The Queensland Voice of the Volunteer Survey Tool

A new way to understand and strengthen the volunteer experience

This free, practical tool empowers volunteer-involving organisations to better understand their volunteers, improve engagement, and strengthen the sustainability of their programs. This tool has three easy steps: 

  1. Distribute the survey to your volunteers 
  2. Review your results
  3. Take action! 

Carefully curated insights, practical tools, and resources have been gathered by Volunteering Queensland so you can quickly turn survey results into action — kickstarting your journey to enhance and strengthen the volunteer experience. 

Before we move onto your results – there are a few fundamentals that are essential to all volunteering programs, we have linked these results below for you:  

Build the Base (1-2)

Focuses on establishing foundational resources and tools that give volunteers the guidance, information, and support they need to understand their roles and contribute effectively. This stage ensures basic structures are in place to support a growing volunteer program.

Prepare

Governance

Volunteers understand what is expected of them.

This resource supports planning of effective volunteer roles included a template to develop clear role descriptions so both managers and volunteers understand expectations.

Developing Volunteer Roles (article and template)

Design

Volunteers have a person to support them.

Explains the role of volunteer leaders in providing guidance, support and development, ensuring volunteers have someone to turn to and a structured environment to thrive in.

Engaging and Leading Volunteers (article)

Resource

Volunteers have the resources they need to do their role.

Guides leaders on what they should have in place to effectively resource volunteers and support a successful volunteer program, with criteria and examples of evidence for each standard.

National Standards for Volunteer Involvement Evidence Guide (guide)

Recruit

Promote

Recruitment channels are effective.

Provides guidance on building a sustainable volunteer recruitment strategy and ensuring recruitment channels are effective, helping organisations attract the right volunteers and fill roles that support their mission.

Volunteer recruitment essentials (eLearning module)
Building a sustainable recruitment strategy (eLearning module)

Select

Volunteer roles are matched to the right people.

Covers best practices for screening, selecting, and inducting volunteers, ensuring volunteer roles are matched to the right people while maintaining safety, efficiency, and organisational effectiveness.

Volunteer Selection Essentials (eLearning module)

Onboard

The onboarding process is accessible, easy and effective.

Guides leaders in creating an induction process that is accessible, straightforward, and effective, helping new volunteers feel welcomed, informed, and prepared to contribute confidently.

Volunteer Induction Essentials (eLearning module)
Developing and implementing volunteer inductions (eLearning module)

Support

Recognise

Volunteers feel valued and recognised.

Provides practical ideas and quick wins for recognising and rewarding volunteers, helping them feel valued and appreciated.

Volunteer Reward and Recognition (Guide)

Communicate

Volunteers feel informed.

Supports leaders to communicate clearly and inclusively, helping volunteers stay informed, aligned, and confident in their role.

Effective Communication Skills (eLearning module)

Understanding Effective Communication (eLearning module)

Develop

Volunteers are supported and help is available.

Guidance on effective supervision and management practices, ensuring volunteers are supported, have access to help when needed, and feel confident in their role.

Supervising and Managing Volunteers (Presentation)

Evaluate

Share impact

Volunteers would recommend volunteering with the organisation to their friends and family.

Shows leaders how to create a positive volunteer experience that encourages volunteers to become advocates, increasing the likelihood they will recommend volunteering with the organisation to their networks.

How to leverage volunteers for word-of-mouth recruitment (Article)

Review

Volunteers are satisfied.

This free, practical tool will empower volunteer-involving organisations to better understand their volunteers, improve engagement, and strengthen the sustainability of their programs.

Voice of the Volunteer Survey (Tool)

Feedback

Volunteers understand how to provide feedback and make a complaint.

Explains what your organisation should have in place to ensure volunteers can provide feedback and make complaints safely, clearly, and with confidence that concerns will be handled fairly.

Complaints handling policy (Template)

Complaints handling procedure (Template)

Leading the Way (high scores)

Concentrates on advanced resources, strategies, and systems that optimise volunteer engagement, development and impact. At this stage, the program leverages insight and best practices to inspire innovation, maximise contribution, and drive continuous improvement across the organisation.

Prepare

Governance

Volunteers understand what is expected of them.

Supports leaders to clearly set expectations for volunteers at a high level by linking program planning, role design, and organisational strategy.

Planning and maintaining a volunteer program (Article)

Strategic Plan (Template)

Design

Volunteers have a person to support them.

Outlines the governance policies and procedures organisations should have in place to clearly define roles, responsibilities, and lines of support – ensuring volunteers know who to turn to for guidance and receive consistent, accountable support.

Developing policies and procedures (Article)

Resource

Volunteers have the resources they need to do their role.

Builds understanding of effective volunteer leadership and program management, equipping organisations to ensure volunteers are well supported, properly resources, and able to perform their roles confidently and effectively.

Engaging and leading volunteers (Article)

Recruit

Promote

Recruitment channels are effective.

Builds awareness of key social media platforms and digital basics, showing how different channels can be used to promote volunteering opportunities and support volunteer recruitment.

Social Media Strategy (Video presentations)

Select

Volunteer roles are matched to the right people.

Enhances understanding of safe, fair, and inclusive volunteer recruitment, helping organisations match volunteers to roles that suit their skills and interests while complying with legal and anti-discrimination requirements.

National Volunteering Guide: Volunteer screening as part of the recruitment process (Guide)

Onboard

The onboarding process is accessible, easy and effective.

Develops understanding of inclusive practices, guiding organisations to create an onboarding process that welcomes and supports volunteers, enabling them to engage confidently and effectively in their roles.

Becoming an inclusive volunteer involving organisation (eLearning module)

Support

Recognise

Volunteers feel valued and recognised.

Provides guidance and a practical template on implementing robust volunteer reward and recognition policies and practices, ensuring organisational approaches consistently make volunteers feel valued, appreciated, and motivated.

Volunteer acknowledgement policy (Template)

Communicate

Volunteers feel informed.

Equips leaders with strategies for clear, inclusive, and effective communication, ensuring volunteers are well informed, aligned with team objectives, and confident in their roles, while fostering cohesion, engagement, and a positive volunteer experience.

Foundations of volunteer management: lead team effectiveness (eLearning modules)

Develop

Volunteers are supported and help is available.

Strengthens leaders’ ability to support and develop volunteers through strategic workforce planning, inclusive practices, targeted training, and retention strategies, helping volunteers stay engaged, skilled, and able to contribute meaningfully to organisational goals.

Foundations of volunteer management: manage volunteer workforce development (eLearning modules)

Evaluate

Share impact

Volunteers would recommend volunteering with the organisation to their friends and family.

Develops leaders’ ability to create a volunteer environment where contributions are clearly valued, acknowledged, and communicated, fostering satisfaction and motivation that encourages volunteers to recommend the organisation to others. 

National Standards Deep Dive – Standard 7 (Video presentation)

Review

Volunteers are satisfied.

Highlights the importance of continuous review, development, and refinement in volunteer programs and processes, ensuring volunteers remain engaged, supported, and motivated while their contributions are meaningful and valued. 

Continuous Improvement Policy (Template)

Continuous Improvement Procedure (Template)

Feedback

Volunteers understand how to provide feedback and make a complaint.

Demonstrates the importance of clear feedback channels, complaint processes, and safety measures, ensuring volunteers understand how to raise concerns, navigate issues, and have their wellbeing protected within the organisation. 

Conversations That Matter (Webinar series)

National Standards Deep Dive – Standard 6 (Video presentation)

On This Page

    Skip to content