International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

Globally, around 2.1 billion individuals, engage in volunteer work each month . Despite this significant evidence, volunteer data remains incomplete and inconsistent, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Different definitions of volunteering make comparisons difficult. Numerical measurement based on time and money does not capture the full value of volunteering . How can we use a more holistic and practical metric to move the conversation about measurement beyond numbers, and what would it take to implement it at scale? This session introduces the Global Index of Volunteer Engagement (GIVE) , a new way of understanding what volunteering contributes to people, communities and economies. GIVE is built around four dimensions: individual value, societal value, economic value and an environment that promotes volunteerism. Drawing on Chapter 7 of the 2026 State of the World's Volunteerism Report, panellists in this webinar will discuss how the GIVE offers an innovative appr...

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva , reminded everyone that today was International Volunteer Day. The Secretary-General had issued a message emphasizing how volunteering offered a powerful way to forge connections and foster our shared humanity , and paid gratitude to the more than 14,000 people who had served through the United Nations Volunteers program. This week also marked the launch of the International Volunteer Year 2026 . The Secretary-General is urging everyone, everywhere to volunteer for the cause that mattered to them in these times of crisis and uncertainty. Tommaso Della Longa for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) , said International Volunteer Day was a moment to honour the more than 17 million Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who made the world a safer place every day . This year the theme was " Local, Everywhere ", highlighting the unique network volunteers coming from the community t...

  .The 2026 SWVR seeks to advance debates around the world on volunteer measurement by tackling the persistent evidence gaps that limit our  understanding of the impacts of volunteering and the experiences of many volunteers . In line with previous SWVR cycles, this edition represents a step change, focusing on volunteer measurement, reflecting how conceptual and methodological priorities have evolved over time.  Investments in humanitarian and development work  are increasingly results-driven in order to achieve sustainable outcomes.  Evidence of the impact of volunteerism  is, therefore, essential to shape responsive policies. 

Risks around the world are escalating and volunteers are on the frontlines of change . From responding to climate emergencies and disasters to tackling deep-seated inequalities, their role in creating social cohesion and accelerating development has never been more essential. And yet, this vital work often remains invisible. Without reliable and comprehensive evidence on the roles, scale and value of volunteering, our understanding of policy remains fragmented and investment decisions remain ill-informed. Consistent and disaggregated data about volunteering is therefore urgently needed – not just to provide evidence of impact, but to enable policymakers to design more effective, inclusive responses and to fully integrate volunteering as a measurable component of national development. This Report builds on more than a decade of research conducted for the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR). This research has progressively expanded the global understanding of volunteerism – f...

Building on the case made in chapter 1, this chapter provides a critical overview of the state-of-the-art in volunteer measurement, tracing how approaches have evolved from their origins in statistical and economic terms to the holistic, multi-method frameworks increasingly used today. Examples illustrate how measurement objectives and practices have changed, particularly since the 2000s, alongside a growing understanding of volunteering as a force with economic and social value . From this new holistic perspective, measurement has become key to demonstrating that voluntary action generates public value and deserves recognition from citizens and governments.   As established in chapter 1, how volunteering is measured directly affects how it is valued. This chapter delves into the tools themselves, showing how different approaches can shape narratives and influence decisions. While standardized indicators are essential for comparability – one of the goals addressed by the GIVE fram...

Understanding of the global scale, nature and impact of volunteer work remains limited. Key questions remain, such as how many people volunteer and in what ways. Answering these questions requires robust, comparable and timely data. This is more than an academic exercise – it is a strategic necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly demonstrated that communities rely on informal volunteer networks for survival and support when formal systems are strained or absent. 75 The link to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is more critical than ever. Volunteerism is recognized as a powerful and cross-cutting means of implementing the entire Agenda . New estimates provide a muchneeded baseline to advocate for the greater inclusion of volunteerism in national development strategies and Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Its contributions have often been under-reported and undervalued. This chapter builds on previous initiatives to provide new estimates of volunteer engagement at both glo...