Volunteer Groups Alliance

The Volunteer Groups Alliance* is a global coalition of organisations that contribute to sustainable development through volunteering. The alliance supports its member organisations to promote the contribution that volunteers make to sustainable development and to gain recognition for the important role volunteers play at local, regional and national levels and in the United Nations (UN) processes.

Alliance members reflect the broad diversity of volunteerism, ranging from international volunteer and cooperation agencies to volunteer-involving NGOs and domestic organisations that work through volunteers in their own countries. They also reflect the diversity of volunteer models, including online, employee and Diaspora volunteering.

The global nature of the alliance also reflects the universality of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by bringing together members from civil society and the public and private sectors from diverse locations.

The Volunteer Groups Alliance came together in 2013 following a United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) stakeholder meeting and the annual IVCO Conference to advocate for the support and recognition of volunteerism in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNV supports the Volunteer Groups Alliance, facilitating engagement to help ensure the importance of volunteerism is recognised in the implementation of the SDGs.

*The Volunteer Groups Alliance was formerly known as the Post-2015 Volunteering Working Group.