Volunteers in Australia are essential to the provision of a range of services. This includes emergency services, hospitals and schools and cultural life of many communities. Yet Western countries – including Australia – have recently reported a decline in volunteer rates. Data from Australia collected in 2014 showed that only 31% of the population had volunteered in the past 12 months. Research has largely focused on identifying why people volunteer. But what are the barriers to volunteer participation? And what can governments and volunteer-involving organisations do to help potential volunteers overcome these problems?