Develop and Evaluate Volunteer Policy

Governance plays a critical role in policy legitimacy. Volunteer policy is not effective until it is formally approved and monitored by governance structures that represent both leadership and volunteers. Good governance ensures policies are credible, inclusive, and enforceable.

Key elements

• Approval processes: Board/Executive approval with volunteer consultation.
• Oversight: Regular reviews (e.g., every 3–5 years) and compliance checks.
• Representation: Volunteer voices (e.g., youth councils, branch representatives) included in policy discussions.
• Transparency: Governance ensures volunteers know their rights and how to raise concerns.

Good governance turns policy into practice. By embedding volunteer policy into the oversight functions of the National Society, leaders safeguard both the organisation and the people who bring its mission to life.

Case: Finnish Red Cross where volunteer councils review policies with the board.

Voluntary service is a fundamental principle of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Our Strategy 2030 emphasizes volunteering as one of the key transformations required to respond to future challenges.

The purpose of this policy is to set our collective commitment to volunteering within the IFRC network, as it applies to all National Societies and the IFRC Secretariat.

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IFRC Volunteering Policy

Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Fundamental Principle of Voluntary Service is at our core. It is through the millions of volunteers worldwide that the Red Cross and Red Crescent provides its support and assistance to vulnerable people. 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the “International Year of Volunteers”. On this occasion the IFRC has undertaken numerous initiatives aimed at the protection, promotion and recognition of volunteers globally. One of these initiatives is this Toolkit.  Based on the needs of volunteers, volunteer managers, and legal advisors of National Societies, this Toolkit has as its objective to support National Societies to ensure better protection and management of their volunteers.

The Volunteer Management Cycle shows a system that supports National Societies in reaching their goals and objectives in terms of volunteer management and is the main element in the “how” we manage volunteers in the Red Cross. In addition, it organizes the efforts of volunteers to fulfill the mission of the Movement.

The Cycle moves through several volunteer management components, while each component plays an integral role. Communication and evaluation are permanent and continuous aspects of volunteer management and are therefore included in this document.

The cycle is managed at the level of the branches and the volunteer manager of each branch is responsible for this management. At the national level, the Volunteer Coordination gives respective support.

This document has been developed to be a theoretical and practical guide to be used by volunteer managers at branch (local) level.

This paper explores volunteering and inequality in the global South through an analysis of volunteering remuneration. We argue that the growing remuneration of volunteers reflects an increasing financialisation of volunteering by aid and development donors to match labour to project and sectoral objectives. We examine how these remuneration strategies shape volunteering economies and (re)produce hierarchies and inequalities in contexts in the global South where volunteers are often from marginalised communities. We analyse data collected in Africa and the Middle East as part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Global Review on Volunteering to explore these interweaving volunteering hierarchies and how they articulate with existing social stratifications. In these contexts, we argue that a livelihoods and capabilities approach across macro-, national and local levels provides an alternative and more nuanced way of accounting for volunteer remuneration within the range of assets that communities have to build their lives and future. When oriented towards catalysing these community assets, and away from rewarding particular kinds of individual labour, remuneration has the potential to enable rather than undermine sustained volunteering activity by and within marginalised communities.

HR policy

PGI policy

Youth policy

Evidence strengthens policy. Data is essential for both developing new volunteer policies and reviewing existing ones. By analysing volunteer trends — recruitment, retention, attrition, training, incidents — National Societies can identify gaps and risks that policy must address.

Key elements

• Use VDMS or local systems to track volunteer demographics, retention, and training.
• Collect feedback through surveys, exit interviews, and after-action reviews.
• Use data for compliance monitoring (e.g., safeguarding incidents, insurance claims).

Policy grounded in evidence is policy that works. When data informs policy drafting and review, National Societies can adapt proactively, ensuring volunteer frameworks remain relevant and effective in a changing world.

Case: Kenya Red Cross pilot data feeding directly into policy revisions.

Tools and technology ensure volunteer policy is not just a document but a living practice. Templates, digital systems, and e-learning platforms make it possible to draft, communicate, and review policies efficiently.

Key elements

• Policy templates (IFRC and peer NS) provide starting points.
• Digital platforms (VDMS, SharePoint, Hub) make policies accessible to all staff and volunteers.
• E-learning modules train volunteers and staff on key policies (safeguarding, data protection).

Technology bridges the gap between policy and practice. By equipping staff and volunteers with accessible tools, National Societies make policies real, relevant, and actionable.

Case: British Red Cross using digital onboarding for volunteer policy orientation.

The Urban Volunteering Study was initiated by the International Federation (Asia Pacific ) to provide evidence relating to challenges and opportunities for volunteering in rapidly urbanising cities in the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on helping National Societies enhance volunteer recruitment, engagement and retention in urban environments. With more than 50% of the population now living in the urban environment, it is important to better understand what it means for us to attract, recruit, train, recognise and retain the volunteers in an urban setting. This study is a small first step towards that direction.

This report draws on the voices and perspectives of almost 600 volunteer managers, delegates and volunteers from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, as well as external experts in 158 countries, to explore the challenges of promoting and supporting volunteering in the context of significant local and global change.

This study provides an analysis of the volunteering situation of National Societies of the Red Cross in the American Continent in order to improve our capacity to respond to emergencies in the local and regional levels. This allows us to obtain updated information to develop strategies to strenghten this humanitarian force of chance, prestige of the Red Cross worldwide.

IFRC presented a review of National Society volunteer policies, code of conducts and volunteer charters to inform the volunteer charter’s implementation plan. The study was designed to align with the elements identified in the IFRC Volunteering Policy (2011) and the text found within the draft Volunteer Charter. 19 National Societies from four regions took part in the study and follow up interviews were conducted with over half of the participating National Societies.

• Survey and assessment tools
• Focused group discussions
• IFRC policy starter kit

Facilities and equipment may not seem central to policy, but they are critical enablers. Volunteer policies should address the practical conditions under which volunteers serve — from safe spaces for meetings to protective equipment for deployments.

Key elements

• Define minimum standards for volunteer facilities (meeting rooms, safe spaces, accessibility).
• Ensure equipment (PPE, uniforms, ID, insurance documents) is covered by policy.
• Include policies for safe storage and responsible use of volunteer-related equipment and data.

Volunteers need safe, accessible, and well-equipped environments to serve effectively. By embedding facilities and equipment standards into volunteer policy, National Societies uphold duty of care and strengthen volunteer motivation.

Case: Philippine Red Cross branch facilities integrated into volunteer policies after Typhoon Haiyan.

• Meeting venue
• Internet
• Computer