Government support of volunteering

The International Year of Volunteers 2001 marked a turning point in the recognition of volunteering in New Zealand.

» Download the Report of the Ministerial Reference Group for International Year of Volunteers 2001  (PDF, 673KB).

In May 2001, the Minister responsible for the Community and Voluntary Sector agreed to the introduction of a Volunteers and Volunteering Policy Project. The Project identified how the government could assist and support volunteering within New Zealand.

This Project generated two key Cabinet papers in December 2002:

• Paper One: Recognition and Valuing of Volunteering
  This paper suggested that the government introduced a Government Policy on Volunteerin g to ensure greater recognition and valuing of volunteering.
  
• Paper Two: Key Issues Impacting on Volunteering
  This paper recommended actions that formed the basis of the Volunteering Work Programme.
  
  » Download these Cabinet Papers on Volunteering
  
  » Download the Government Policy on Volunteering

Since 2002, government has completed significant work in response to the Government Policy on Volunteering and as part of the Government Volunteering Work Programme.

In 2008, this work was summarised and reported to Cabinet in the document Government Support for Volunteering 2002–2008.

Achievements include:

• Interest-free student loans and superannuation have been extended to New Zealanders volunteering overseas for charitable organisations (2005/06).
  » Approved charitable organisations are listed in the regulations to the Student Loan Scheme Act 1992.
• In 2005, Government allocated $6.5 million to be spent over four years to assist sport and recreational organisations with recruitment, training and retaining volunteers.
  » For more information go to the Sport and Recreation NZ (SPARC) website.
• Volunteers are now covered in the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act 2002.
  » Find out more from the Department of Labour.

A few outstanding items are still due for completion, however a new stream of work under the banner of Promoting Generosity has now been introduced.

Promoting Generosity sits alongside tax changes to provide incentives for giving and volunteering. Promoting Generosity is a collaborative project including the community and private sectors and government - it looks at giving in all forms.

 » Read more about the Promoting Generosity project.

Established in 2002, the Support for Volunteering Fund is the permanent Crown funded scheme to support and promote volunteering within Aotearoa New Zealand.  It is administered by the Local Government & Community branch of the Department of Internal Affairs. More than $400,000 is provided each year for volunteer centres, Volunteering New Zealand, and initiatives for tangata whenua, Pacific peoples and ethnic communities.