The Impact of COVID-19 on

Volunteer Mobilization

IAVE (International Association for Volunteer Effort) identifies mobilization as one of three primary functions of national leadership for volunteering. IAVE’s Report on the First Global Dialogue on national leadership for volunteering, held in Mexico, November 2016 defined  volunteer mobilization as:

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Organized efforts to activate volunteers: providing ways for individuals to identify and connect with volunteer opportunities; reaching out to specific segments of the population to encourage their engagement; organizing large-scale and/or targeted volunteer projects; etc.

This was subsequently amplified in the IAVE Global Perspective on volunteering, notably in the role of National Leadership Organizations: 

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In many countries, national leadership does not directly organize and manage volunteer-involving projects, they support such efforts on the part of other national, regional and local organizations.

This assessment of the development role is echoed in the findings of the 2021 IAVE research report Leadership for Volunteering: the COVID-19 Experience.

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88%

mobilized volunteers towards various causes

84%

focused more on strengthening the capacity of VIOs in their geographic area/network to promote and organize volunteering

The Impact of COVID-19

  • The findings of the research reinforced the catalytic nature of the pandemic, which brought some mobilization activities to a rapid end while accelerating changes already in process. In some cases, the pandemic provided VLOs with new opportunities for mobilization.
  • 77% of survey respondents stated COVID-19 had posed challenges for their volunteer mobilization work. One of these was that the volunteer infrastructure had been compromised, as demonstrated by almost two thirds of the respondents (65%) who stated that some of the volunteer involving organizations they worked with had ceased to operate or had closed.
  • The effect of COVID-19 on volunteer mobilization has been complex with 55% of survey respondents stating that the pandemic lockdown had reduced volunteering activity in their country. While 71% stated that COVID-19 had opened opportunities for their volunteer mobilization work, and 60% stated they had been part of new coalitions of volunteer involving organizations to support volunteer mobilization during COVID-19.
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Juguete Pendiente (Peru) volunteers distributing care packages to underprivileged members of the community.

The research data shows…

COVID-19 had posed challenges for their volunteer mobilization work77% of respondents
VIOs they worked with had ceased to operate or had closed65% of respondents
The lockdown had reduced volunteering activity in their country55% of respondents
COVID-19 had opened opportunities for their volunteer mobilization work71% of respondents
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Volunteers manning Emirates Foundation's (United Arab Emirates) "Stay Safe Hotline" for the vulnerable and elderly who are are especially affected by the pandemic.
  • Technology became an important tool in mobilizing and supporting volunteering with 63% of survey respondents stating they had moved from supporting face to face volunteering to online volunteering. Others built on existing on-line recruitment and/or systems for matching volunteers to vacancies to meet the new challenges of COVID-19.
  • The pandemic produced a greater need to have policies and to enhance organizational practice related to the duty of care of volunteers with 82% of survey respondents stating they had to strengthen policies on volunteer safety and/or safeguarding.
  • The effect of the pandemic on marginalized groups led to a greater focus on inclusivity and volunteering with 42% of survey respondents stating that over the past year their organization had focused more on mobilizing volunteers from groups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. 70% stated that future programs and mobilization approaches will be more inclusive.
  • Due to the COVID-19 health risk older volunteers were less likely to sustain their volunteer roles and, in some countries, this led to an increase in younger people volunteering.

The research data shows…

joined new coalitions of VIOs to support volunteer mobilization during COVID-1960% of respondents
strengthened policies on volunteer safety and/or safeguarding82% of respondents
focused more on mobilizing volunteers from groups disproportionately
impacted by COVID-1942% of respondents
plans for future programs and mobilization approaches to be more inclusive70% of respondents
  • Responding to the pandemic became a focus for volunteer activity. 87% of survey respondents stating that their programs had changed to engage issues arising from COVID-19. 65% of survey respondents said they were supporting programs where volunteers are raising awareness of personal and community practice around COVID-19. 42% stating they had been involved in campaigns or the implementation of vaccination programs and 44% of respondents expected to mobilize volunteers to support COVID-19 vaccination in the future.
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CISE Malawi volunteers distributing handwashing kits.

The research data shows…

programs changed to engage issues arising from COVID-1987% of respondents
Support programs where volunteers are raising awareness of personal
and community practice around COVID-1965% of respondents
involved in campaigns or the implementation of vaccination programs42% of respondents
expected to mobilize volunteers to support COVID-19 vaccination in the future44% of respondents

To find out more about what the research is saying about the Impact of COVID-19 on Volunteer Mobilization please go directly to Section 3 of the Report.