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Hi there!

Volunteering WA’s Volunteer Management Topic Series provides volunteer managers with a source of advice and resources to assist best practice and volunteer management excellence. 

This month we look at the important things to consider when designing volunteer roles, remind you what processes and resources are available to support your organisation to implement the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, tell you about the Top Legal Issues in Managing Volunteers Workshop you can attend, and how you can register to attend the 2025 Volunteer Management Activity Project Showcase. 

As always, if this article raises questions, you can reach out to Volunteering WA at VIOHelp@volunteeringwa.org.au. 

Designing meaningful and tailored volunteer roles

With National Volunteer Week being celebrated this month (Monday 19th May – Sunday 25th May), highlighting the important role of volunteers and volunteer managers in our community and inviting people to give volunteering a go, it’s a good time to look at the volunteer opportunities your organisation has available and the best way to design your volunteer roles. 

The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement includes Standard 3 – Volunteer roles are meaningful and tailored which assists organisations to match volunteers looking for opportunities with appropriate roles and provide a positive experience. 

When designing volunteer roles, it’s important to ensure: 

• They are designed and negotiated with volunteers, considering their needs and interests 

You stand a much better chance of filling a volunteer role if you offer and accept flexibility and reflect this in your position description to show there is potential for the volunteer to advise what tasks they are interested in and able to do. 

• They contribute to your organisation’s purpose, goals and objectives 

Position descriptions should indicate how the role contributes to your organisation’s purpose and goals. This helps your organisation align the roles to your plans and strategies and volunteers to see what cause they will be supporting and how they’ll be making a difference. 

• They are defined, documented and communicated 

They should meet the requirements of the Fair Work Act and have written descriptions that include duties, responsibilities, and accountabilities. 

• They are reviewed regularly  

Volunteer feedback should be used to review the appropriateness of volunteer roles and activities, and both leadership and staff should contribute to the development and review of roles. 

A generic approach should be avoided when designing volunteer roles. Look at different approaches to volunteering and be creative. Roles that are adaptable and flexible will lead to happier volunteers who feel valued and stay engaged longer. 

Top Legal Issues in Managing Volunteers Workshop  

Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law program specialises in providing legal help and support to not-for-profit organisations. This interactive workshop is a great opportunity for volunteer managers to explore key topics, workshop legal issues, discuss scenarios and problem solve as a group.  

Here to support you to implement the National Standards  

We have a range of processes and resources available to help you implement the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement. Take a look and see what’s available to support you through this process.  

2025 Volunteer Management Activity Project Showcase 

Wednesday 11 June, 9:00am – 4:00pm, Floreat (Perth)

The Volunteer Management Activity Project Showcase gives you the opportunity to hear from six project partners who will present their program innovations and outcomes with an interactive Q&A panel format, allowing for shared learnings. It’s a great event to attend if you are a volunteer manager who wants to engage a more diverse and inclusive volunteer base.

Register now so you don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain valuable insights from these projects that aim to break down barriers to volunteering. 

2025 Volunteering WA State Conference 

Thursday 6 & Friday 7 November 2025 

• Early bird tickets on sale
• Speaker expressions of interest open – submit your EOI or share with a colleague

More than 200 delegates will join Volunteering WA on Thursday 6 & Friday 7 November 2025 for two days, and three streams, of keynotes, discussions, and workshops analysing the latest volunteering research, trends, techniques, and case studies to help volunteer involving organisations make the greatest impact in the community.

This year’s theme, From Ideas to Impact, puts the focus on growth, action and impact.

Further resources you can access

• National Volunteer Week
• National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
• Developing Volunteer Roles
• Volunteer Role Description
• Top Legal Issues in Managing Volunteers Workshop
• Tips for engaging young volunteers
• Volunteer Management Activity Project Showcase 2025

Get to know the Volunteering WA team

There is a wealth of knowledge, support and resources available to you through Volunteering WA. Each month we bring you a short bio on a different staff member so you can get to know the whole team.

Clare McHale

Member Service and Training

Meet Clare

Clare is an Administration Officer providing support within the Membership and Training and Development teams. Her responsibilities include processing new Volunteering WA member applications and renewals, assisting with general member enquiries, taking care of the administration side of all training workshops, and updating the website with upcoming training sessions. 

We are here to help!

Volunteering WA is here to support you! Send your enquiries to VIOHelp@volunteeringwa.org.au and one of our friendly team members will get back to you.

This newsletter is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information, no guarantee is given nor responsibility taken by Volunteering WA for errors or omissions.

You are receiving this, because your organisation, is registered as an Affiliate or Regional Affiliate Member of Volunteering WA and/or associated with the Volunteer Management Activity (VMA) program, and you are identified as the main contact for volunteering matters