for super star mentors to join our 2026 national mentoring programme. Interested? Read on…

The new programme will run from April to September 2026. Mentors meet online with their mentee once a month, for one hour, for six months. If you’ve not been a mentor with us before, you will meet with the Programme Coordinator to discuss your skills and suitability before matching you with a mentee.

Mentors gain as much from the programme as mentees.

Benefits for participants  include:

• A great career development opportunity
• Use your leadership skills and knowledge in a national, respected programme
• A rewarding, fulfilling volunteer experience improve networks and connections with others in the community sector across the country
• Opportunities to meet and connect with other participants throughout the programme, sharing learnings, challenges and ideas
• Ongoing support from the Programme Coordinator
• Plus, it’s super rewarding and fun!

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Previous mentors have said:

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“It is so rewarding helping the mentee reflect on their topic(s), setting goals and to see them reach their goals one by one. Very humbling actually!”

”I’m really enjoying these sessions too - gets me thinking and remembering what’s important in our work and commitment to volunteering! And I am finding out quite a bit about our communities that I don’t always get to hear about or be in contact with.”

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Find out more about the 2026 programme

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Survey results from 2025 programme

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This article is drawn from a paper by Ron Rowe, which he presented at the Volunteering New Zealand AGM on 4 November 2025.

Across Aotearoa and the world, societies are struggling with division, distrust, and disconnection. Research confirms that this erosion of social cohesion has weakened one of our most vital civic forces — Active Citizenship.

Active Citizenship is more than belonging to a community. It means taking responsibility, engaging with others, and contributing to the common good. It is built on empathy, trust, and shared purpose — qualities that sustain democracy and social wellbeing.

Volunteering: The Living Face of Active Citizenship

Volunteering is where Active Citizenship comes alive. Volunteers bring time, skills, and compassion to their communities, weaving connections — whiriate tangata — that strengthen the social fabric. They model what it means to act with empathy and responsibility, creating practical hope in unsettled times.

The relationship between volunteering and Active Citizenship is symbiotic: volunteering expresses Active Citizenship, and Active Citizenship gives volunteering its civic meaning. Together they build social capital, nurture belonging, and help societies heal.

The High-Tech, Low-Touch Challenge

Technological change has transformed how we communicate — often at the expense of human connection. As futurist John Naisbitt warned, a “high-tech” world requires “high touch” to keep us grounded in empathy and relationship. Social media can empower communities, but it also amplifies misinformation, anger, and isolation. Rebuilding trust requires rediscovering the human touch in how we engage, listen, and act.

Restoring Trust and Connection

The path forward lies in renewing our civic habits — responsibility, respect, and participation. Recent wellbeing research in New Zealand shows that community connection and empowerment have greater impact on health and happiness than healthcare alone. Investing in Active Citizenship is therefore an investment in national wellbeing.

As European social policy leader Krzysztof Pater observed, “The future will not be built by decision-makers or politicians, but by active citizens and volunteers — people who devote their free time to the benefit of society.”

Moving from Hope to Action

Rebuilding social trust and connection will take time, but the light is already shining through our volunteers — the emblematic citizens who lead through service. Their work reminds us that every act of contribution, however small, strengthens our collective resilience.

As the Māori whakatauki says:
Te ohonga ake i te moemoea, ko te puawaitanga o ngā whakairo – Dreams become reality when we take action.

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To restore unsettled societies, we must do just that: act. Active Citizenship is not an ideal to discuss — it is a practice to live.

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International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay) is held annually on 5 November. This year’s theme recognises that for change to occur, we often need to step outside our own comfort zone – and BE BOLD.

A huge thank you to our volunteer leaders who make an impact in our communities across Aotearoa!

To mark IVMDay, we’ve selected our top five resources, tools and research to support managers of volunteers:

1.    Best Practice Guidelines

An essential tool for volunteer managers to improve volunteer engagement, covering seven practice areas of the volunteer lifecycle.

2.     Best Practice resources

Get guides and templates to help manage volunteers. Find what you need without scouring the internet!  
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3.      Regional training and events
A listing of upcoming training and events for volunteer managers from across the motu. Many are online and free, giving you access to learning wherever you are.

4.      Volunteers and the law
Understand your legal responsibilities and the volunteer laws in New Zealand. These include employment, health and safety, volunteer rights and volunteer expenses.

Also see the section on vetting volunteers: why it's important and tips for doing it.

5.    Research about volunteering in New Zealand

Our State of Volunteering reports track what volunteers and organisations say about volunteering. See also key statistics from StatsNZ and other sources.

Bonus resource: Volunteer Managers & Leaders report 2024

Find out what volunteer managers said about what support and training they’re getting and what they need to be effective.

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Get resources to celebrate IVM Day 2025.

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A charity that cares for people experiencing homelessness or hardship, and two volunteer leaders working for the environment and community are winners of the inaugural NZ Volunteering Awards, presented by Rosterfy, global leaders in volunteer engagement technology.

“Volunteers play a vital role in shaping strong, resilient communities, and behind every great volunteer initiative is a well-designed, inclusive, and inspiring engagement programme. These awards acknowledge the people and programmes that are leading the way,” says Michelle Kitney, Chief Executive of Volunteering New Zealand.

The winners, presented at the Volunteering Changemakers Hui on Friday, 10 October are:

Volunteer Programme of the Year:

·       Orange Sky

·       Bellyful NZ (runner-up).

Emerging Leader in Volunteer Engagement: joint winners:

·       Nicky Shave, Te Honongaa Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park, Auckland

·       Gary Mitchell, PredatorFree Grenada Village, Wellington

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“These awards go beyond celebrating the act of volunteering. They focus on how volunteers are supported, recognised, and developed – key components that reflect the quality and sustainability of volunteer involvement in Aotearoa,” Michelle says.

"It's an honour to celebrate these outstanding leaders and programmes who are raising the bar in volunteer engagement in New Zealand," said Shannan Gove, Co-Founder of Rosterfy. "Today’s volunteer management needs to be inclusive, data-driven, and adaptable to volunteers’ needs, and these winners embody exactly that."

Thanks to the generosity of Rosterfy, the Volunteer Programme winner received $1000,while the Emerging Leaders received $500 each for professional development.

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About the winners

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Orange Sky

Every week across Aotearoa, hundreds of Orange Sky volunteers gather around a set of washing machines, sometimes a shower, and always six orange chairs. Together they provide not only free access to laundry and shower services, but also create safe spaces for kōrero (conversation), connection, and care for people experiencing homelessness or hardship. In the 2023-24 year, volunteers created:3,000 loads of laundry, 2,645 showers, and 3,364 hours of conversation, delivered by 567 volunteers. Orange Sky’s volunteer programme showcases the best of Aotearoa volunteerism: purposeful, practical, and deeply impactful.

Bellyful NZ

Filling Bellies, Filling Minds was developed to strengthen the impact of Bellyful’s core service: delivering free meals to families with babies and young children who are without a support network.

Last year our 700+ volunteers delivered more than 34,000 meals to nearly 7,000 families facing challenges like newborn exhaustion, illness, isolation, bereavement or baby loss. It’s more than a meal, it’s connection, care and the knowledge that someone cares. Bellyful’s impact depends on volunteers and its volunteer management programme – Filling Bellies, Filling Minds – is how we sustain, support and celebrate them.

Nicky Shave, Te Hononga a Iwi - Restoring Rosedale Park

Starting with no ecological knowledge or experience, Nicky has created an innovative, groundbreaking project delivering amazing outcomes for the community and the planet.  Outcomes include: working with 9 schools and3 ECE's including providing opportunities for less abled students; over 50Youth leader positions; and active engagement from 3 retirement villages. The ability of every person who comes on site to make a difference is recognised and valued. Nicky is a full-time volunteer and regularly gives over 50 hours a week to this project.  

Gary Mitchell, Predator Free Grenada Village and more.

Gary Mitchell is an exceptional emerging leader in volunteer engagement whose hands-on leadership, structured systems, and people-first approach have transformed the environmental and community volunteering landscape across Wellington, Aotearoa, and even overseas. Gary has engaged and empowered over 400 active volunteers. These individuals work across predator control, marine protection, stream restoration, urban beautification, community clean-ups, and neighbourhood safety all underpinned by Gary’s leadership, strategy, and heart. Gary has personally contributed over 20,000 volunteer hours and he has united communities around shared environmental purpose and action.

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Members of Volunteering New Zealand, are invited to attend and participate in Volunteering New Zealand's 2025 Annual General Meeting.

Date: Tuesday 4 November 2025
Time: 12.30 - 2.00 pm
Venue: Online via zoom.
Agenda

Please register by 28 October 2025.

This event will be led by Volunteering New Zealand board members and include presentations and reflections on the upcoming International Year of the Volunteer 2026 and our 25th year.

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Call for Board nominations

The Volunteering New Zealand Board has opened the nomination process for two new members to fill our:

• Pasifika peoples board member role, and
• Māori board member role.

We warmly welcome nominations from across the motu, and would ideally be looking for candidates with community governance experience. For these important roles, nominees can be nominated by their community or by a VNZ member organisation. If you are attending our Volunteering Changemakers Hui, please talk to us about what the role entails.

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Nominations can be made by Volunteering New Zealand Member organisations.

Should you wish to nominate yourself or someone else, nominees must submit:

• Volunteering New Zealand Board Nomination Form, and
• A one-page summary of the skills and experience that you would bring to the Board, and any other relevant information.

Nominations close at 12:00 pm, Monday 13 October 2025.

Should you wish to nominate yourself or someone else please submit your scanned board nomination form and one-page summary of your skills and experience by email to office@volunteeringnz.org.nz before 12:00 pm, Monday 13 October 2025.

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If an election is required, Volunteering New Zealand member organisations will be invited to vote for their preferred nominees from 14 October. Results will be announced at our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 4 November 2025.