A guide for organisations

The Volunteering Strategy for South Australia is an important agreement developed to address the diverse and ongoing needs of the volunteer sector. The strategy, with the 4 focus areas at its core, is a guide to tackling barriers facing volunteers for example: participation of young people; building the capacity of organisations to upskill and retain volunteers; and helping more people to enjoy the rewarding experience of giving their time.

There is already strong buy-in and response to the strategy by state and local governments, businesses and volunteer involving organisations. The strategy will have a major influence on the organisational strategies and actions of these stakeholders over the next 6 years until 2027.

A cross-sector approach is essential for achieving success. Organisations can use the following steps to start and deepen their engagement with the strategy by:

  1. Mapping what they are already doing to help deliver on the strategy outcomes
  2. Building internal capacity and ownership of the strategy
  3. Integrating and embedding strategy outcomes within organisational strategies, plans and projects
  4. Communicating your actions on the strategy.
Steps to get involved

Mapping what you are already doing

Mapping what your organisation is already doing to help deliver and contribute to the strategy across all focus areas or within specific focus areas is a great starting point for discovering possibilities for deeper engagement. It is also a powerful tool for showcasing what is already in place, as well as for identifying synergies with other organisations.

By mapping what you are already doing you will be able to:

  • identify key stakeholders and potential for champions for the strategy
  • identify strengths and gaps as a basis for identifying actions on the strategy
  • identify areas of shared interest across organisations and opportunities for partnerships
  • help build a business case for further engagement in the strategy

 

Building capacity and ownership

Taking a participatory approach is key to working towards the strategy’s agenda. This includes collaboration and partnerships within and across organisations and communities by bringing all of those involved on board to both champion the work already underway and to create ownership of actions taken.

People involved in delivering the strategy’s agenda can develop a shared understanding, learn about the work and interests of others, begin to identify areas for collaboration and action, and nurture a collective and individual ownership of the process and community of practice.

To get started on Step 2, you might like to:

  • run a stakeholder engagement meeting
  • build the business case for organisation engagement
  • identify your organisations commitment to the strategy.

Integrating and embedding

This step looks to identify the best way of integrating and embedding commitment and actions on the strategy. This will ensure your organisation moves towards a leadership role and can be a champion of the strategy.

Depending on your organisation, this step will include setting up various mechanisms for your actions on the strategy and embedding in all key organisational strategies and policies either:

  • embedding commitment to the Volunteering Strategy into organisational strategies
  • commitment to the Volunteering Strategy is reflected in organisational policies that governs a whole-of organisation approach

Communicate

The way in which organisations communicate and showcase their contributions to the strategy provides a great opportunity to celebrate the impact and importance of what they do in helping to sustain healthy, resilient communities.

While there is no mandatory reporting requirements, organisations might like to share their commitment to the strategy by feeding into annual reports or existing reporting processes, or by posting their contribution on the Volunteering Strategy for SA Project Hub.

Download The Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021-2027

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Download The Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021-2027 – Easy Read Version

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Download the two year Action Plan

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