Volunteering Engagement: The effects of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes worldwide through lockdowns and social distancing measures; these changes have been felt heavily in the non-profit sector. For example, the pandemic has prevented the use of traditional methods of volunteering where work is carried out in person or on location. However, the non-profit sector has used virtual volunteering through online social networks and video conferencing (e.g. Zoom) to share knowledge and communicate with the community to maintain relationships. This research aims to understand the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the non-profit sector and the role/benefit virtual volunteering can provide going forward. Using a case study covering the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong 2022, this paper provides an example of the current state of traditional volunteering within Australia and the use of online social networks to help promote the event by finding traditional volunteers to assist with the event