The volunteering landscape and wider volunteering ecosystem are rapidly changing around us, and the use of technology and engagement platforms have become increasingly important in ensuring volunteers and the organisations supporting them remain informed, connected, and can easily access the support they need.

The VIO Online Accessibility Survey, conducted in 2023, highlighted issues in the capability of individuals to access materials to support volunteers based on many factors.

The Report findings serve as a clear roadmap for the volunteering sector, Government partners, and wider stakeholders to determine where future resourcing and capability building activities should be targeted and how to 

track their impact over time more easily.

This document offers practical tips and advice on how Volunteer Peak Bodies can support digital capacity and capability among VIOs in their respective states.

Key Messages to Advocate for Digital Accessibility

• While most organisations have some access to technology, there is a clear digital divide between metropolitan organisations and their rural counterparts as well as larger organisations and small organisations.
• Connection to reliable internet is a common indictor of digital capacity.
• The top 3 issues for online accessibility and building digital capability and capacity are time, budget and knowledge.
• 90% of organisations indicated online volunteer management resources would be useful and 75% are confident their organisations would use online resources designed to assist with recruitment, retention, training and management of volunteers.
  

Promoting Digital Accessibility

•  Ensure mobile / tablet accessibility for all resources. 85% of VIOs report using mobile phones, with 46% using tablets in areas of their VIO operations.
• Consider partnerships and supporting the work of organisations who already support digital capability and capacity e.g. Digital Transformation Hub or Telstra.
• Promote Grant opportunities to support digital inclusion for NFPs.
  • Microsoft 365 NFP Grants to save on Microsoft solutions: https://nonprofit.microsoft.com/en-us/getting-started
  • Telstra Connected Communities: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/telstra-connected-communities-program/
  • Building Digital Skills Grant: https://www.beconnectednetwork.org.au/grant-program/building-digital-skills-grants
  • Smarty Grants: https://www.smartygrants.com.au
    
    
• Research state based grants and opportunities to share with your networks.
• Establish links into a ‘circular economy’ program that enables corporates or larger community organisations to gift technological equipment to smaller/micro VIOs when they are replacing their equipment (e.g. Qld Community Foundation).
• Consider promoting skilled volunteers who can support VIOs with increasing their digital capacity.

Building Digital Capability

• Promote Resources and free or low cost training to support digital capability and inclusion.
  • Digital Transformation Hub: https://digitaltransformation.org.au/
  • Connecting Up: https://www.connectingup.org/
  • Techsoup: https://techsoup-au.course.tc/
  • National Knowledge Base access a range of Digital Literacy topics specific to volunteering: https://volunteering.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/51000257917
    
    
• Research state based resource libraries and opportunities to share with your networks.
• Share the Guide: Tips to Increase Online Accessibility for Volunteer Involving Organisations with your networks.

Supporting Digital Engagement

• Provide VMA resources in additional formats that are accessible with minimal internet connectivity, such as plain text and avoiding video.
• Identify potential partners in each jurisdiction that could co-deliver pilots to reach audiences with minimal internet connectivity. (e.g libraries, Councils or Neighbourhood Centres).
• Establish a network of VIO Digital Champions across the jurisdictions who are passionate about the digital agenda and can help lead and bring others along through the changes to more digital engagement methods.

Discover more about digital inclusion for Australia Volunteer Involving Organisations in the VIO Online Accessibility Survey Report: Volunteer Involving Organisations Online Accessibility Survey

Acknowledgement

This resource has been developed under the National Volunteer Management Activity project.