About the UNV Knowledge Portal

The UNV Knowledge Portal on Volunteerism contains global, regional and national data and evidence on volunteerism.

The current state of knowledge and evidence on volunteerism

Knowledge about volunteering and its practices, dynamics, benefits and challenges, is spread across many stakeholders around the world. To improve the integration of volunteerism in the 2030 Agenda, decision-makers need specific types of knowledge to inform policy and practice.

At present there are a number of issues with the evidence base of this knowledge:

a strong bias towards evidence sources in the global North;
a focus on formal or organizational volunteering;
a lack of comparable evidence across contexts; and
no dedicated space to review and discuss evidence and implications for policy.

How to use the portal

Volunteering Database

Search for country profiles and access datasets on measuring volunteer work and volunteering laws, policies and schemes.

GO TO VOLUNTEERING DATABASE

Evidence Library

Find and download evidence products (research, findings, case studies, policy briefs) on the contribution of volunteerism to specific development topics.

GO TO EVIDENCE LIBRARY

Knowledge Exchange

Interact with peers, share insights and submit analysis and evidence products to complement the resources available via the portal.

GO TO KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

What types of knowledge are in this portal?

To start filling in the gaps, this portal focuses on knowledge on volunteering for the 2030 Agenda.

It covers different areas of evidence:

comparable cross-country information via the volunteering database;
deeper dives into thematic and context-specific issues (especially improving the accessibility of evidence produced in the global South); and
spaces to deepen knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.

Engagement from portal users will be critical in this task.

How can you contribute?

Be part of a dynamic community of development practitioners engaged in advancing discourse on volunteering

Showcase knowledge, learn from peers and exchange ideas to deepen understanding of volunteering

Help fill critical evidence gaps on volunteering and ensure diverse representation of knowledge and voices