Volunteering New Zealand |
Tūao Aotearoa

Website

volunteeringnz.org.nz

Judges’ comments

The judges praised the Volunteering New Zealand website for its clear purpose and excellent structure. The homepage immediately tells visitors what the site is about and clearly identifies its two main audiences — volunteers and organisations. The navigation is intuitive and logical, making it easy for different users to find content designed specifically for them.

Consolidating previously separate websites (including National Volunteer Week, Student Volunteer Week, and Pivot Conference) has made information easier to find and reduced confusion.

The judges were impressed by the quality of the writing and design. Headings are clear and descriptive, making pages easy to scan. Sentences are mostly short and direct. The language is accessible, with minimal jargon. The site makes good use of bullet points and white space.

The tone is professional, welcoming, and community-focused, which suits the site’s purpose well. The clean, uncluttered design helps readers absorb information quickly.

The website is clearly fit for purpose. Early results show measurable success — a 57 percent increase in website visits, 130 new newsletter subscribers in the first few months, and fewer mistaken membership sign-ups. The judges noted that target audiences can find what they need, understand it, and act confidently. The site does an excellent job of including important information while keeping it concise and well-organized.

Media statement

Tūao Aotearoa Volunteering New Zealand is the peak body for volunteering. We offer guidance and support for volunteer organisations and volunteer managers. But the secondary purpose of our website is to channel people looking for volunteer roles.

In revamping our website, we wanted to make it clear what we did as an organisation and how people could interact with us. This meant that we rewrote most of the content on the website and created smoother workflows and calls to action so that users could navigate easily.

The new website has created an intuitive, accessible, and engaging experience that showcases Volunteering New Zealand’s values, provides essential resources, and strengthens our role as the primary point of contact for volunteers and volunteer managers.

We revised and simplified the content (including images), improved structure and functional features. The user experience has been improved, including layout, visual appeal and storytelling. We had a 57% increase in website visits in May/June 2025 compared to May/June 2024.

We are proud to be a finalist for this award.

Margaret McLachlan
Communications Manager
Volunteering New Zealand