Report: Six Years of CRNPS Volunteer Centre

The Volunteer Centre, as one of the programmes active under the auspices of the Centre for Development of the Non-Profit Sector (CRNPS), has been active for six years. It is the first centre in Serbia that works on promotion and development of volunteer work, education of organizations that wish to include volunteers in their activities, as well as orientation and training of volunteers for work in organizations. Ivana Milosevic, VC Coordinator VC celebrates December 5 – International Volunteering Day, each year. For the past two years, the activities were mostly of promotional character, directed at spreading information to the public about the possibilities for voluntary work. VC, also, appeals to assist the organizations and people that really need volunteers’ assistance. At the same time, we both promote and award the best volunteers for the previous year. This year, December 5 was marked by a presentation VC organized for the students of the Teachers’ School in Belgrade. The goal of the presentation was to introduce the programme and the activities of VC to the students, with possibility for involvement of students in future activities of the Centre. In addition, VC created a sort of volunteer labour market, which promotes organizations that offer different types of engagement to future volunteers, as well as volunteers that offer their skills and knowledge. The role of the Centre is to connect the interests and needs of both sides in the best possible way. VC database currently lists 513 volunteers and 102 organizations. VC presentation at the Teachers School At the first visit to our centre, volunteers complete a questionnaire with questions on their personal data. In addition to the name, address and contact information, data on age, education, category of work, motivation, available time for volunteering, skills and knowledge is collected, in order to be able to direct them at appropriate volunteering activities. The collected information is very important, for it serves as the bases for our search for engagement for the volunteers, in accordance with the existing needs of the organizations. The analysis of the database gives the following picture: on average, 85 new volunteers comes to the VC each year; 75 percent of all volunteers are women, only 25 percent are men; majority of volunteers are between 18 and 27 years of age; the greatest number of volunteers have completed higher education, followed by university students; the number of unemployed volunteers is rising every year; the most common motives for volunteering are to gain experience and possibility for new contacts, while the least number of volunteers are motivated by pure humanitarianism. The average volunteer, then, is a female student between 18 and 27 years of age, who volunteers for personal betterment, i.e. to gain experience, knowledge and skills. Regarding the organizations we work with, the most numerous are the NGOs, but we should also emphasize the we increase our cooperation with institutions such as schools, orphanages, social care centres, etc. Many hardworking and qualified people wish to do some volunteer work, to prove themselves and their potentials, and to contribute to the wellbeing of the whole community. There is, however, the problem of “disorganization” of the organizations to receive the volunteers and to organize an efficient operation. We would appeal to the organizations to be as open for volunteer inclusion as possible, for it may only be of benefit to the general public.

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