Grow with the Platform
No matter the size of your organisation, the Platform helps you strengthen the impact of your work in volunteering in development with its three core resources:
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Welcome to the Global Volunteering Standard Platform
Your organisation’s journey to more impactful and responsible volunteering starts here.
The Platform is a free resource for organisations that work through volunteers to achieve sustainable development. It supports these organisations to strengthen their impact with practical tools and information to support their journey of continuous learning and improvement.
Forum designed the Platform to help you put the Global Volunteering Standard into practice.
The Global Volunteering Standard
Developed by the volunteering sector, for the volunteering sector, the Global Volunteering Standard is a framework of good practice for Volunteer Involving Organisations across the volunteering programme cycle – from Designing and Delivering Projects through to Duty of Care, Managing Volunteers and Measuring Impact.
Self-Assessment Tool
This online tool allows you to measure the performance of your organisation against the Global Volunteering Standard and see what is working best and what is not, and get recommendations and resources to help improve your work.
Good Practice Library
Explore the most extensive global collection of international good practice resources developed for and by organisations that work with volunteers. You can access, browse and save these resources, even if you choose not to do a Self-Assessment
Why you should use the Platform
Creating an account will enable your organisation to:
Learn from the best in the sector
The Global Volunteering Standard is the result of a collaborative global effort based on the expertise and wisdom of hundreds of people and organisations across the volunteering in development sector and beyond.
Get targeted advice
Receive a customised report with data visualisation and comparisons, as well as links to targeted resources based on your Self-Assessment.
Focus on your priorities
Complete a Self-Assessment for all the areas of the Standard, or only those you would like to focus on. You can also jump straight to the resource library and access resources without doing a Self-Assessment.
Complete at your own pace
The Global Volunteering Standard is the result of a collaborative global effort based on the expertise and wisdom of hundreds of people and organisations across the volunteering in development sector and beyond.
Collaborate
The Platform makes it easy for multiple team members to collaborate and contribute to the same organisational Self-Assessment.
Keep it all in one place
Keep your Self-Assessment, customised report and favourite resources in a password-protected account.
Global Volunteering Standard Events
Join our events focused on the Global Volunteering Standard, such as Support Workshops and more.
Four Areas of Good Practice
Forum aims to ensure that volunteer-involving organisations adopt the good practice outlined in the Global Volunteering Standard throughout the volunteering programme cycle – from Designing and Delivering Projects through to Duty of Care, Volunteer Management and Measuring Impact.
The Platform will help your organisation ensure that in:
Designing and Delivering Projects:
Your volunteering in development programmes are designed and delivered in partnership with local communities and best respond to their needs.
Duty of Care:
All community members, volunteers and the natural environment where you host your volunteering projects are kept safe and unharmed.
Managing Volunteers:
Your volunteers are fully prepared, trained and supported to ensure effective, impactful and ongoing engagement in supporting development efforts locally and internationally.
Measuring Impact:
The success of your projects is defined, tracked throughout and evaluated by everyone involved including the local community.
Get Started Now– It’s Free!
How to use the Platform:
Downloading the Global Volunteering Standard is the first step on a journey of learning and improvement for organisations that work with volunteers. The Standard is now available in multiple languages, including all of the official UN languages. We hope you will download it, take time to read and understand it and think about how it relates to your organisation.
Create a free account and complete your Self-Assessment online, either at your own pace or by collaborating with others across your organisation. Self-assess against all the Areas, Key Actions and Indicators included in the Standard or choose the parts of the Standard that best meet your organisation’s needs.
Once you complete your Self-Assessment, you will receive a customised Self-Assessment Report. It can be used to establish your areas of strength and where you can improve. The report will also include links to suggested good practice resources in our Good Practice Library.
The resource library is open to everyone, even if you choose not to do a self-assessment. You can submit your good practice resources for publication in the library by emailing globalvolunteeringstandard@forumids.org.
To get the most out of your journey, we welcome you to apply to join Forum, the leading global network of volunteering in development organisations. Learn how to join here.
Trusted by:
This project was funded with UK aid from the UK government and with aid from the Government of Canada.
