Examining the Volunteer Landscape in Australia

With 18 workshops and 54 presentations, the three-day National Conference on Volunteering 2011 promises to provide a wealth of information, analysis and debate on every aspect of volunteering and volunteer management.

Volunteering Australia is to hold the National Conference on Volunteering 2011 on Monday 28th to Wednesday 30th November 2011 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The three-day conference program features: 18 workshops; 54 presentations; networking opportunities at the lunch breaks each day – themed by state, sector and occupation; casual drinks and networking on the night before the conference; a welcome reception and conference dinner.

Image: Dr Ron Edwards addresses the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering in Melbourne.

2011 marks the ten-year anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers, and the conference promises to be a highlight of the global celebrations that aim to ‘reinvigorate the spirit of volunteerism’.

Former High Court Justice, the Hon. Michael Kirby, will deliver the ‘Margaret Bell Spirit of Volunteering’ to open the conference.

Keynote speakers at the conference include:

• Dr Ram A. Cnaan, University of Pennsylvania (USA), a noted researcher on volunteerism
• Social Media Plenary
• Donna Keher, Chief of the Partnerships and Communications Division, United Nations
• Cary Pedicini, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering Australia
• Raelene Boyle, Australian National Living Treasure, Olympic legend and ambassador for Breast Cancer Network Australia
• Jan Owen, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Young Australians (FYA)
• Young People discussion panel
• The Hon. Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Social Inclusion
• Paul Ronald, First Assistant Secretary, Office of Work and Family, Australian Government

Presentations include:

• Pro Bono Australia founder Karen Mahlab will be presenting a session on successful communication with volutneers, Not for Profits and everyone in between.
• Matrix On Board – Enabling volunteer boards through e-governance
• University of Western Sydney – Volunteering as a strategy to fill gaps in my resume – Findings from a study on jobless individuals in Australia
• Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators – First class volunteer manager – The essential skills
• NSW Rural Fire Service – Online training – Online volunteer induction
• Vision Australia – Professional Development Pathways for Coordinator of Volunteers
• Department for Families & Communities, Govt of South Australia – Managing spontaneous volunteers
• John Richards Initiative – Recruiting and retaining volunteers in community services: research into best practice.
• Australian National University – Life course stage and type of volunteering activity
• Volunteering State and Territory Peak Bodies – Volunteer rights: myths and reality
• Gallery for Justice – Engaging volunteers using social networking & digital media
• Murdoch Business School – The incorporation of HR practices into the management of volunteers: Smart move, impossible dream or foolish act?
• Top Blokes Foundation – Igniting the inner Top Bloke – recruiting more young male volunteers to your organisation
• Volunteering Australia – Media planning for dummies
• Australian Sports Commission – The National Sport Volunteer Strategy
• Volunteering Queensland – So you think you can dance; or how to volunteer during natural disasters.
• Aon Risk Services Australia Limited – How to look at insurance for Not for Profits.
• Macquarie University – Recruiting volunteers: marketing tools and social media.
• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet – National Volunteering Strategy – Implementation.

Pro Bono Australia is proud to again be involved with the National Conference on Volunteering as the official media partner.

Our news team will be heading to the Gold Coast to coverage to conference, and will be reporting live from our on-site News desk.

We will be writing news articles, taking photos and joining in the conversation on social media to ensure attendees get as much as possible out of the conference – and that those who cant attend can still keep up to date.

In the lead up to the conference we will continue to highlight some of the speakers and sessions that will take place at the conference, and we will also produce a guide on how attendees can join the conference conversation on various social media channels.

Registration for the conference is still open. Please check out the Conference Registration page for more information on how to register for the conference.

Click here to download a copy of the Conference Program [PDF] (Please note: The Conference program is subject to change and will be updated regularly on the Conference website.

For speakers and presenters – the deadline to submit full papers and PowerPoint presentations has been extended to September 30th, 2011 (this is the final deadline).