Charities copping it on all sides

A crash in volunteer hours compounds surging demand, writes Catryna Bilyk

THE charities and not- forprofits sector in Australia makes up 8 per cent of the economy and 10 per cent of the workforce and has three million volunteers.

Last year alone, Tasmania received about $ 4 billion in benefit from volunteering.

Volunteering has been hit hard by COVID- 19 and the charities and not- for- profits that rely on volunteers will take a long time to recover.

During the pandemic, two in three volunteers stopped volunteering, leading to an estimated loss of 12.2 million volunteer hours in Australia. Many, particularly older Australians, are not returning, and recruiting new volunteers can be expensive and timeconsuming.

Despite the challenges, there ha been no new funding in this year’s federal budget to help overcome the devastating impact of COVID- 19. There are no new initiatives to help recruit and engage volunteers.

As part of its pre- budget submission, Volunteering Australia suggested initiatives, including investing in volunteering support services and digital solutions as part of pre- employment programs.

Given the pandemic has led to a surge in video meetings and other online activity, training volunteers in digital skills could be a valuable way to engage them, and could be extended to charity staff as they look at what services they can deliver online.

The lack of take- up of this and other proposals by Volunteering Australia was understandably disappointing for this struggling sector. Don’t be fooled by the $ 10 million the government has put aside for volunteer grants, that’s less than half the $ 21 million allocated when Labor began the program in 2010.

It is also less than half what the sector has asked for.

The lack of support has compounded the crisis already facing charities and not- forprofits. Charities are facing a perfect storm. Donations are forecast to fall by 7 per cent this year and a whopping 12 per cent next year.

At the same time, demand is skyrocketing, and charities

DURING THE PANDEMIC, TWO IN THREE VOLUNTEERS STOPPED VOLUNTEERING, LEADING TO AN ESTIMATED LOSS OF 12.2 MILLION VOLUNTEER HOURS

are expected to do more for less. Foodbank reported that demand was up 79 per cent.

In some ways the Morrison government is making life even more difficult. Demand is likely to grow further as the JobKeeper wage subsidy and the increased JobSeeker through the Coronavirus Supplement are withdrawn too soon. The stepdown is already seeing billions ripped out of the economy, including up to $ 60 million a fortnight from the Tasmanian economy.

One simple way the government could help is through charity fundraising law reform.

I and Labor MP Andrew Leigh have been calling for two years for the government to come good on its promise and work with states and territories to harmonise Australia’s outdated charity fundraising laws.

When charities raise funds online, the red tape nightmare of having to comply with myriad state and territory laws and registration schemes is like trying to sail while dragging an anchor.

The release of a discussion paper on reform of charity fundraising laws by the NSW government is welcome, but progress on this issue is glacial in the absence of national leadership.

Support for the charities and not- for- profits sector, and to mobilise volunteers, will be crucial in supporting struggling families through the Morrison recession.

It is a recession that will be longer and deeper than necessary, as a result of the government’s decision to leave millions of Australians behind.

Unfortunately, charities, not- for- profits and volunteers, are another casualty.