Model Code Of Practice For Organizations Involving Volunteer Staff (This code has been put together by Volunteering Australia)

http://volunteersearch.gov.au/vs_principles.aspx?WHCode=13

(http://www.dcac.tas.gov.au/pages/DPSubs-pdfs/1.Volunteering-Tasmania-Inc.pdf)

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 34 per cent of adult Tasmanians were involved in volunteering activities during the year 2000, which was above the national level of 31 per cent.

Outside of metropolitan areas the volunteering rate is higher at 35.7 per cent compared to 31.5 per cent in urban areas. Tasmanian males volunteered at a rate of 34.1 per cent, while females volunteered slightly less at 33.8 per cent.

During the year 2000, Tasmanian volunteers devoted, on average, 19 hours annually to volunteer activities.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics at least one third of adult Tasmanians volunteer an average of two hours per week on a regular basis. That’s well over a hundred thousand Tasmanian volunteers, contributing almost eleven million hours of voluntary work each year. The equivalent in paid work is more than 250 million dollars.

This publication presents the results of the non-profit institutions satellite account for the financial year 1999-2000.

(http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/A41A434D8A63A4DCCA256C7E0076ABE2?OpenDocument)

http://www.wst.tas.gov.au/safety_comply/legislation

Volunteering is an essential part of our community. It is a major contributor to social capital and community cohesion and allows many organisations to operate in a way that would not otherwise be possible.

Data from a survey made by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in the year 2000, revealed that, while the reasons given for volunteering were varied, 47 per cent of individuals Australia-wide responded that ‘volunteering benefits the community’. This supports the view that the work performed by volunteers is crucial to developing stronger communities.

The Tasmanian community has acknowledged the key role of volunteering by including it in the goals of Tasmania Together, the overarching social, environmental and economic plan for the State. Volunteering is incorporated in Goal 3 of Tasmania Together (project that allows the people of Tasmania to not only say what they want, but to work together to achieve their long-term social, economic and environmental future); ‘ Recognise and value the many contributions that volunteers and unpaid workers can – and do – make to their community’ .

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/policy/partnerships/DepartmentofPremierandCabinet-Policy-PartnershipAgreements-FirstYearReport.html

There are about 5.000 not for profit organizations in Tasmania and about 116,000 volunteers providing community services in welfare, education, arts and music, tourism, heritage, sport and recreation and conservation. Volunteers are in the three sectors of business, government and not-for-profit.

(http://www.dcac.tas.gov.au/pages/DPSubs-pdfs/1.Volunteering-Tasmania-Inc.pdf)

Non-profit institutions are typically thought of as charities or community service organisations, but they are more than this. NPIs cover a wide range of activities and include organisations serving corporations and governments as well as households. NPIs may be engaged in either market production or non-market production, or a combination of both. (http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/05E9B055B07E821FCA256C7E0082FC79/$File/52560_1999-2000.pdf)

A non-profit organisation is defined as an organisation that is not operating for the profit or gain (either direct or indirect) of its individual members. This applies both while the organisation is operating and when it winds up.  Any profit made by the organisation goes back into the operation of the organisation to carry out its purposes and is not distributed to any of its members.

A charity is defined as a non-profit institution or fund established for a charitable purpose. This includes the relief of poverty or sickness or the needs of the aged; the advancement of education; the advancement of religion; the provision of child care services, and other purposes beneficial to the community.(http://72.14.205.104/custom?q=cache:KsXrfVDoid8J:www.development.tas.gov.au/bushfires/Clean-up%2520and%2520Assistance%2520Grants%2520for%2520Charities%2520and%2520Non-profit%2520Organisations%2520-%2520Grant%2520application.doc+charity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=google-coop-np)