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1. National Programme for Youth Volunteering

2. Funding

3. Characteristics of youth volunteering

4. Support to young volunteers

5. Target groups

National Programme for Youth Volunteering

There is no National Programme for Youth Volunteering in the German-speaking Community. Volunteering is only regulated by the federal law on the rights of volunteers on 3 July 2005 and the Decree for the Promotion of Youth Work (Dekret zur Förderung der Jugendarbeit) of 6 December 2011.

Funding

There is a number of (semi)public and private organisations that support volunteer work/voluntary activities. One of the major sources is the King Baudouin Foundation (König Baudouin Stiftung), an independent and pluralist foundation that aims at improving the living conditions of the population. This foundation supports around 1,000 projects a year withits budget – almost 120 million EUR in 2021 – is divided over these organisations.

Characteristics of youth volunteering

As volunteering adresses all young people in the German-speaking Community and no official statistics on the level or trends of participation exist (yet), information on the characteristics of youth volunteering, e.g. on specific target groups or the main fields of activities cannot be delivered yet.

Support to young volunteers

Volunteering plays a significant role, which is why the support to young volunteers is of high priority for the government of the German-speaking community. 

In the German-speaking Community, volunteers get free insurance, information material regarding the volunteering activity, and further training. The free insurance is especially important for small non-profit organisations, who couldn't afford to insure their volunteers. 

Organisations and volunteers are offered personalized advice on request and a lot of information by the support point for voluntary work located at the Ministry of the German-speaking Community. A dedicated website offers regular updated information, policy papers, good examples, concepts and methods for volunteering and provides an overview of the various possibilities of volunteer work in the German-speaking Community. Moreover, regular information sessions are organized. Another young volunteers are also provided support through the promotion of volunteer trainings and the opportunity to participate in various exchange programs.

Volunteers are not paid for their work but can be reimbursed for expenses. They may receive fixed or actual cost compensation, which is exempt from taxes and social security contributions. Organizations are not required to offer payments but must inform volunteers. Both payment types cannot be combined. If real costs are reimbursed, the volunteer must provide evidence of these costs. Fixed compensation does not require proof if it does not exceed 35.41 EUR per day or 1416.16 EUR per year (2020). Higher allowances require proof. The maximum mileage compensation for using personal vehicles is 0.3707 EUR per km (valid from 1.07.2021 to 30.06.2022), with a 2000 km annual limit. Organizations decide who qualifies for mileage reimbursement, and the volunteer must provide proof. 

Target groups

As there is no specific national programme for Youth Volunteering in the German-speaking Community, a specific target group hasn't been defined. Due to its nature, volunteering can be carried out by anyone, regardless of background, level of education, etc. Volunteering can provide opportunities for specific groups to gain experience, reintegrate into society, and create a platform for isolated individuals to build social connections.