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IVD is an excellent opportunity to give people the 'big picture' about volunteerism, promote specific volunteering initiatives, and/or launch new ones. Below are some ideas to spark your interest; click here for more ideas.

Click here for tips on planning for IVD

If you have even more ideas we can add, please send them to us at info@worldvolunteerweb.org

Promote the impact of volunteering

• Conduct a 'time-donation' campaign where people pledge hours of voluntary service to specific projects.
• Help companies identify corporate volunteering programmes.
• Launch a national directory of volunteer organizations.
• Establish a national centre or foundation to promote volunteering.
• Organize a contest on composing a volunteer anthem, song or jingle.
• Create an award or certificate. Ask a government official or other VIP to present this to individual volunteers or volunteer organizations.
• Launch a book, report, or research initiative on voluntary activities in the country.
• Distribute a list of all the services which would not exist without volunteers.
• Lobby for adoption of legislation designed to promote volunteering.
• Promote the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Encourage national, regional or local government to adopt one or several MDGs as the main objective/s of their development strategies
• Raise awareness of civil society organizations through workshops, discussion forums, conferences, exhibitions, media, etc. which help to highlight the importance of voluntary contributions in achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals.
• Focus activities on one of the MDGs, e.g. ensure environmental sustainability.  Make sure communications and advocacy on the activities link it to the MDGs.

Eradicate poverty and improve education

• Mobilize volunteers to distribute food, clothes and medicines to the homeless and poor.
• Organize educational and entertainment events for orphans or street children.
• Mobilize volunteers to clean public spaces, plant trees etc. in a poor area of town.
• Build roads, paths, playgrounds or public recreation spaces using donated materials.
• Raise funds to sponsor primary schools or provide learning materials for students.
• Organize parents, community groups and NGOs to discuss local realities, needs and innovative approaches to education.

Share ideas around the world

Send information, photos and videos about activities in your country to info@worldvolunteerweb.org and we will publish it on this website. Please include 'IVD (country name)' in the subject line of your emails; send photos as .jpeg files and keep written materials below 300 words.