FAQs Volunteer Management
Organisations that involve volunteers must ensure that their volunteer workforce is appropriately covered by insurance. Your organisation may be legally responsible for accidents or injuries involving your volunteers or caused by your volunteers during their participation.
Some forms of insurance to consider are:
- Public Liability Insurance: covers injuries or damage caused by staff or volunteers while carrying out work on behalf of your organisation.
- Volunteer Personal Accident Insurance: cover designed to provide compensation to volunteers following accidental injury, disability or death while carrying out voluntary work on behalf of your organisation (Volunteers are not typically covered under your organisation’s Workers Compensation Insurance Policy – WorkCover).
- Associations/Directors and Officers Liability Insurance: insures committee members and officers of an incorporated organisation for legal liability, including legal costs, where in the process of operating the organisation they have committed a wrongful or negligent act.
Organisations wishing to register to advertise their volunteer positions with Volunteering SA&NT must have Public Liability and Volunteer Protections Insurance.
Our logo is a valuable representation of our organisation and it is used across all forms of Volunteering SA&NT corporate communications, advertising and marketing collateral.
To ensure that our brand is not diminished, its use by those outside our organisation is subject to approval.
To request approval for use of our logo on external distribution collateral please contact us stating how you want to use the logo, on what medium/s and a sample layout.
Portrait or landscape logos are available in either .eps, .tif or .jpg file formats for use on print, screen (website, powerpoint presentation, email signature, onscreen PDF or vector (non-merchandise – use on designer software only).
Most global definitions of volunteering, including that of Volunteering Australia, have no minimum age, so children can be volunteers. Many young people take on a wide variety of roles and the context of each needs to be considered to determine whether it is in fact volunteering.
For instance, if a child takes on a task as a learning exercise or as part of a family obligation, and it is not voluntary, then it is not considered volunteering. However, if a child helps out a sports function or a tree planting event and chooses to do so, then it can be considered volunteering. Volunteer Managers need to contact their insurance provider to check whether there are age restrictions in place for the designated work and whether there is special consideration for volunteers under or over the insurer’s age limit.
Anyone can volunteer however there may be age requirements depending on the type of volunteer role. Some volunteer involving organisations have a policy of not involving volunteers under or over a certain age, with insurance one of those reasons. Organisations need to specify if there are age restrictions for a certain volunteer role.
Young volunteers can add new energy and life to an organisation, ensuring the continued involvement and growth of volunteering.
Some organisations are concerned about the risks involved in engaging young people under 18. So to minimise or address these concerns, here are some key things to consider.
- Do the staff and volunteers who will be working with the volunteer have a DHS Working with Children Check?
- Does the insurance policy cover people under the age of 18 volunteering within your organisation?
- What does your organisation’s policies and procedures state about having under 18’s volunteer?
- Have the employees and volunteers who would be working with the under 18 undertaken Child Safe Environments Training?
- Consider parent/guardian consent to volunteering and include media release forms, being transported in a vehicle etc
There are various online tools that can assist you to effectively manage your volunteer workforce. These include:
- Vira – a volunteer management database that allows volunteer involving agencies to collect important information about their volunteers.
- Better Impact – can help you manage: recruitment, online applications, on-boarding, training, reporting and even provide your volunteers with an app to record their hours, feedback and outputs.
- Volaby – create your own volunteer portal, enabling new volunteers to sign up and create their own volunteer profile – so you can assess and qualify applicants to make sure they’re fit for the job!
- Involve – Involve is a unique Volunteer Management app that aims to be user-friendly, allow for seamless volunteer management, maximise your volunteer participation, and rethink the ways you recruit volunteers.
- Freddy Match – a simple and secure volunteer recruitment and management platform. Built and run by volunteers and they understand how having the right help lets you shoot for the stars.
No and like most global definitions, Volunteering Australia’s definition does not include a defined maximum amount for reimbursement, an honorarium or stipend. It is considered best practice for volunteer involving organisations to reimburse their volunteers for pre-approved out of pocket expenses associated with their volunteering role.
The level of what may constitute fair and reasonable expenses will differ based on the context of the volunteer’s role and would need to be negotiated and agreed in advance. It is up to each volunteer involving organisation to set their own policies and procedures on reimbursement, and to clearly communicate this to all volunteers.
While volunteers freely give their time, best practice recommends they are not expected to pay any expenses incurred whilst volunteering. The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement indicate that a volunteering involving organisation needs to ensure that a policy and procedure exists for reimbursement for volunteer out-of-pocket expenses. This varies between organisations and there is no set rule however organisations need to develop their own policies and procedures regarding reimbursement and meal allowances that are clearly communicated to all volunteers.
There are various free or low-cost tools, resources and assistance that not-profits can access in regard to legal concerns. These include:
- Justice Connect: Not-for-profit Law – a national legal service, offering free and affordable legal supports for not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises. They also have specific resources for legal considerations concerning volunteers.
- Law Right: LawRightis able to assist not-for-profit organisations resolve specific legal issues, resolve internal disputes, or provide help establishing a non-profit.
It is strongly encouraged that organisations develop a policy on volunteer engagement. Please see National Standards for Volunteer Involvement to assist in the development of a Volunteer Involvement Policy.
Generally, no, Volunteering SA&NT refers volunteers to volunteer involving organisations.
To find out more on advertising volunteering positions
For specific volunteer work where an organisation cannot recruit enough volunteers, Volunteering SA&NT offers a fee-for-service consultancy to recruit, induct and train volunteers. Please contact us for further information.