Volunteering research

The past few years have seen some significant advances in building our knowledge of volunteering and its contribution to New Zealand society - however there is still much for us to learn.

Below is an outline of some of the research that has already been undertaken -  much of it as part of the Government Volunteering Work Programme.

• Study of the New Zealand non-profit sector
  This study has helped to provide a clear picture of the nature and extent of non-profit sector activity within New Zealand.
  Reports produced as part of this project include the number of volunteers within non-profit organisations and an estimate of the value they provide to New Zealand.
  » See the 'Study of the non-profit sector' page

• Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account
  The Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account shows that over one million volunteers gave more than 270 million hours of unpaid labour to non-profit institutions in 2004. When valued at a market wage, voluntary labour boosts non-profit institutions' economic contribution to $6.95 billion or 4.9% of NZ's gross domestic product (GDP).

• Research into Māori cultural obligations
  The OCVS has conducted research to identify motivators and cultural drivers for Māori which contribute to maintaining mana for the whanau, hapu- and iwi. This research indicates that Māori volunteering is based significantly on the notion of whanaungatanga (kinship). The report on the findings from this research, Mahi Aroha: Māori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations, was launched on 30 April 2007.
  » Read about Mahi Aroha: Māori Perspectives on Volunteering and Cultural Obligations

• Maori and Unpaid Work
  Te Puni Kokiri produces a range of fact sheets, trend sheets and other reports, which provide statistical information about Māori in New Zealand.
  » View the 2007 Quality of Life Indicators report covering unpaid work
  » See the full list of Fact Sheets 
  (Note: Fact Sheet 9 - Maori and Unpaid Work published in March 2000 may no longer be available.) 

• Research into Pacific peoples cultural obligations
  This research, undertaken by the Family Centre on behalf of OCVS, explored Pacific people’s motivators and barriers to volunteering, and the relationship with their cultural obligations. It included a series of 'projects of pride' to illustrate each Pacific group's perspective.
  » Contact: Iris Webster.

• Report on voluntary and ethnic communities
  In 2004, the New Zealand Federation of Ethnic Councils (NZFEC) and New Zealand Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NZACAB) undertook research to determine the reasons why ethnic people do not participate in volunteering at the same rate as others in our society. This research was funded by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Support for Volunteering Fund.
  » Download Volunteering and Ethnic Communities - A Dialogue with Ethnic Communities (Word, 690.5KB)
  » Download Volunteering and Ethnic Communities Executive Summary (PDF, 104.12KB)

• Research into the implications of population ageing for the community and voluntary sector
  The Older People’s Policy team in the Ministry of Social Development led a project to examine the implications of an ageing population. This included consideration of its impact on the community and voluntary sector, and whether there are likely to be volunteer shortages to support the older population.
  » This research was published in chapter 12 entitled Communities and Volunteering in the book Implications of Population Ageing

• Research into the motivation of volunteers in sports and recreational activities
  During 2006, Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) contracted Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd to conduct social marketing, qualitative research to provide greater understanding of what motivates people to volunteer in sport and recreation and identify factors that prevent them from volunteering. Quantitative research is now underway as part of phase 2 of this project.
  » The Finding and Keeping Volunteers: what the research tells us report is now online.

• Research into volunteers in sport and recreational activities
  Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) produced the Volunteers report, which contains the facts and figures about how active and inactive volunteers are in their leisure time and how active they want to be. Most of the information in this report comes from the combined results and Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s 1997/98, 1998/99 and 2000/01 Sport and Physical Activity Surveys.
  » To view the Volunteers report,  go to SPARC website

• Gender and unpaid work: findings from the Time Use Survey
  Based on the findings of New Zealand’s first national Time Use Survey, this article looks at unpaid work and how it varies for different groups. In particular, examines differences in participation in unpaid work between men and women.
  » To view the article go to Statistics New Zealand website

• Measuring unpaid work in New Zealand from the Time Use survey
  The economic statistics of work and production are used in developing public policy and in business decisions. So it is very important which activities define and measure as ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ because the reporting on the measured ‘variables’ actually affects our lives through practical government and business decisions.
  » To view the 2001 article go to Statistics New Zealand website

• 2006 Census: Work – status report
  This includes information on the unpaid activities of New Zealand’s population
  Go to Statistics New Zealand website
  » For comparison, see 2001 Census tables 45 to 50A

• Counting for Something: Value Added by Voluntary Agencies (VAVA)
  In 2004, the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO) and PricewaterhouseCoopers completed a project to help to quantify the economic value of the work of voluntary agencies. A report was produced to identify the contribution made by volunteers to ten major social services organisations over a one-year period.

• Counting for More (2007) examined the outcomes of two organisations – Literacy Aotearoa and the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. The pilot study provides the basis for understanding why value added by voluntary agencies builds on the contributions of volunteers and far exceeds the initial expenditure made by its funders, whether private or public.
  » Download Counting for Something or Counting for More

• Volunteering research stocktake
  In 2006, OCVS and Volunteering New Zealand  took an inventory of all New Zealand research that looks at volunteering activities. This inventory may help identify gaps and priorities for future research into volunteering. Please advise us if you know of any research that we can add to it.
  » Download the draft inventory (PDF, 179.57KB)
  » Download the draft inventory (Word, 139.5KB)
  » Contact: Diana Suggate

• A collection of facts and figures about volunteering in New Zealand
  To support promotion and publicity during  International Volunteer Day (5 December) and Volunteer Awareness Week, OCVS and VNZ compiled a summary of some key facts and figures about volunteering.