International Volunteer Day (IVD) which takes place on December 5th is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It provides an opportunity for us all to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognise volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local, national and international levels.

This year, the theme is “Volunteer for an inclusive future”, highlighting SDG 10 and the pursuit of equality – including inclusion – through volunteerism. You can read all about the 2019 theme here.

We’re celebrating IVD2019 – are you?

We’re encouraging all individuals, organisations and communities to get involved in International Volunteer Day 2019. Here are a few ways to join us:

Organisations

There are many ways you can recognise your volunteers and their contribution. While this should happen on an ongoing basis, International Volunteer Day provides a great opportunity to formally celebrate their work. Here are a few quick ideas:

  • Give volunteers a certificate to commemorate IVD2019. We’ve designed one for you which you can download and print here.
  • Make it public: pop up a poster celebrating your volunteers in a place where your volunteers and staff or members of the public can see. We’ve designed one for you which you can download and print here.
  • Make it public: celebrate your volunteers in your communications and on social media. Join in the conversation online with #IVD2019 and#volunteer4inclusion. Remember to tag us too: @volunteerdlr
  • Check out Volunteer Ireland’s guide on Volunteer Recognition Ideas for some more nuggets – available here. You can also find some of their other IVD2019 resources here.

Individuals

  • Join the conversation online by posting about your volunteering using #IVD2019 and#volunteer4inclusion. Remember to tag us too: @volunteerdlr
  • Say thank you to a fellow volunteer!
  • Help us to celebrate volunteering by telling us about your volunteering experiences through our Volunteer Stories Project.