Good Practice
Creating an inclusive volunteering program builds a richer, stronger, and more resilient community. Explore our 12 actionable strategies designed to break down barriers, welcome diverse perspectives, and support every volunteer to thrive.
1. Why Inclusive?
Diverse volunteering brings vital perspectives, fuels innovation, and ensures your outreach accurately represents the community you support.
2. Representation
Ensure your imagery, leadership structures, and marketing materials authentically depict volunteers from all walks of life.
3. Communicate Inclusivity
Explicitly state your commitment to inclusion. Outline accessibility provisions directly within role advertisements and sign-ups.
4. Ask for Help
You don’t have to know everything. Consult with specialized third-sector organizations and advocates to shape best practices.
5. Support Volunteers
Offer tailored, ongoing support structure. Assigning a clear contact point or peer mentor makes transition into roles seamless.
6. Identify Barriers
Proactively spot physical, technological, geographical, and cognitive barriers, then design actionable ways to circumvent them.
7. Be Welcoming
Culture is key. Cultivate a friendly, inclusive environment where new team members are greeted warmly on day one.
8. Simple Application
Streamline applications. Avoid complex jargon, provide multiple alternative formats, and don’t ask for unnecessary info.
9. Expenses
Reimburse direct expenses like transport and food promptly. Financial strain should never hold anyone back from giving back.
10. Flexible Roles
Incorporate bite-sized, remote, or micro-volunteering roles to cater to people with jobs, families, or chronic illnesses.
11. Deaf-Friendly Tips
Maintain eye contact, avoid covering your mouth, use clear visual cues, and utilise speech-to-text apps when helpful.
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12. Visually Impaired
Ensure documents work with screen readers, offer verbal descriptions, and provide physical environment walk-throughs.
Inclusion Support & Resources
Looking for in-depth frameworks? Visit these leading organizations to explore detailed toolkits and legal guidelines for deaf-friendly and sight-loss volunteering.