Volunteering New Zealand’s deep dive into the state of volunteering is nearing completion. In this update we tell you what we set out to do, the research we undertook and the key themes of our report. We’re aiming to have the substantive report out before the end of 2022. Sub-reports will follow.

Pre-design consultation

We kicked off our SOV2022 with a pre-design consultation with stakeholders. This informed how we designed our research. The main needs were: capturing the view of Māori, Pacific and other ethnic communities; capturing regional data where possible; gauging volunteer wellbeing and understanding motivations.

Methodology

We applied a mixed methods research methodology to studying the state of volunteering in Aotearoa in 2022. This included:

  • Focus groups with Māori volunteers
  • Interviews with young people and volunteers with disabilities
  • Utilising current research on Pacific peoples
  • Surveys with volunteers
  • Surveys with volunteer-involving organisations
  • Lessons from Te Ao Māori and Kaupapa Māori

We received rich, diverse and inspiring views from across New Zealand. We hope to be able to provide some regional insights.

Key themes

The research report will synthesize the information around a series of themes:

  • Barriers and motivations for volunteering
  • Volunteering and Whakawhanaungatanga: relationships and connections
  • The public, organisational and personal benefits of volunteering
  • Recognising and valuing volunteers and volunteering
  • The impact of Covid-19 on volunteers and volunteering
  • Diversity and inclusion in volunteering theory and practice (including volunteers with disabilities, Pasifika, youth, Māori)

We have a draft supplementary report on Māori and mahi aroha, and aim to have additional supplementary reports on Covid learnings, and regional analysis ready for release in 2023.

 

We look forward to sharing the results with you in webinars and other fora. If you have any question or comments, please email: office@volunteeringnz.org.nz