“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Helen Keller (US political activist)
We are a strong network, but by working and cooperating with others, we can be even stronger. Together, we achieve so much more, to ensure that social justice lies at the basis of all policy and decision making, and opportunities for active citizenship and volunteering are resourced, managed and reach as many people as possible.

Lifelong Learning Platform is an umbrella that gathers over 40 European organisations active in the field of education, training and youth. Amongst them, these networks represent more than 50,000 educational institutions and associations covering all sectors of formal, non-formal and informal learning. Volonteurope is a full member of the Lifelong Learning Platform and our President, Oonagh, is a member of its Steering Committee.

Civil Society Europe (CSE) brings together 28 European networks of civil society organisations (CSO) working towards regenerating the European project around the shared values of equality, solidarity, inclusiveness and democracy. Volonteurope is a full member of Civil Society Europe.

European Civic Forum (ECF) is a transnational network that brings over 100 associations and NGOs across nearly 30 countries in Europe. It works actively on issues such as citizenship education, defence of human rights and the advocacy of democracy. Volonteurope has been working in partnership with ECF since 2010.

SOLIDAR is a European and global network of civil society organisations working to advance social justice. The network is brought together by its shared values of solidarity, equality and participation. Volonteurope has been cooperating with SOLIDAR on active citizenship and volunteering policy and advocacy for over a decade.

Europe Future Fringe, an informal initiative by Volonteurope, its member New Europeans and its partner European Future Forum, is an open access festival of democracy, where everyone who wants to be part of the conversation about the future of Europe can find a space to tell their story. The initiative was launched in the autumn of 2019.

The EFF is a one-of-a-kind European civic project development network. It represents a diverse and non-homogenous group of people from vastly different backgrounds and experiences. It places emphasis on new technologies and social innovation and builds a Europe-wide network of organisations and individuals to better establish European civil society and reduce competition between non-profits. Volonteurope has been a partner with the EFF since August 2020.

IAVE exists to promote, strengthen, and celebrate volunteering in all of the myriad ways it happens throughout the world. With members in over 70 countries, IAVE is the connective tissue of a global network of leaders of volunteering, NGOs, businesses and volunteer centres that share a belief in the power of volunteers to make a significant strategic contribution to resolving the world’s most pressing problems. Volonteurope applied for IAVE’s membership in August 2020.

Voluntare, created in 2011 as part of the European Year of Volunteering, is an international network promoting corporate volunteering in Europe and Latin America. It is a space for meetings and collaboration between organisations, companies, and people. Voluntare brings together over 80 companies and other members and is the most important Spanish-speaking network of its kind in the world. Through mutual membership, Volonteurope represents Voluntare at European level and Juan Ángel, our Board Director, is the Founder and President of Voluntare.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the voice of organised civil society in Europe at institutional level. The Liaison Group was set up in 2004 to provide a framework for political dialogue and cooperation between the EESC and the European organisations and networks that the Group liaises with, as well as other EU institutions, on cross-cutting issues of common interest. The Group provides a unique bridge between civil society organisations and European institutions, enabling civil dialogue and promoting participatory democracy. It is a channel through which civil society can discuss and influence the EU agenda and decision-making processes. Volonteurope is represented in the Liaison Group by our Secretary General, Piotr.

The voice of civil society is heard at the Council of Europe thanks to the Conference of International Non-governmental Organisations (INGOs). Since the introduction of consultative status for INGOs in 1952, the Council of Europe has developed even closer and fruitful relations with NGOs as representatives of civil society. The introduction of participatory status in 2003 has enabled INGOs to increase active participation in the policies and work programme of the Council of Europe, and to reinforce cooperation between the Council and the various associations in the Member States. The Conference of INGOs is recognised as an Institution of the Council of Europe. Volonteurope has been participating in the INGO Conference since 1992 and is officially represented by our Secretary General, Piotr.
Social Platform is the largest network of civil society organisations in European Union. It advocates for social justice as the compass guiding all political decisions and economic actions in Europe. Volonteurope is a full member of Social Platform and our Secretary General, Piotr, is its current President.