More than six million Australians volunteer regularly. Studies have shown that people who volunteer are happier, healthier and sleep better than those who don’t, with 95 per cent of all volunteers indicating volunteering gives them a sense of wellbeing. View the Volunteering Australia report.
“Volunteering can offer a sense of self worth, especially if you’re actually contributing productively to other people’s welfare or the community,” says Raelene Stockton, Education Manager, Health and Community Services at Chisholm.
But with so many worthy organisations out there in need of assistance and volunteers, it’s often hard for people to know where to start looking for a position – and which organisation might be the best fit for them.
Know your why
Raelene recommends that before approaching an organisation, potential volunteers should spend a little time reflecting on why they want to pitch in, to determine what their motivation is for volunteering.
“It’s important for people to understand why they want to volunteer,” she advises. “What is the purpose? Do they just want to occupy time, or do they have a skill set that they want to use to give back to the community?”
Choosing an organisation
With more than 600,000 not-for-profits in Australia, Raelene suggests considering your skills, how much time you have and your interests before approaching an organisation. Logistics, including distance, location and transportation are important decision-making factors. Likewise, the physical requirements of the volunteering position should also be a consideration. “These things might lead them to different places or organisations,” says Raelene.
Once you have an idea of what you can contribute, it’s then worth considering what the organisation might need. “Some people think, ‘oh I’d love to go and help out’, but they don’t realise many organisations often require an ongoing commitment,” Raelene explains.
It’s worthwhile investigating if there is an orientation program or some training involved in the volunteering position, as well as whether you’ll need to make a regular weekly, fortnightly, or monthly commitment. “This actually makes people more aware of the commitment involved with volunteering rather than just going ‘I want to go and help people for a day when I’m free’.”
Skill up
One of the key advantages of volunteering is you’re able to develop your skillset. “Volunteering can support career progression,” says Raelene. “There’s the chance to build other skills and work with a wider range of different people.
“For example, in our Community Services courses we will actively encourage people when they’re studying to look for volunteering opportunities. This enhances their learning and gives them an opportunity for placement or for employment in the future.”
By developing these transferable skills, you’re also increasing your chances of landing your next job. “Volunteering increases their employability, particularly if they’ve actually worked and applied that learning in a workplace setting.”
Overwhelmingly, though, Raelene says most volunteers agree the most valuable outcome they get from volunteering is the feeling of satisfaction from giving back to their community. “That intrinsic reward is really valuable.”
