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Czechia

2. Voluntary Activities

2.3 National strategy on youth volunteering

Last update: 24 March 2026
On this page
  1. Existence of a National Strategy
  2. Scope and contents
  3. Responsible authority
  4. Revisions/ Updates
 
On this page
  1. Existence of a National Strategy
  2. Scope and contents
  3. Responsible authority
  4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy

There is no unified national strategy for youth volunteering and its development. A minor part of these activities is covered in the Concept for the Development of Volunteering until 2030. 

Scope and contents

One of the key documents that has dealt, among other things, with the issue, was the Youth Strategy 2014-2020. Therein:

  • Youth volunteering formed part of the horizontal priorities, namely in Point 4 'Involving young people in the decision-making process and participation'.
  • Support of youth volunteering was one of the priorities, being considered as a tool for stimulation of active and responsible citizenship and, also, as a contribution to societal coherence.
  • Development of volunteering was formulated in Strategic Goal no. 9:  'To create favourable conditions for youth volunteering including the valuation and recognition of volunteering'. The topic of youth volunteering is handled by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with Strategic Goal (SG) No. 9 of the Youth Strategy and has three Operational Goals (OG) with various measures. Ministry of the Interior (MI) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MLSA) share responsibility with MEYSas follows:

SG 9: To create favourable conditions for youth volunteering including the valuation and recognition of volunteer activities

SG 9: To create favourable conditions for youth volunteering including the valuation and recognition of volunteer activities    
OG A: To promote volunteering    
Measure: Responsibility Co-responsibility
1. To promote the legislative incorporation of volunteering in publicly beneficial legal entities and in the position of the beneficiary organisation, as well as in state-subsidised organisations and educational legal entities MI MEYS
2. To contribute to the legislative determination of conditions for volunteering by people in their employment, membership or other legal relations with their organisation MI  
3. To develop tools for the recognition of competencies obtained through volunteering and to encourage their use MEYS MI, MLSA
4. To support the development of methods to evaluate volunteer work for all areas of volunteer activities MEYS  
SG 9: To create favourable conditions for youth volunteering including the valuation and recognition of volunteer activities    
OG B: To improve youth awareness of the opportunities for volunteer activities and their benefits    
Measure: Responsibility Co-responsibility
1. To reinforce the role of youth information centres and Eurodesk in the provision of information on volunteer activities and their benefits MEYS  
2. To reinforce youth awareness of volunteering options through schools, educational facilities and NGOs MEYS  
3. To promote the dissemination of good practices MEYS  
SG 9: To create favourable conditions for youth volunteering including the valuation and recognition of volunteer activities    
OG C: To promote the improvement of the quality of work with volunteers    
Measure: Responsibility Co-responsibility
1. To support the system of awarding accreditations to organisations working with volunteers MI  
2. To promote the certification of work provided by volunteers and its recognition MI MEYS
3. To support the announcement of grant programmes contributing to the quality of work with volunteers MI, MEYS  
4. To provide methodological support to organisations and institutions working with volunteers MI, MEYS  

MEYS – Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
MLSA – Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
MI – Ministry of the Interior

OG – Objective goal, SG – Strategic goal

Responsible authority

The issue of youth volunteering is handled by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS).

For the period 2016-2022, the Ministry of Interior implemented a project entitled “Concept of volunteering development in the Czech Republic with emphasis on ensuring regional and professional accessibility of volunteering in the form of volunteer centres.” The project aimed to create a more accessible and higher quality of services in the field of social inclusion through volunteering. In addition, the project aimed setting up a favourable environment for the performance and development of volunteer activities, for the broadest possible involvement of Volunteers and voluntary organisations, promoting the importance of all volunteer activities and strengthening the recognition of volunteers and volunteerism in society in general. One of the objectives of the project was to draft "concept of the development of volunteering in the Czech Republic". The emphasis was on the provision of regional and professional accessibility of volunteering by the form of volunteer centres. The focus was on system support and development of volunteer activities, increased availability, and the professionalisation of the voluntary service centres and their clients.

In January 2025 the Government approved the Concept for the Development of Volunteering until 2030. It is presented as a "first ever strategic document that will help to comprehensively develop volunteering in the Czech Republic". According to data from the Czech Statistical Office from 2023, over 1.6 million people in the Czech Republic are involved in volunteering. However, only a minor part of volunteering (the one organized by the volunteer centres, supported by the Ministry of Interior) is really covered by the Concept.  

Revisions/ Updates

The National Youth Strategy 2025-2030, adopted in May 2025, mentions volunteering 14 times, but doesn't consider it a goal per se. It lists different responsibilities of actors other than the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and declares that "volunteering also plays a major role in the acquisition of key competences and skills, contributing to building and strengthening empathy and solidarity and cultivating intergenerational dialogue. At the same time, it offers young people the opportunity to acquire new skills and work experience that will improve their position in the labour market."