2025 Volunteer Manager of the Year Awards

Honouring exceptional volunteer management in the Canberra Region

The Volunteer Manager of the Year Awards is an annual celebration for volunteer managers in the ACT and surrounding areas. This event elevates the profile of volunteer management as a profession.

The award is presented to an individual whose leadership and inclusive practices have shaped and strengthened volunteer programs in their organisation and/or community.

The awards are held in recognition of International Volunteer Managers Day, celebrated on 5 November annually.

VolunteeringACT invites you to nominate your outstanding

volunteer coordinator or manager for the awards!

Key dates

• Nominations open – Monday, 25 August 2025
• Nominations close – Wednesday, 1 October 2025
• Award ceremony – Wednesday, 5 November 2025

Award categories

Three prestigious categories recognising diverse forms of volunteer excellence

This award recognises a volunteer manager who demonstrates exceptional skills in implementing the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement. The nominee excels in volunteer recruitment, training, support, and recognition, creating programs that maximise both volunteer satisfaction and community impact through strategic planning and innovative approaches.

This award recognises a volunteer manager who has made outstanding efforts to create safe, accessible, and inclusive volunteering opportunities in their programs/organisation. The nominee demonstrates commitment to removing barriers, advancing diversity, and ensuring that volunteers from all ages, abilities, genders, and sexualities and from all cultures can meaningfully participate and contribute to the organisation’s goals.

This award recognises a collaborative team that delivers exceptional volunteer programs. The nominated team demonstrates strong coordination, shared vision, and collective impact in supporting volunteers, with evidence of effective teamwork, communication, and innovative approaches that enhance the overall volunteer satisfaction and organisational outcomes. 

Nomination Process

• Nominee consent: To nominate a volunteer or a volunteer team for the awards, the nominator must ensure the nominee has consented to their nomination in writing or verbally. If they do not consent, please choose another volunteer or volunteer team to nominate.

• Complete the online nomination form: Fill out the comprehensive nomination form with detailed information about nominee’s contribution and impact.

• Provide supporting documents (optional): Include testimonies, photos or letters of recommendation to demonstrate nominee’s exceptional service and community impact.

• Submit by deadline: The last date to submit a nomination is 4pm, Wednesday, 1 October for consideration by our judging panel.

Eligibility criteria

Nominations can be submitted for an individual volunteer manager or a volunteer management team that has made a notable contribution to the ACT community. This might include areas such as community work, sport, education, science, culture, arts, or environment.

Nominations are accepted for any individual or team –

• who manages, coordinates or leads volunteers in the Canberra Region in a paid or unpaid capacity

• whose roles and responsibilities include leading and managing volunteers, regardless of their position title in the organisation

• has been actively involved in volunteer management in the Canberra Region in the last 12 months

Nominations can be submitted for volunteer managers who were nominated in previous years; however, they must be active in their role in the last 12 months.

All nominees of the Volunteer Manager of the Year Awards will receive a complimentary ticket to attend the Volunteer Leaders Seminar.

Day and date 

Wednesday, 5 November 2025

(During Volunteer Leaders Seminar)

Venue

Denman Village Community Centre

Thank you for your interest in the 2025 Volunteer Manager of the Year Awards! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. 

02 6251 4060 | events@volunteeringact.org.au