Start urban campaign ‘Volunteers Illuminate the City’

On September 18, an ambitious urban campaign started in Amsterdam with the goal of attracting new volunteers. Under the motto ‘Volunteers lighten up the city’, the campaign aims to inspire and motivate as many people as possible to start doing volunteer work. The campaign is a collaboration between the Volunteer Center Amsterdam (VCA) and organizations looking for new volunteers. Organizations such as De Regenboog Groep, Markant, School’s Cool Amsterdam, and Stichting Prisma have contributed to the development of this campaign.Over 250,000 volunteers are dedicated to the cityIn a city where more than 250,000 Amsterdammers already volunteer, the impact of volunteers is undeniable. Volunteers contribute daily to making our city more beautiful, livable, and brighter.

Despite the growing need for volunteers in Amsterdam, the number of active volunteers has decreased in recent years. According to today’s publication of the ‘State of the City’ by the Municipality of Amsterdam, in 2020 the share of Amsterdammers who did volunteer work decreased from 39 percent to 31 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, there was a slight recovery to 33 percent after the lifting of the COVID-19 measures*. Fortunately, there are still more than 250,000 people who voluntarily dedicate their time and energy to help others and our city. They assist with grocery shopping, work behind the bar at a sports club, keep culture alive, or contribute to a greener living environment.Meaning, knowledge expansion, and a social networkVolunteering not only benefits the city and its residents but also brings something beautiful to the volunteers themselves. It can lead to a sense of purpose, meaningful use of time, valuable connections, knowledge expansion, and an enhancement of the CV.

This campaign encourages existing volunteers to share their experiences with at least one non-volunteer, hoping to inspire and excite them about volunteering. A seemingly small step with enormous potential: if every volunteer can motivate one fellow citizen to do volunteer work, the number of volunteers in Amsterdam could grow to over 500,000!The campaignThe campaign is being shared on social media and can be seen on indoor and outdoor posters in the city. Volunteer organizations can download a toolkit with promotional material to inspire and motivate Amsterdammers to volunteer for the city and its residents.

More information about the campaign can be found on the website.vrijwilligersverlichtendestad.nlLet’s all volunteer together so we can further illuminate our city and make it even more livable.

The campaign was developed by advertising agency Hollands Lof with the collaboration of De Regenboog Groep, Markant, School’s cool Amsterdam, and Stichting Prisma.*These data come from the State of the City of Amsterdam survey, which was completed by over 4,000 adult residents (18 years and older) of the municipality of Amsterdam between September and December 2022.