Volunteering in Australia

In recent years, there have been significant changes to volunteering in Australia. Changes to government policies and non-profit practice have led to differences in how people volunteer, what they do and where they give their time.

Volunteering in Australia provides a critical snapshot of the issues and trends in volunteering today and their impact on Australian society. It demonstrates how change provides a fluid and contested space for volunteers and their organisations. No longer can volunteering remain outside the broad parameters of our economic and social futures.

This book draws on a wide range of expertise from leading Australians, who discuss cutting edge issues such as spontaneous volunteering, voluntourism and new forms of voluntary action.

Volunteering in Australia provides a valuable and accessible resource for volunteers across the myriad of non-profit organisations, universities, and policymakers at all levels. This is essential reading for all those interested in the future of our society.

Part I: SETTING THE SCENE  Introduction (Melanie Oppenheimer and Jeni Warburton)  1. A Short History of Volunteering in Australia ( Melanie Oppenheimer)  Part II: VOLUNTEERING, POLICY AND PRACTICES  2. Volunteering and Recent Governance Reforms (Myles McGregor-Lowndes)  3. Organisational (Mis)Behaviour of Volunteers: Profiles and Perspectives ( Megan Paull and Maryam Omari)  4. Volunteering and Human Resource Management (Graham Cuskelly and Wendy O’Brien)  5. Blurring the Boundaries: Volunteering and Participation Requirements (Marc Levy)  6. Measuring Volunteering (Lisel O’Dwyer)  7. Formal Volunteering, Volunteer Infrastructure and Government (Annette Maher)  Part III: VOLUNTEERING, CONTEXTS AND DIVERSITY  8. Volunteering and Ageing (Jeni Warburton)  9. Volunteer Tourism and International Contexts (Kirsten Holmes)  10. Spontaneous Volunteering: Trends and Challenges in the Australian Context (Jo Barraket, Robyn Keast and Cameron Newton)  11. Volunteering in Rural and Regional Australia: Trends and Implications (Rachel Winterton)  12. Volunteering in Traditional and Social Welfare Organisations: Current Challenges and Opportunities (Jeni Warburton, Melanie Oppenheimer and Melissa Moore)  13. Volunteering and Sport (Pam Kappelides and Russell Hoye)