About the volunteering survey

In February and March 2024, we invited our community to share their thoughts on volunteering in Boroondara.

We invited people in Boroondara who volunteer, were thinking of being a volunteer or worked for an organisation that runs volunteer programs or provides services with help from volunteers.

The survey aimed to gather valuable feedback on volunteering, including:

  • what makes people want to volunteer in Boroondara
  • what makes it difficult to volunteer in Boroondara
  • what makes volunteer programs welcoming
  • being a volunteer - taking into account age, gender, background and life experience.

Survey responses: what you told us

  • Thank you

    Thank you to the 321 people who responded to our volunteering survey in 2024. We heard from volunteers, prospective volunteers and community organisations.

    They provided us with valuable insights into the motivations, barriers and support people need to become a volunteer in our community.

We’re delivering on our commitment to continue to make volunteering in Boroondara more accessible, inclusive and impactful for everyone.

The Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre (BVRC) has completed several actions as a result of what you’ve told us.

Increasing volunteer inclusion in community organisations

The survey responses helped us shape key recommendations for organisations in Boroondara to help them adapt and enhance the volunteering experiences they deliver.

These include:

  • Tailor your volunteer recruitment strategies. Develop targeted outreach plans for diverse groups, including seniors, multicultural communities, youth and newly arrived migrants.
  • Provide diversity and inclusion training to foster cultural competency and inclusive volunteer environments.
  • Enable flexible volunteering options. Offer part-time, weekend and evening volunteer shifts where possible to accommodate various schedules.
  • Provide language support services. This includes translated resources and multilingual support to reduce language barriers.
  • Develop community partnerships. Collaborate with cultural groups, education institutions, businesses and corporations to expand volunteer engagement.


Actions we’ve taken so far

As a result of the survey findings, the Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre (BVRC) completed the following actions between June 2024 and March 2025:

  • Strategic partnerships resource

    Developed a new video learning series for volunteer managers. This provides advice about building connections with a range of organisations to tap into networks of diverse volunteers.

  • Volunteering showcase

    Created a pop-up display for International Volunteer Day 2024. This display celebrated the diversity of our volunteers and included a series of local volunteer profiles. We invited community members to free workshops and events to learn about the impact of volunteering.

  • Popping up in the community

    The BVRC team and volunteer ambassadors have regularly visited local library branches, community festivals, employment expos, citizenship ceremonies and universities. The ambassadors shared their experiences and promoted the benefits of volunteering in your community.

What we’re doing now

  • Hosting diversity and inclusion training sessions

    From March to June 2025, we've invited volunteers and volunteer managers to free workshops. Each session covers a different topic, such as disability inclusion, cultural awareness and volunteering to support your career.

  • Creating a Volunteering in Boroondara starter kit

    This new resource will help prospective volunteers learn about volunteer opportunities and find roles that best suit their interests and availability.

  • Maintaining the BVRC’s presence in the community

    We’re continuing to pop-up in the community at a range of events and locations. This gives people the chance to meet and talk with our volunteer ambassadors to inspire more people to get involved in volunteering.

How you can be part of volunteering

Learn more about how you can volunteer, including exploring current volunteer opportunities, seeing the various volunteer programs on offer or booking an appointment to get help.

Find out how you can volunteer