Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to feel connected and to contribute to your community. It provides a variety of benefits for you and for your community, including sharing skills, building confidence, making new friends, getting job-ready, strengthening connections and contributing to community wellbeing.

We fund Volunteering Queensland to promote volunteering across Queensland and provide a volunteer referral service, training and sector support for volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations. Volunteering Queensland also provides registration services for emergency volunteers during disasters when activated by the Queensland State Disaster Coordination Centre.

Inquiry into volunteering in Queensland

Volunteering Queensland’s state of the sector report in 2024 showed that volunteering rates in Queensland had dropped 10% over the past 3 years.

The Queensland Parliament’s Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee (the Committee) held an inquiry into the barriers and challenges preventing more Queenslanders from volunteering.

The Inquiry into volunteering in Queensland (the Inquiry) examined:

the current state of volunteering in Queensland
the value volunteering contributes
obstacles to volunteering,
current government support for the sector
the unique challenges experienced by people from diverse backgrounds, genders, age groups, abilities and locations
opportunities for improvement.

The Inquiry received more than 570 written submissions from individuals, volunteer involving organisations, community groups and government. The Inquiry also held 15 public hearings across Queensland. Full information about the regarding public hearings is on the Inquiry's Parliamentary website page.

On 18 September 2025, the Committee delivered the Inquiry into Volunteering report (PDF, 4.7MB) with findings and recommendations. The Inquiry report is on the Inquiry's Parliamentary website page.

On 18 December 2025, the Queensland Government delivered its response to the Inquiry report outlining its plans to support volunteering in Queensland. Inquiry into Volunteering in Queensland: Queensland Government Response (PDF, 2.5MB).

The response supports each of the Inquiry’s recommendations in principle (subject to further investigation). It presents 18 practical initiatives aimed at empowering the sector, as well as celebrating and strengthening volunteer participation in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.

The response acknowledges the many challenges facing the sector and the collaboration needed to address these, with a focus on enabling the sector to grow sustainably and provide better experiences for volunteers.

Central to the response is a commitment to:

develop a 10-year volunteering plan to set a clear vision for volunteering across the state
establish a Ministerial Advisory Panel for Volunteering to ensure key stakeholder voices inform and provide practical advice to guide future initiatives
establish a whole-of-government Volunteering Working Group to enable a coordinated government approach to support volunteers and the sector, and to lead the way as a model volunteer manager.

Queensland’s four existing regional Volunteer Resource Centres (Volunteering North Queensland, Volunteering Gold Coast, FNQ Volunteers and Volunteering Sunshine Coast) will receive one-off funding to assist regional volunteering, while viable longer-term models are considered.

We thank the individuals and organisations that participated in the Inquiry as we work together to build a more vibrant and sustainable volunteering culture in Queensland.

Volunteering opportunities

Volunteering Queensland has information on a wide range of volunteering opportunities across the state. Go to their website to search opportunities by location or work/skill type.

Local volunteer resource centres can connect you to volunteering opportunities in your region:

Far North Queensland Volunteers, phone (07) 4041 7400
Volunteering Gold Coast, phone (07) 5526 0688
Not for Profit House in the Gladstone region, phone 0460 792 812
Volunteering North Queensland, phone 0439 043 939
Volunteering Redlands, phone (07) 3086 0000
Volunteering Sunshine Coast, phone (07) 5443 8256

Volunteer-involving organisations can view Volunteering Queensland’s website to:

advertise volunteering opportunities
access resources for volunteer managers
find training programs
find volunteering dates and events.

Volunteers make a big difference across many sectors. Explore the programs available in Queensland below to see some examples of what’s on offer.

Community services

Become a Justice of the Peace and act as an objective witness of official or legal documents.
Volunteer with Homeless Connect, a one-day event linking homeless people with vital services.
Community First Development volunteers assist Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their communities by providing specific skills such as financial management, business development, IT and graphic design.
Australian Youth Mentoring Network links mentors with mentoring programs that work with young people.
Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme is a national program that provides companionship to socially isolated people living in aged care homes.
Consider volunteering at your local Neighbourhood Centre. It’s a great way to meet new people and make a difference in your community.
Community Recovery Ready Reserve (registrations for Queensland Government staff only) to assist with disaster recovery.

Conservation

Become a Volunteer for Parks to let your love of nature contribute to conserving our environment.
Clean Up Australia Day to do your bit for the environment by cleaning up your local area with friends and family.
Roma Street Parkland volunteers play an important role in maintaining the beautiful park gardens to world class standards.
Become a conservation volunteer to help with environmental and wildlife conservation projects.
Discover opportunities to help our threatened species including volunteer projects that include helping to care and rehabilitate injured and sick marine animals and wildlife, koala management and monitoring flying foxes.

Keeping the community safe

Volunteer with the State Emergency Service (SES) to support Queensland communities before, during and after an emergency.
Volunteer with the Rural Fire Service Queensland to protect people, property and the environment to keep communities safe.
Volunteer with Neighbourhood Watch Queensland, an informal group that meets to identify and address local issues.
Work with police through Volunteers in Policing to address customer service, community safety and crime prevention needs in the community.
Volunteer with Safer Schoolies and work alongside community organisations and government agencies keeping school leavers safe.

Online volunteering

Online volunteering allows you to make a difference from the comfort of your own home at a time that suits you. Some interesting opportunities include:

United Nations Online Volunteering connects volunteers with organisations working for sustainable human development.
State Library of Queensland Digital Volunteers assist the State Library to collect digitised photographs, newspapers and documents online.

Legal information for volunteers in Queensland

Workplace Health and Safety

Volunteers and organisations that use the services of volunteers have obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Further information is available on the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website or call 1300 362 128.
Safe Work Australia has developed a range of workplace health and safety resources for volunteers and organisations that engage volunteers.

Publications and research

Volunteering events

Each year, events are held to celebrate the spirit of volunteering.

National Volunteer Week
May
International Volunteer Managers Day
November
International Volunteer Day
December

Last updated:: 15 January 2026