There are a lot of organisations that regularly look for volunteers in Melbourne and across Victoria.
We’ve put together a list of volunteer organisations you could approach. It’s not a complete list – it’s just to get you thinking about where you could volunteer and the kind of work you’d like to do.
Some of these organisations have a strict process for assessing volunteers. You might need things like a police check or a Working with Children Check (WCC).
Some of these positions are also for specific roles that have certain requirements. You might need to go to an interview. You might need to do a training course or a trial before you can volunteer.
To find even more organisations seeking volunteers (and get some tips about volunteering), visit the Victorian Government's volunteering website.
You can also visit our how to find volunteer work page.
Arts and media organisations
Community Broadcasting Online lets you find a community radio or TV station near you, which you can contact about volunteering opportunities.
Types of roles include administration, presentation, production, technical and sponsorship or media sales.
FReeZA is a Victorian Government program that gives young people aged 12-25 the chance to be involved with live music, dance parties and other artistic events.
You can get involved with a FReeZA committee and help organise events in your local area.
Community support organisations
Melbourne City Mission provides homeless support, children's and youth services, education support, disability support and employment services. If you’re over 18, you can get in touch with them to find a volunteer opportunity that might suit you.
The Smith Family is a children’s charity helping disadvantaged children. If you’re over 18, you can get involved with a volunteer position such as mentoring high school students, or helping with homework, literacy or learning clubs.
Uniting is a community organisation that works with disadvantaged Victorians. If you’re over 16, you can provide support for people with disability, help an older person, or assist with the annual Food for Families Christmas appeal.
Australian Red Cross provides care during emergencies, as well as supporting vulnerable people in the community. Volunteer roles include visiting older people in the community, gardening, sorting clothing donations, or working in emergency services volunteer teams.
Educational organisations
Museums Victoria includes Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Immigration Museum. If you’re 18 years or older, you can apply to become a volunteer to help visitors or assist with collections.
Environmental organisations
Environmental volunteering has a search tool that allows you to search for available environmental volunteering opportunities in your area. You can filter by activity type, local government area (LGA) or volunteer group name.
Clean Up Australia works with communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. Clean Up Australia happens every Australia Day, but there are other events throughout the year. You can get involved in Clean Up Australia Day, Every Day Clean Up, Great Spring Clean and other community events.
Conservation Volunteers Australia manages projects together with regional councils, national parks, museums, bushfire recovery and other conservation groups. You can work on different types of conservation projects, including tree planting, fencing, weed control, track maintenance, and flora and fauna surveys.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer firefighting and emergency services organisation. If you’re aged 11 to 15, you can join the Junior Volunteers program, which includes firefighting drills, first aid training, community service and other activities. If you’re over 16, you can become a regular volunteer, which can involve firefighting and emergency management, and support roles such as fundraising and community education.
Landcare is a community-based movement that protects and repairs the environment. You can find a Landcare group in your area and get involved in tree-planting and other ways of looking after the land.
Parks Victoria looks after Victoria’s national and state parks. You can search the ParkConnect website for volunteer activities like assisting park visitors, track maintenance, weed management and habitat restoration. There are also many ‘friends of’ groups around Victoria that look after particular parks.
Health organisations
Heart Foundation is a charity that fights heart disease. Volunteers do everything from answering phones to door knocking and helping with events.
Cancer Council Victoria provides cancer research, prevention and support. You can volunteer as an office volunteer, fundraising volunteer, or get involved with a Relay For Life event.
St John Ambulance works to save lives through first aid. They provide medical and first aid services at events. You can get involved in a number of ways.
If you’re 12 to 17, you can join as a youth member. Youth members do first aid training and assist at events. If you’re over 18, you can become a St John First Aider and provide first aid at events. If you’re a student health professional, you can gain clinical experience by working alongside qualified health professionals and dealing with real emergencies.
Social justice organisations
Amnesty International Australia campaigns for human rights and social justice. You can volunteer on an Australian-based campaign doing things like coordinating events, campaigning in the community, general office administration and reception.
ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) Victoria campaigns for justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You can volunteer in a number of roles such as staffing stalls at community festivals, office administration, account keeping and merchandising and researching for submissions and grant applications.
Oxfam Australia is an international organisation that works to alleviate poverty. Volunteers work in customer service, research, editing, events and photography, among many other things. Usually you need to be over 18 to volunteer at Oxfam Australia, but if you’re 16 to 18, you can ask for special consideration.
More volunteering opportunities
Volunteer.vic - Victoria's volunteering portal
Volunteering Victoria - the non-profit peak body for the volunteering community