20 years ago, I discovered the world of volunteering by accident. Quite literally.
I walked into a volunteering foundation in Valencia without having the slightest idea what volunteering was all about, or why people would dedicate their time, without receiving anything in return, to helping others they didn’t even know.
As an economist, I found it difficult to get my head around it. It was as if the rules of the market, which until then had explained so many things, suddenly stopped making sense here.
And I can say that these have been 20 incredible and unexpected years. Two decades in which I have not only discovered volunteering and met wonderful people, but also embarked on another adventure, once again quite literally: starting and building a business.
What will I take away from these 20 years?
The ability people have to change realities and refuse to settle for the way things are.
The motivating force that comes from doing what is right, from doing what needs to be done.
The transformative power of volunteering and helping others.
The increasingly important role businesses play in driving social change.
The realisation that volunteers in Spain have a lot in common with those in the United States or Colombia. Volunteering knows no borders.
The certainty that companies and NGOs can understand one another and work together towards a common goal.
And I could go on with a much longer list.
Volunteering doesn’t just happen by chance
But there is something else I have learned: none of this is easy, nor does it happen automatically. For volunteering to fulfil its full potential, it needs to be professionalised, properly resourced, and supported by the infrastructure that makes it possible.
Over the years, many people have said to me: “Juan Ángel, I’ve been trying to volunteer for months, but I haven’t managed to find an opportunity.” We’ve also heard from numerous NGOs: “We’ve worked with a company, but we’ve never got beyond a one-off activity.” And far too many companies admit that they don’t know how to understand or work with an NGO.
This is where Volies finds its purpose: connecting those who want to contribute to social change, making it easier for them to do so, and ensuring that these collaborations develop into ongoing initiatives with lasting impact.
20 years of building a way of doing things
Twenty years on, we are an organisation of more than 40 professionals across 10 countries. Over the past year, we mobilised more than 40,000 volunteers, who collaborated with over 220,000 beneficiaries. We have worked with nearly 100 companies and 400 NGOs around the world.
This journey has also allowed us to gain international recognition and actively collaborate with some of the leading networks and organisations in the volunteering sector, including Global Volunteering Forum, Volonteurope, Points of Light, CEV, United Nations Volunteers and IAVE, among others.
None of this would have been possible without the people behind it
And none of this would have been possible without the incredible team that has been with us, both in our early days and today.
Most of the people who started this journey with me are still part of it, including Benedetta, Patri and Marcos. Others are no longer with us, but have left a lasting mark, like Julia. And many more have joined along the way and helped make us who we are today: Celina, Carmen, María Ledi, Marina, Melina, Elena, Marta, Laura, Emilio, Bea, Ángela, Kevin… and so many others that it would be impossible to name them all without leaving someone out.
And, of course, my business partner, companion and wife, M.ª Jesús.
To each and every one of you, thank you so much for being part of this adventure, for believing in it and for making it possible.
20 years on, I still believe in the power of people to transform realities. And I am just as excited as ever to keep building what comes next. Here’s to the next chapter!
