National Volunteering Week 12-18 May 2014

Volunteering Tasmania is set to lead the nation in a landmark review to redefine what it means to be
a volunteer in today’s modern and fast-paced society.

Volunteering Australia CEO Brett Williamson said National Volunteer Week turned 25 this year,
celebrating the power of volunteering.

“It is a landmark year, so we are taking landmark action, kicking off a national review to update our
definition of volunteering,” Mr Williamson said.

“In 1996 Volunteering Australia identified a set of principles to describe volunteering.

“This definition has not really kept pace with emerging trends of how over 6.1 million Australians are
volunteering their time today with over 600,000 not-for-profit organisations.”

Volunteering Tasmania CEO Adrienne Picone said Volunteering Tasmania was very excited to be
taking the lead on the nationwide review.

“We look forward to working with all of the state and territory peak bodies to produce a modern
and comprehensive definition of what it means to be a volunteer in Australia in 2014 and beyond,”
Ms Picone said.

“In 2012, Volunteering Tasmania challenged Australia’s long held assumptions of what constitutes a
volunteering act for the first time in Australia’s history.

“Following this state-based review, we released a set of principles that redefined what it meant to
be a volunteer in Tasmania, incorporating activities where there is a financial benefit to the
volunteering act such as the reimbursement of expenses incurred or a tangible reward such as a
movie ticket or an enabling amount of money such as a living allowance.

“The new principles also included volunteering that occurs in both a formal and informal setting –
not necessarily defined by organisational settings.

“Volunteering Australia has recognised the importance of this work undertaken by Volunteering
Tasmania in 2012, appointing Volunteering Tasmania to lead the review of the out-dated national
definition.

“The national review is expected to be completed by December 2014.”
Volunteering Australia CEO Brett Williamson