Volunteers and Volunteering

Each year, 2.6 million Australians donate over 434 million hours of their time in voluntary work. The motivations and skills of these volunteers, and the individual time commitments they are able to make, are changing as Australian society changes. Non-profit organisations reliant on volunteers need to reassess their ways of operating if they are to continue to work effectively for their clients. Volunteers and Volunteering examines current roles of volunteers and the contribution of volunteering to contemporary Australian society. It discusses the changes in community values and government policy that shape volunteering and the inclination and capacity of people to volunteer. This book draws on a wide range of expertise including volunteer Joy Noble, economist Michael Pusey and social scientist Eva Cox, in order to arm volunteer organisations and policy makers with the information necessary to meet the challenges of these changes. A valuable resource for those working in non-profit organisations, government and academia considering the changing contribution of volunteers and the non-profit sector to Australian society.