Volunteering

Last Updated:

2006

Update Frequency:

Census every 5 years

Indicator Rationale

The number of volunteers in the community is a measure of community engagement and social connectedness. The volunteer rate is influenced by age, gender and the current social climate. Although difficult to measure, there is a strong interest among economic analysts in the value of unpaid work because of its significance and because of linkages between unpaid work and the market sector of the economy (ABS 2002).

As well as the economic value of the services volunteers provide, there is much interest in the role volunteers have in building social networks and increasing social cohesion (ABS 2002). A survey conducted by the ABS in 2006 showed that almost two-thirds of those who first became involved in voluntary work in the last 10 years were either asked to volunteer by someone or did so because they know someone involved. This suggests that volunteering not only builds social networks, but grows out of them.

People volunteer for a variety of reasons which provide benefits not only to the community, but also to the volunteers themselves. When asked to give all reasons why they volunteer, a majority (57%) said they were involved to help others or the community, but 44% were involved for personal satisfaction and 36% to do something worthwhile (this last reason being particularly important to older volunteers).

Data Source

Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD), Indicators of Community Strength at the Local Government Area Level in Victoria

Indicators of Community Strength data were collected in telephone surveys conducted in 2008 and involved 450 individuals over the age of 18 in each of the 79 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Victoria. These data were collected as part of the Victorian Population Health Survey which was conducted at the LGA level for the first time during September to December 2008.

The Indicators of Community Strength data were previously collected in 2006 and 2004 by the then Department of Victorian Communities. However, the Indicators of Community Strength and Victorian Population Health Surveys were combined in 2008 to reduce the burden of surveying on Victorian communities and to give the indicators an institutional home into the future. The Victorian Population Health Survey has a substantially better survey methodology that includes a larger sample, the use of primary approach letters, interpreters and a different method of calculation. This means the 2008 Indicators of Community Strength data are not comparable with the previous 2004 and 2006 data. Therefore, the earlier data have been removed from Community Indicators Victoria at the request of the Victorian Government Department of Planning and Community Development.

Measure

People who Help out as Volunteers: expressed as a percentage of the adult population.

In 2008, the response categories "Yes, definitely" and "Sometimes" have been aggregated to derive the measure.

Survey Question

Do you help out as a volunteer?

2008 response categories - Yes, definitely; Sometimes; No, not at all

Reference

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Voluntary Work, Australia, 2006