Self-confessed “serial volunteer” Tanya Dontas (OM 2007) understands the positive impact that comes with giving back, as well as the challenges volunteers and not for profit organisations can face.
In 2016, the social impact specialist and entrepreneur co-founded Vollie, an online volunteering marketplace connecting people with causes that matter to them – but with a few significant differences from the traditional model.
A new approach to volunteering
“In speaking with people at not-for-profits we found they often had a long list of people to undertake simple hands-on tasks, but they were under resourced from a skills perspective. That was really a starting point for us,” explains Tanya.
Somewhat uniquely, Vollie addresses the physical barriers to volunteering by employing a remote working model. “As soon as we removed that barrier, it was amazing to see the uptake by skilled workers such as marketers, legal professionals and accountants,” says Tanya.
“We also recognised that people can find it hard to commit to continuing volunteer work so all the projects on Vollie are project based. They are specific tasks with a clear start and end date,” she explains. “This has instantly eliminated issues.”
Vollie is currently utilised by more than 1300 non-profit, charity and social enterprises. They post their projects using simple templates, and manage the engagement process and work using an inbuilt feedback loop.
“It didn’t feel right to take money from a charity so these groups use Vollie for free,” Tanya says. “However, we had to make the platform financially sustainable so now universities and corporate workplaces can utilise the platform, but they pay for the service. “
In addition to time poor but community driven workers, Vollie is also popular with university students looking to get real world experience and improve their resume as well as, increasingly, retirees.
“Vollie is also popular with legal firms with a commitment to pro bono work and major companies with staff volunteer programs,” says Tanya. “The system has a tracking system which not only records the projects and hours completed, but also the dollar value of that work and impact, helping these companies report on their social contribution.”
At the time of publication, Vollie has delivered around 7,500 projects, about half a million volunteer hours, and approximately $9 million in project value add.
Driven by values learnt as a child
Juggling a busy work schedule and raising a toddler, Tanya still prioritises giving back by mentoring other start-ups to help them on their journey. This drive to give others a leg up is inspired by Tanya’s upbringing. “Coming from an immigrant family, I think it does change your view of the world,” she says. “When my parents came to Australia, they worked very hard. I am lucky to have the resources and the education I’ve been given – I’m very aware that not everyone gets the same chances.”
Holding fond memories of her time at Grimwade House, Tanya is excited for her daughter to follow in her footsteps by attending the school in a few years. “It’s amazing that she will go to the same school and be in the same House my brother and I were in,” says Tanya. “The values that I learned at Grimwade have stuck with me for life and are part of the person I am today.”
You can find out more about Vollie at vollie.com.au
