International Volunteer Managers Day (IVM Day) is celebrated globally on November 5 each year. The day is put aside to allow volunteer managers a chance to reflect on and celebrate the critical work they do, and more importantly, it allows an opportunity for them to educate others about the significant role they play in mobilising the often complex resources volunteers bring with them.

Mission / Statement of Values

We celebrate the profession of volunteer leadership because:

• Volunteer Managers have the skills and knowledge to help people be part of the solution in meeting community needs. Even in cynical times, they practice the art of the possible.
• Volunteer Managers change lives — both the lives of volunteers themselves and of those served by well-led volunteers. It is a life-changing profession. Volunteer managers provide the leadership and direction that allows people to build a good and just society and to mend the social fabric. Without professional leadership, people’s time, talents and efforts could be wasted.
• A well-run volunteer program shows the community, including potential donors, that the organisation is not afraid of public scrutiny and involvement and endeavours to make the most efficient use of monetary assets.
• Well-led volunteers become an advocacy and public relations force for an agency or program — a force no amount of money could buy.

2019 Theme – Time for Change

Join our IVMDay 2019 campaign! The theme for 2019 is Change the Tune. For volunteer managers and demonstrate how we are agents and advocates of change for volunteers and volunteering. We hope that this timely theme will allow us to explore the changes needed in our great profession to ensure it remains relevant and powerful into the future.

Please feel free to post your pledge by email your photos to andy@ozvpm.com

Get Resources for International Volunteer Managers Day from the IVMD web site.

Make sure you tag #IVWDay19

International Volunteer Day (IVD) December 5th is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organisations and individual volunteers to make their contributions visible – at local, national and international levels – to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme works closely with partners and governments to establish national volunteer programmes to create structures that foster and sustain local volunteerism in countries. Through the Online Volunteering service volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organisations over the Internet.

The International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.

Through the Online Volunteering service, volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organisations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development, working to achieve the MDGs and engaging people to shape the sustainable development agenda.

International Volunteer Day 2018

International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2018, “Volunteers build Resilient Communities”, recognises volunteers worldwide – with a special focus on local community volunteers – who contribute to making their communities more resilient against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. The campaign theme combines the recognition of volunteers with concrete evidence from the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) 2018.

#IVD2018 focuses on the values of volunteerism through the appreciation of local volunteers, including the marginalised groups and women, who make up nearly 60 per cent of volunteers worldwide, and their impact on building #ResilientCommunities

Downloads and resources

• Dowland a Certificate of Recognition for your volunteers (MS Word)
• International Volunteer Day 2018 Poster 1 (Adobe PDF)
  
• International Volunteer Day 2018 Poster 2 (Adobe PDF
• Volunteer Recognition Ideas (Adobe PDF)
• Download a toolkit for online activities for IVD 2018
• Download a toolkit for offline activities for IVD 2018
• You can download other resources for the 2018 event from the UN Volunteers web site

We are delighted to announce that Galway City who will host the European Volunteer Centre (CEV) Capacity Building Conference LEVEL: Large Events: Volunteering, Empowerment and Learning on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April 2020 in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

The event is organised by the European Volunteer Centre in conjunction with Volunteer Ireland, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and Galway Volunteer Centre.

The Capacity Building conference will explore how volunteers in large events can be best recruited & managed and provide the biggest added value for the success of the event, the wider community and the volunteers themselves.

The conference will seek to identify what are the specificities of volunteering in large events and will consider how such experiences can best lead to longer term volunteering for those who are interested to further contribute as a volunteer in other contexts.

Participants will learn how the well-being of volunteers in large events can be protected and how the question of their skills development can be best approached.  The motivation of volunteers in large events will also be discussed and greater understanding reached.

Conference workshops themes

• Recruitment
• Legacy and sustainability
• Funding and expense coverage policy and procedures
• Volunteer / staff relationships
• Orientation including online pre-event training
• Good practice volunteering in for-profit events
• Volunteer culture development, branding and communication
• Validation and / or certification of learning.

Further information on the programme full be published here during the year as we get closer to the event.  You will also be able to register for the event here.

Travelling to Galway City

Flying to Ireland
Dublin Airport is Ireland’s largest Airport with the most direct flights.  You can check out the destinations in their winter schedule 2019.  Flying to Dublin Airport gives you the most options in terms of flights and bus and train transfer to Galway.  To book the best flights at a time that suit your schedule use Skyscanner or Kayak.

Bus Transfer to Galway
Transfer by bus is the most direct and convenient way to get to Galway City from Dublin Airport.  Buses depart every 30 minutes from outside the terminal building at Dublin Airport direct to Galway.  This bus journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes.  Two companies operate a bus service: CityLink  (timetable) and GoBus.ie (timetable).  Both companies have new, air conditioned buses with free wifi, toilets and reclining seats.  The journey is on motorway between the two cities and buses make only one stop to pick up or drop off in Dublin City Centre.  A limited number of services go direct from Dublin Airport to Galway with no stops which are listed in the timetables. Galway Coach Station is in the centre of Galway and close to all accommodation and attractions.

Train Transfer to Galway
If you’d prefer to take the train to / from Galway you can take the Airlink Express Bus 747 (Timetable) which operates from Dublin Airport through Dublin City Centre to Heuston Train Station (Bus Route) and costs €6 single or €11 return when booked online.  The journey time from the Airport to Heuston Train Station is approximately 50 minutes.  You can then take a train from Heuston Train Station to Galway (Ceannt) Train Station.  Trains can be busy so please book trains and seats in advance online.  You can download a timetable here.  Trains take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.  Tickets online start at €35.  Galway (Ceannt) Train Station is located in the centre of Galway City.

Tranferring to the The Conference Venue
The Conference Venue is the Institute of Lifecourse and Society, National University of Ireland Galway, Upper Newcastle.  If you want to walk it is a 35 minute walk from the train station. A taxi from the Galway (Ceannt) Train Station to the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (map) will take 10 – 15 minutes depending on traffic and cost about €10 depending on the number of passengers.

Flying into other Airports in Ireland
You can also fly into Shannon Airport, Cork Airport and Ireland West Airport.  Please note there are not as many direct bus connections to Galway from these Airports.

Accommodation in Galway
As Galway is a popular destination and is celebrating its role as European Capital of Culture in 2020 we advise that you book your accommodation in advance to ensure the lowest costs.  We will be advising of suitable venues presently. We suggest you use Booking.com, Airbnb, and Trivago.  If you’d like to stay in a hostel you we’d suggest you try Hostelworld.

The International Association for Volunteer Effort is pleased to announce the United Arab Emirates as the host country of the 26th IAVE World Volunteer Conference. After a rigorous selection process, the Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi has been chosen as the host organisation for this premier global event, to take place in 2020.

The exact dates will be announced soon.  Please visit the International Association of Voluntary Effort (IAVE) web site for further details as they become available.