Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated

What Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated does

Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated (Tūao Aotearoa) is a non-profit membership association founded in August 2001 in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, established during the International Year of the Volunteer with the Department of Internal Affairs and regional volunteer centres as founding partners. It operates as the national voice for volunteering, supporting not-for-profit organisations that engage volunteers across health, humanitarian, animal welfare, safety, community, and government sectors — member organisations include St John, New Zealand Red Cross, SPCA, Surf Life Saving NZ, Coastguard NZ, the Salvation Army, YMCA, English Language Partners, and the Department of Conservation.

The organisation's core offering is a portfolio of resources, training programmes, and online tools designed to professionalise volunteer management. Products include the Best Practice Guidelines (v2 launched 2023), the InvolveMe volunteer self-assessment tool (2017), the LeadMe volunteer management tool (2018), the National Mentoring Programme (2024), the State of Volunteering research reports (2016, 2020, 2022, 2024), and the National Youth Volunteer Awards. Technology is delivered via a website (volunteeringnz.org.nz) maintained by an in-house freelance web developer, with conferences ticketed through Humanitix and supported by BetterImpact and Rosterfy partnerships.

Revenue is generated through a tiered membership programme ($115–$575 NZD per year based on member organisation annual expenditure), conference ticketing, consulting and contract services, and grants from government (Department of Internal Affairs), the Lottery Grants Board, and philanthropic foundations. Distribution is anchored by 15 regional volunteer centres acting as channel resellers, national campaigns (National Volunteer Week, The Big Shout Out), and an annual conference. Operating geographies are exclusively New Zealand; the organisation is governed by a board of 8 with a small staff of approximately 7–8 led by Chief Executive Michelle Kitney.

Name

Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated

Legal name

Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated

Website

https://volunteeringnz.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Volunteering New Zealand (Tūao Aotearoa) is a non-profit membership association founded in 2001 that serves as the national voice for volunteering in Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting volunteer-involving organisations through tools, training, research, and national campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Sector Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO), Volunteer Safety, Safeguarding & Risk Management Services (EDAIAGAN)

Keywords

• Volunteer sector advocacy
• Non-profit membership association
• Volunteer training resources
• Volunteer management guidelines
• National volunteering campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees charged to volunteer involving organisations based on their annual expenditure. Fees range from $115 to $575 per year depending on organisation size.
2. Conference Revenue: Revenue from annual conferences, masterclasses, and professional development workshops. Includes ticket sales and optional networking events.
3. Consulting Services: Contract for service offerings including organisational research, strategic advisory services, research and reports.
4. Grants and Funding: Support from government departments, trusts and foundations including Department of Internal Affairs and Lottery Grants Board.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Volunteering New Zealand is a national membership-based non-profit association that supports volunteer-involving organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand through advocacy, sector research, training, and national campaigns. Its core deliverables include the Volunteer Best Practice Guidelines, online tools (InvolveMe and LeadMe), a national mentoring programme for volunteer managers, the annual conference, state-of-sector research reports, and campaigns such as National Volunteer Week and The Big Shout Out.

Product overview

Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated operates as a membership-based association offering a unified portfolio of resources, tools, and programmes to support volunteer-involving organisations and volunteer leaders across Aotearoa New Zealand. The core offering includes the Volunteer Best Practice Guidelines (v2), supported by online tools InvolveMe (volunteer self-assessment) and LeadMe (volunteer management), alongside the National Mentoring Programme for professional development of volunteer managers. The organisation delivers national campaigns including National Volunteer Week and The Big Shout Out, runs the annual Volunteering New Zealand Conference, and administers the National Youth Volunteer Awards. Research capabilities are anchored by the State of Volunteering Reports, while consulting services and workshops provide targeted organisational support. Membership benefits include access to resources, training discounts, networking, and advocacy representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Best Practice Guidelines Comprehensive guidelines setting out the seven best practices of the volunteer journey, accompanied by guides and templates to help organisations manage volunteers effectively. Version 2 was launched in 2023.
• InvolveMe Online tool for volunteer self-assessment, released in 2017, enabling volunteers to evaluate their own skills, engagement levels, and development needs.
• LeadMe Volunteer management tool developed in 2018 to help organisations better manage their volunteer programmes with practical features and resources.
• National Mentoring Programme Mentoring programme for volunteer managers and coordinators providing leadership development, strategic planning support, and peer guidance, launched in 2024.
• Volunteering New Zealand Annual Conference Annual national conference for volunteer managers, leaders of volunteers, and those running organisations working through volunteer workforces, featuring networking, workshops, keynote speakers, and professional development sessions. Tickets sold via Humanitix with scholarship tickets for small organisations.
• National Volunteer Week Aotearoa's largest annual celebration of volunteering, held in June with free downloadable resources including editable templates, certificates, thank you cards, social media tiles, and promotional materials.
• The Big Shout Out Nationwide campaign running throughout June celebrating volunteers who power communities, with a social media toolkit including editable Canva templates, communications packs, logos, social tiles, web banners, thank you cards, and email banners.
• National Youth Volunteer Awards Awards recognising young people aged 12-24 who give their time, energy and care to strengthen communities, support others and care for the environment, with four categories: Youth Group of the Year, Kaitiakitanga Award, Future Leader/Tuakana Award, and Unsung Hero Award.
• State of Volunteering Reports Flagship research publications providing the latest data, trends, and insights on volunteering in New Zealand, published in 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2024, including the State of the Decade of Volunteering report.
• VNZ Consulting & Contract Services Contract for service offerings including organisational research, strategic advisory services, and custom research and reports for organisations seeking support with volunteer programme development.
• Workshops & Presentations Workshops and presentations on topics including State of Volunteering data insights, Volunteer Best Practice Guidelines application, and custom sessions tailored to organisational needs.
• VNZ Organisational Membership Annual membership programme for volunteer-involving organisations with tiered pricing from $115 to $575+ per year based on annual expenditure, providing access to resources, training discounts, mentoring, advocacy representation, and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• State of Volunteering reports published in 2016, 2020, 2022, and 2024 providing industry-leading research on volunteering trends
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BetterImpactcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing volunteer management software solutions. BetterImpact Logo is displayed on supporters page indicating ongoing partnership relationship.
• Department of Internal AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department providing support for VNZ operations and initiatives including National Youth Volunteer Awards. Key government partner for policy and advocacy work.
• International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network membership providing international connections and thought leadership in volunteering. VNZ participates in IAVE conferences and initiatives.
• Global Network of National Volunteer CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network connecting national volunteer centres worldwide, enabling knowledge sharing and global volunteering initiatives.
• SEEKminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSEEK Volunteer platform partner providing volunteer matching services. Logo displayed on supporters page indicating partnership relationship.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Rosterfy: Event and volunteer management platform partner listed on VNZ materials. Competes in the same volunteer-management tool category as LeadMe, but as a venture-backed SaaS with global customers.
• BetterImpact: Volunteer management software provider whose logo appears on VNZ's supporters page. Overlaps with VNZ's LeadMe tool in the volunteer-management software category, but at global SaaS scale rather than as a national peak body.
• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteer matching platform serving non-profits. An emerging player in the volunteer-involving organisation technology stack adjacent to VNZ's digital tooling (InvolveMe/LeadMe).

Direct peers

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): The UK's leading membership body for charities and voluntary organisations, providing research, training, and policy advocacy. Operates a similar peak-body/membership structure to VNZ but at materially larger scale.
• Volunteering Australia: Australia's national peak body for volunteering, the closest functional analogue to Volunteering New Zealand. Both organisations advocate for the volunteer sector, run national campaigns, publish research, and provide training/resources to volunteer-involving organisations in their respective countries.
• Volunteer Canada: Canada's national voice for volunteering with a comparable membership-and-research model to VNZ. Both organisations provide sector research, best-practice resources, and advocacy on volunteer engagement at the national level.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light Foundation: US-based global volunteering-focused nonprofit operating volunteer programmes, corporate engagement, and recognition services. A larger incumbent operating broadly in the volunteering space with overlapping advocacy and recognition activities.
• IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort): Global network connecting national volunteer centres — VNZ is a member. IAVE operates at the international layer, convening national bodies like VNZ, Volunteering Australia, and Volunteer Canada on global volunteering strategy.

Regional players

• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's membership body for the voluntary sector, offering research, training, and policy advocacy. Comparable to VNZ in role but operates as a regional Scottish peak body and is significantly larger.
• Volunteer Ireland: Ireland's national volunteering organisation providing volunteer matching, training, and advocacy. Highly comparable to VNZ in mission and service mix, but serves the Republic of Ireland rather than New Zealand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/volunteeringnz
• Instagraminstagram.com/volunteeringnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteering-new-zealand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Volunteering New Zealand Incorporated