How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted volunteering? View the results of our survey
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Volunteering Queensland has surveyed volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) across the sector and state to gain insights on how they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The results highlight their needs and challenges going forward.
How have Queensland’s volunteer organisations been impacted?
Top concerns:
- Keeping volunteers safe and complying with government requirements
- Volunteers choosing not to return when programs are reactivated
- Reduced income due to suspended programs or cancelled events
- Keeping volunteers engaged, motivated, and connected
- Adapting to online/ remote volunteering (overcoming issues with IT expertise, systems, and training)
- Supporting the well-being of volunteers who have been stood down and are isolated
- Increased need to recruit more skilled volunteers and more diverse volunteers
- Supporting clients and vulnerable community members affected by the closure of programs
Top needs going forward:
- Avenues to increase income, including funding for volunteer management and support with grants
- Advice on keeping volunteers safe and ensuring compliance with safety regulations
- Tips to smoothly transition volunteers back into their roles and respectfully redeploy volunteers no longer required
- Strategies to enhance promotion of volunteer opportunities to attract a wider audience of volunteers
- Resources to build an effective online/ remote volunteering program, covering roles, WHS, risks, legalities, policies, and processes
- Revising the basics of volunteer management, recruitment, retention, and recognition for volunteers in a post COVID-19 environment
Results from survey of Volunteering Queensland members and volunteer organisations, May - June 2020.