2.3 National strategy on youth volunteering
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Existence of a National Strategy
There is no unified national strategy for youth volunteering and its development. A part of these activities is covered in the nor any national strategy for all kinds of volunteering.
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 forms part of the horizontal priorities, namely in Point 4 'Involving young people in the decision-making process and participation'.
- Support of youth volunteering is 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 is 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 last Youth Strategy was valid in the period 2014-2020, covering also volunteering in youth organizations. The new Youth Strategy, now in its final stages of development, should be adopted in mid-2025 and cover volunteering in youth organisations as well.