Not-for-profit marketing
Finding
volunteers.
Ask people directly, and get your volunteers to ask too. In the 2025 General Social Survey, 50.3% of formal volunteers got involved because they were asked or knew someone, and 3.1% by searching online. Volunteering rates have fallen to 22.6%, and the biggest barrier is time, so offer specific, short roles and make saying yes easy.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.Fewer
volunteers.
In 2025, 22.6% of Australians aged 15 and over, about 5 million people, volunteered formally, down from 25% in 2020 and about 29% in 2019. The hours they give rose, though: 618 million hours, up from 490 million in 2020.
People aged 45 to 54 volunteer most (28.0%), and 15 to 24 year olds least (16.4%). Roles that fit around work and family matter.
How people
start.
Ads and job-board listings still have a place, mostly for people who were already looking. The bigger lever is making it easy for current volunteers and supporters to ask someone they know.
| How they got involved | Share |
|---|---|
| Asked, or knew someone | 50.3% |
| Approached the organisation themselves | 32.5% |
| Searched online | 3.1% |
| Through the media | 1.5% |
What
stops them.
Asked why they don't volunteer, 47.0% said no time, 16.1% weren't sure how or had never been asked, and 9.8% said there were no suitable roles.
Each one has a fix. Offer short or one-off roles. Ask. And describe roles as specific tasks, with the time they take, rather than a general call for help.
Ask planner
Write the ask
people pass on.
Half of volunteers got involved through someone they knew. Describe the role and it writes a short ask your current volunteers can forward, plus who to send it to.
The ask
Send it to
Checks
to mention.
If a role involves contact with children, say so in the ad and say you'll help with the check. In NSW, volunteers in child-related roles generally need a Working with Children Check, which is free for volunteers and lasts five years. Other states have their own versions and rules. Victoria's check is also free for volunteers and lasts five years.
The first
week counts.
Recruitment is wasted if new volunteers drift away. Reply to every enquiry within a couple of days, give a named contact, and get people doing something useful early. A short first shift with someone friendly does more than a long induction.
Ask new volunteers how they heard about you, and keep a simple tally. After a few months you'll know whether asks, ads or listings are bringing people, and where to put the effort.
Write roles
like jobs.
A good volunteer ad reads like a short job ad: what the person will do, when, where, what training you give, and who they'll work with. 'Help sort donated clothes, Saturday mornings, Wyoming shop, two hours' gets more replies than 'volunteers wanted'.
Offer some one-off and skills-based roles too: a photographer for an event, an accountant for an hour of advice. With total hours up even as a smaller share of people volunteer, small, clear asks suit people who can't commit every week.
What I see most often
What I see
most often.
- 1
'We need volunteers'
A general plea with no role, no time and no place.
- 2
Long application forms
Several pages before anyone talks to the person who offered to help.
- 3
Slow replies
Volunteer enquiries left for weeks, by which time the person has moved on.
- 4
Volunteers never asked to ask
Current volunteers are the best recruiters, and nobody asks them to bring a friend.
The honest bit. Ads can fill a gap, but they rarely build a volunteer base on their own. The charities that keep volunteers treat the first week as seriously as the recruitment.
Questions
people ask.
How do charities find volunteers?
Mostly by asking. Half of formal volunteers started because someone asked or they knew someone. Only about 3% found their role online.
Why are volunteer numbers falling?
Formal volunteering fell to 22.6% in 2025. Lack of time is the most common reason people give for not volunteering.
Do volunteers need a Working with Children Check?
If the role involves contact with children, usually yes. In NSW it's free for volunteers. Rules differ by state.
Where should charities advertise for volunteers?
Volunteering websites, your own channels and local groups. But put most effort into asking current volunteers and supporters to pass a specific role on.
Related
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going.
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