Platform of Volunteer Centres and Organizations
The Platform of Volunteer Centres and Organizations was established in August 2011 following the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and earlier networking activities in Slovakia since 2009. Its main goal is to create a supportive environment for the development of volunteering by uniting volunteer centers and organizations in Slovakia. The Platform achieves this through:
- Building Volunteering Infrastructure: Establishing new volunteer centers and enhancing existing ones in collaboration with NGOs, government, municipalities, the private sector, and media.
- Advocacy: Promoting legal and economic support for volunteer centers and organizations.
- Financial Support: Securing funding through grant programs and other tools from the state, municipalities, NGOs, private sector, and individuals.
- Legal Integration: Incorporating volunteering into the legal framework to ensure its support.
- Capacity Development: Enhancing the skills and professionalization of those working with volunteers in NGOs, public institutions, municipalities, and churches.
- Volunteer Coordination: Establishing and developing volunteer coordinator roles within organizations and public institutions.
- Educational Promotion: Promoting volunteering as a tool for informal education and integrating it into formal education systems.
- Labor Market Preparation: Using volunteering as a means to prepare individuals for the labor market.
The Platforms´ primary target groups are organizations and individuals working with volunteers across different sectors. The Platform offers education in volunteer management and related topics to ensure effective and beneficial volunteering for all partners—volunteers, beneficiaries, organizations, and communities. Additionally, it maintains close cooperation with Matej Bel University in research and publications, participating in several joint projects. It carries out campaigns and awareness activities aimed at encouraging people to volunteer, recognizes volunteers and the organizations that work with them, develops methodologies and tools for better volunteer management, and implements education for volunteering through the service learning strategy.
Link to the organization web page: www.dobrovolnictvo.sk
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/dobrovolnickecentra
