The Global Index of Volunteer Engagement (GIVE).

 

As has been seen in the preceding chapters of this Report, to truly appreciate the significance of volunteering, it must be viewed holistically and recognized not just by the number of volunteers and hours contributed, but as a complex, multidimensional concept shaped by interconnected personal, community, economic and contextual factors. Effective strategies to address these diverse elements are crucial for promoting and managing volunteering to maximize its benefits and positive human impact. This Report estimates that 34.5 per cent of working-age people around the world (some 2.1 billion individuals) currently engage in volunteer work every month (see chapter 3). These volunteers contribute to addressing major global challenges, such as poverty, hunger and inequality, particularly in the Global South. 287 Just as volunteering contributed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 288 it is now widely seen as a crucial component for reaching the SDGs. 289 Such global recognition affirms volunteering as a key strategic asset, reinforcing the need to leverage its full potential. The significance of volunteering for social development is widely acknowledged. However, a notable gap persists in the development sector regarding a comprehensive and standardized measure that captures its multidimensional scope, providing substantial benefits for individuals, communities and economies. Unlike established composite indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI) 290 and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), 291 which offer holistic assessments of human and social development and consider vital factors beyond income or consumption patterns (see also chapter 5), no equivalent framework exists to capture the multidimensional contributions of volunteering. An overreliance on metrics focused on the numbers of volunteers and hours served, as discussed earlier in this Report, has led to the undervaluation of volunteerism, the true value of volunteers and the networks that engage them. To fill this gap, in the early 2000s UNV, in collaboration with the ILO and several other partners, led and championed initiatives to create standard tools for national data collection. The concept of a universal volunteering measuring framework was adopted to guide the generation of timely, reliable and standardized volunteering data. This chapter outlines a framework for constructing the GIVE, a crucial step in measuring volunteering using standardized tools and methodologies which will make it easier to compare data around the world. The proposed GIVE is a standardized, multidimensional composite index designed to capture and promote the contributions of volunteering worldwide. By providing a comprehensive metric, the GIVE will serve as a powerful advocacy tool to guide policy, inform investment in the volunteering sector and encourage greater citizen engagement in development. The data generated from the GIVE will contribute to measuring the contribution of volunteering on various development sectors and will serve as a resource for implementing sustainable development. The GIVE framework goes beyond numerical metrics related to volunteering, such as the number of volunteers, the hours they donate or the monetary value of their work – metrics which directly relate to the act of volunteering itself. Instead, its holistic perspective is rooted in the outcomes achieved through volunteering, demonstrating that volunteering has a significant impact on individuals, communities and society. This responds to a need for multidimensional approaches to measurement, as set out in previous chapters. The GIVE aims to enhance understanding of the real value of volunteering and its role in fostering sustainable development, social progress and overall well-being.