Grow with the Platform
No matter the size of your organisation, the Platform aims to help volunteer-involving organisations strengthen the impact of their work. The Platform contains the following features:
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Welcome to the Global Volunteering Standard Platform
Your organisation’s journey to more impactful and responsible volunteering starts here.
The Global Volunteering Standard Platform is a free online portal dedicated to the volunteering in development sector and based on the Global Volunteering Standard. It contains practical tools, resources and information to support organisations on a journey of continuous learning and improvement.
Forum designed the Platform to help you put the Global Volunteering Standard into practice.
The Global Volunteering Standard
Access the Standard, a comprehensive framework of good practice for volunteer involving organisations developed by the volunteering sector, for the volunteering sector. The Standard can be downloaded in a variety of languages.
Self-Assessment Tool
Use this online tool to measure the performance of your organisation against the Standard. See what is working well, what can be improved, and get recommendations and resources to help advance your practice.
Resource Library
Explore the extensive global collection of good practice resources developed for and by volunteer-involving organisations from across the globe. Access, browse and save these resources.
Support Handbooks
Find out about upcoming events and workshops focused on the Global Volunteering Standard and learn how it can benefit your organisation.
Events
Find out about upcoming events and workshops focused on the Global Volunteering Standard and learn how it can benefit your organisation.
Why you should use the Platform
Creating an account will enable your organisation to:
Learn from your sector
Access the Global Volunteering Standard, which 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 based on your Self-Assessment, with data visualisation and comparisons, as well as links to targeted resources.
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
Complete your Self-Assessment when it suits your needs and schedule. You can take as long as you need to complete it, save it to your account, and pick up where you left off.
Collaborate
Collaborate with team members across your organisation 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 events focused on the Global Volunteering Standard, such as Support Workshops and more.
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 can help your organisation ensure that in:
Designing and Delivering Projects:
Volunteering programmes are designed and delivered in partnership with local communities and respond to local needs. .
Duty of Care:
All stakeholders, including community members, volunteers, and the natural environment are kept safe from harm.
Managing Volunteers:
Volunteers are fully prepared, trained and supported to ensure are effective and impactful in supporting development efforts.
Measuring Impact:
The impact of volunteer efforts is clearly defined, tracked, 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 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 Resource Library, which 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@forum-ids.org.
If you need more support with your Self-Assessment, join one of our Support Workshops.
To get the most of your journey, we welcome you to apply to join Forum, the leading global network of organisations that work through volunteers to achieve sustainable development.
Trusted by:
This project was funded with UK aid from the UK government and with aid from the Government of Canada.
