Substantive questions volunteering

Give a Day is to find volunteer work for themselves and society: making friends, making use of your experience, making a difference, learning, having fun, experimenting, gaining benefits, empathizing, strengthening the neighborhood, using your skills, gaining experience, meeting looking behind the scenes, helping others, finding your place ...

That is why we are more than just a platform, we want to be a community, of people and organisations.

Give a Day wants to give inspiration for useful free time.

The fun experience and personal growth is central. It is therefore interesting to respond to these motivations of volunteers as an organisation.

As an organisation you are obliged to at least inform the volunteer about the following things (This can be done in a volunteer contract, an oral or written communication.)

• The goal of the organisation: what do you do?
• The type of organisation: de facto association, CVBA-VSO, city council ...
• The insurance policies taken out for the volunteer (at least Civil liability!)
• The reimbursements you may pay back, how and when you pay them
• That the volunteer has a duty of confidentiality

Also pay attention if the volunteer gets a replacement income. Be sure to ask for it, because if the volunteer gets a replacement income, it probably has a duty to report with respect to the payment institution. The volunteer must then before the start of the volunteer at the payout institution hear what he/she must do in order to stay in order.

Organisations are obliged to take out civil liability insurance for every volunteer who participates in a voluntary activity. As an organisation, you must inform the volunteer at the start of the activity. It may be that your type of association is not obliged to take out insurance, then the volunteer falls back on his own family insurance. Be sure to check with your insurance company, how this is done with your organisation. Are volunteers already included in the insurance as standard? Is there a maximum number? 

An organisation is not obliged to pay a fee. It is assumed that if one does something voluntarily, one gets feeling and appreciation through other ways than the material. Of course it is not the intention that the volunteer tears his/her pants on, so you as an organisation can give a compensation for the expenses.

You can get compensation in two ways:

• Flat-rate reimbursement: You receive a fixed amount. You do not have to submit supporting documents for this. The maximum amount is 35,41 euros * per day with a maximum of 1416,16 euros * per year. Your transport costs can also be reimbursed. The maximum is 2000 km transport costs per year:
• for your own car: maximum 0,3542 euro* per kilometer.
• for the bicycle and the train: the annual amount you receive for this may not exceed the amount for the car.
• Real reimbursement: You only get the costs for which you deliver proof, such as your train ticket, a cash receipt ... There is no maximum on this.

* These amounts apply from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Note!

• You can not use these 2 ways in the same calendar year: you choose either the flat-rate or the real reimbursement and this for all organisations where you get a reimbursement.
• The maximum amounts apply to the total of all reimbursements that you receive in all organisations within a calendar year.
• If you get a replacement income, you should first ask your payout institution what you need to do to stay in order for your replacement income.
• If you do not follow the rules, you run the risk of paying taxes on your reimbursements.

Give a Day focuses on matching organisations and volunteers in a constructive way and by listening to the wishes of both. Give a Day starts from the volunteer's point of view in order to be able to appeal to the volunteer on motivation, which gives an ideal match more opportunities. Here are some tips to attract volunteers via Give a Day.

• Convince the volunteer by responding to his possible motivations. Possible motivations are making friends, using your experience, making a difference, learning, having fun, experimenting, gaining benefits, empathizing, strengthening the neighborhood, using your skills, gaining experience, meeting behind the scenes, helping others, finding your place ...
• Describe the volunteer activity briefly, concisely and clearly. It must immediately be clear what is expected or what the activity actually means.
• Use an inspiring photo that talks about your volunteer activity.
• Make room in your organisation for different volunteer commitments. Not every volunteer wants to do something every Saturday or once a month. Some like to work on a project for a moment or only want to help one day. A day or a few days can also be a way to let volunteers get acquainted with your organisation, then this can later grow to a more structural engagement.
• Be open to groups. People are not always happy to volunteer alone. Agreeing to an organisation with a friend, colleague, family or association can make sure that volunteers go to your organisation more quickly and are more likely to stay because they already know someone or do not just have to volunteer.
• Share your volunteer activities via your own volunteer network and social media of your organisation

Do you need personal support in the broadening of your volunteer base? Contact info@giveaday.be .