Analyzing volunteering trends and, in particular, learning about the motivations in this area of generation Z thanks to the study conducted in the Voluntare working group “Activating Generation Z”, we detect a great opportunity for the social mobilization of people who do not identify themselves in traditional volunteering. We already talked in a previous article about the Civic Circle of Points of Light and its realization in the Voluntare Social Experience as new forms of social participation. Today I want to talk about “informal volunteering” and “self-volunteering” and how they can be promoted by companies and social organizations.
Informal volunteering
“Informal volunteering” is a practice that has gained popularity in recent years, especially among those who seek to contribute actively to social, environmental or community causes autonomously and without depending on an organization.
It involves personal initiative to identify needs in their environment and act to address them, without waiting for the coordination or structure usually offered by NGOs or other institutions.
- DIVERSITY: This type of service can cover a variety of activities, from cleaning public spaces, reforestation or helping vulnerable people, to organizing educational workshops or awareness-raising actions on social issues.
- FLEXIBILITY: The flexibility it offers allows people to adapt their time, resources and skills to have a direct impact on the community.
- CHALLENGES: But it also brings challenges, as it is not linked to a formal structure, it may lack logistical support, training or even access to the resources needed to generate sustainable change.
Some companies such as IBM, Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Cepsa or Endesa, among others, have been promoting this informal volunteering for many years through projects defined as “self-volunteering” where volunteers organize their activity following the indications and training provided by the company, in a free and autonomous manner.
SDGs at School
A concrete example of this type of activity is the SDGs at School project, designed by Volies in 2019 and in which more than 12 companies are already actively participating.
- The project has been designed together with education professionals and trainers of the 2030 Agenda.
- It consists of a 50-minute workshop adapted to schools, to tell what the SDGs are, and how and why it is important that we all get involved in primary classrooms.
- Volunteers receive training and a manual with all the information necessary for the success of the workshop, in addition to the materials and recommendations of the project.
Today, the “SDGs at School” project continues to train thousands of children to become active citizens, organizing the actions directly with their schools, thanks to the leadership of corporate volunteers;
Self-volunteering projects can be designed to break the loneliness of the elderly, to train in digital skills, environmental actions, financial education and endless possibilities.
We invite all organizations to design projects to measures such as these to broaden their impact and participation.
From Volies, we will be happy to share our experience and accompany you, promoting, as is our mission, social transformation and the importance of individual commitment to the common good.
