General Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Online Volunteering service?
• What can online volunteers do?
• How does the Online Volunteering service work?
• What is the benefit of Online Volunteering?
• Who manages the Online Volunteering service?
• Are there any financial expenses involved in Online Volunteering?

What is the Online Volunteering service?

The Online Volunteering service connects development organizations and volunteers over the Internet and supports their effective online collaboration. It is a free service for development organizations and individuals worldwide. All online volunteering assignments facilitated through the Online Volunteering service contribute to sustainable human development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"Online Volunteering for Development" gives development organizations access to a broader pool of expertise, skills, ideas, and contacts to enhance their capacities and strengthen their activities so that they are in a better position to help achieve the MDGs. It gives individuals worldwide the opportunity to actively contribute as volunteers to sustainable human development.

What can online volunteers do?

Online volunteers engage in a diversity of activities delivered via the Internet. By sharing their expertise and skills, they enhance the capacities of their host organizations. They:

• Provide technical expertise and tools (e.g. capacity building on training material development, contract drafting, website design)
• Support project and resources management (e.g. proposal editing, best practices sharing, advising on project evaluation or organizational strategies)
• Contribute to knowledge development and management (e.g. research, data gathering, database development)
• Facilitate communication (e.g. document translation, article writing, and brochure design) and networking (e.g. identifying sources of support, communicating information)

How does the Online Volunteering service work?

At the core of the Online Volunteering service is a database of online volunteering assignments that are submitted by development organizations worldwide. Interested individuals identify assignments that match their interests, expertise, and skills and apply for them by online application directly to the host organization. The host organization selects the online volunteers they would like to engage in their activities out of the applications they receive.

The Online Volunteering service offers tools to facilitate online volunteering assignment management, provides guidance on online collaboration, and shares user experiences and lessons learned via the website, our monthly newsletter, and email-based user support.

To ensure the quality of the service, host organizations are screened before getting access to use the Online Volunteering service, and assignments are screened before they are published on the Online Volunteering site, as outlined in the respective criteria in this FAQ. The quality of online volunteer collaboration is monitored through an online evaluation that both host organizations and online volunteers submit at the end of the volunteer assignment.

What is the benefit of Online Volunteering?

Online volunteering is an efficient way to share available expertise, skills, ideas, and the motivation to strengthen development activities with organizations in need of support. It gives a large number of competent and committed people the opportunity to engage as volunteers in development activities, some of whom might not be available otherwise. It allows development organizations to open up their activities to a diversity of individuals globally and enlarge their networks of support.

Who manages the Online Volunteering service?

The UN Volunteers (UNV) programme manages and provides the Online Volunteering service.

Are there any financial expenses involved in Online Volunteering?

The Online Volunteering service is offered as a free service for development organizations and individuals who would like to volunteer online. There are no financial transactions involved, neither on the side of the organization nor on the side of the volunteer.
The host organization must not make any financial claim to the online volunteer and/or to UNV/Online Volunteering Service.
The online volunteer as well has to undertake her/his assignment in accordance with the ideals of volunteerism and must not make any financial claims to the host organization and/or to UNV/Online Volunteering Service.

For information on Privacy and Terms and Conditions please go to the respective pages.