Since the Awards were introduced in 1997, Volunteering Australia and its eight state members have been pleased to support and work closely with the National to encourage local community groups to nominate for the awards. We do this to gain recognition for the work of volunteers in Australia who contribute about 433.9 million hours of volunteer work every year.
Awards consist of cash and a specially produced trophy for state and national winners.
They are judged by representatives of Australia's major volunteer organisation's including Volunteering Australia. As well as recognising and rewarding the outstanding achievements of volunteers, a key aim of the Awards is to share ideas and best practice between community groups. At the conclusion of the Awards each year, summaries of the winning projects and programs are made available in the CommunityLink Magazine and on the National's website. Volunteer organisations achieve a lot with very little financial support. Their stories deserve to be heard and celebrated.