Impact and value of volunteering on WA hits new heights
The economic value of volunteering in WA has increased from $39 billion in 2015 to $63.9 billion in 2023, according to the new State of Volunteering report from Volunteering WA.
This was generated by 1.5 million West Australians who dedicate their time to volunteering.
The report highlighted the impact and value of volunteering further, creating approximately 41,800 jobs and accounting for 14.7% increase in workplace productivity.
Volunteering was identified as a pivotal contributor to community and personal wellbeing, with 67.8% of volunteers saying that they do so to help others, followed by 38.2% for enjoyment, 34% to be active and 33.8% for social and community connection.
Interestingly, a significant portion of volunteer activity is undertaken by young people, with 78.2% of individuals under 25 involved in some form of volunteer work. As people get older, volunteering tends to decrease, with an increase post-retirement.
Auspire CEO, Morgen Lewis, attended the launch of the report.
“We know that our WA economy and society relies heavily on volunteers, but the State of Volunteering Report 2023 is evidence of just how important they are,” said Ms Lewis. “You can’t ignore these numbers.”
Volunteering WA’s report demonstrates just how vital volunteers are to the development of individuals and communities and is encouraging us to do all we can to support this momentum.
The State of Volunteering Report is the largest survey of volunteers and volunteer managers ever conducted in WA. View the full report here.
