Donate

Advocacy

A GLOBAL VOICE FOR VOLUNTEERING

We organize to advance volunteering as a fundamental building block of civil society, in every country and culture. Our Universal Declaration of Volunteering “supports the right of every woman, man and child to associate freely and to volunteer regardless of their cultural and ethnic origin, religion, age, gender, and physical, social or economic condition.”  We are a leading voice in positioning volunteers as vital to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. 

IAVE's Advocacy Agenda

As part of our efforts to advocate for a global culture of volunteering that is recognized as a vital tool for creating a more sustainable, fair and peaceful world, IAVE is committed to:
  • Developing and enabling platforms for our members and the volunteer community at large to share the transformative impact of their volunteering actions, gaining greater global recognition.
  • Increasing understanding and acceptance of volunteering as a strategic asset to help achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, working in partnership with United Nations Volunteers.
  • Working with partners to ensure the message of volunteering and its value expands globally.
  • Encouraging global businesses to commit to increasing the scope and impact of their volunteer efforts, offering opportunities to serve all of their employees.
  • Advocating, when and where necessary, for greater awareness of the systems, structures and preconditions for volunteering to thrive.
  • Building understanding by governments, businesses and international agencies of the critical role of national leadership organizations for volunteering in developing a high impact volunteer practice.
Advocacy efforts

Volunteering Leadership

IAVE supports leadership organizations in valuing and developing volunteering worldwide. We work together to get more people involved as volunteers and raise awareness of the strategic value of volunteering. Our Global Network of Volunteering Leadership (GNVL) advocates for volunteering and its impact together with these national and regional structures.

LEARN MORE

Photo: IAVE’s National Volunteer Leadership Organizations Meeting 

Advocacy efforts

Universal Declaration on Volunteering

The Universal Declaration on Volunteering serves as the framework for IAVE’s advocacy efforts, with the core belief that all people have the inherent right to volunteer.

LEARN MORE

Photo: Transformative Impact Corporate Volunteering Conference, hosted by IAVE and VSO