Review of the event ‘Volunteering of the Future’

How do you ensure that your volunteer organization in Amsterdam is ready for the future? With that question in mind, we organized a meeting at the RAI Amsterdam on February 4th. The venue was packed, and everyone was enthusiastic. We’d like to briefly review the key insights and discussions.

Stephanie Mathas, the RAI’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, welcomed attendees and emphasized the RAI’s social responsibility. Organizations needing space for meetings or gatherings can find a venue at the RAI. The RAI also offers opportunities for social sponsorship and donations of surplus products, such as furniture, food, and plants.

Our director, Henriette van der Meij, then opened the afternoon. She expressed her hope that this meeting would lead to inspiring insights and connections.

Finding and retaining volunteers

Chair Bahram Sadeghi took a quick look at the audience. Most of them were volunteer coordinators. Their challenges? The main need, it turned out, was to find volunteers with greater resilience and independence, as well as volunteers for specific tasks. But solutions were also immediately suggested, such as using a pool system instead of fixed pairings between volunteers and those seeking help.

Marleen Stikker – Digital autonomy

Marleen Stikker of Waag Futurelab gave a presentation on the influence of big tech and the need for digital autonomy. She warned against the growing power of companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon and emphasized the importance of decentralized and open technologies. She encouraged organizations to consider alternatives like Fairphone and Mastodon. More on this can be seen in the episode of Tegenlicht, where Marleen Stikker elaborates on this story.

A special focus was on how this digital transition could be made accessible to the participating organizations and their target groups, such as newcomers and those with computer literacy. Volunteers Centrale Amsterdam and Waag Society will jointly organize a helpdesk session to support community organizations in this transition.

Arjen de Wit – Volunteering in a changing society

Arjen de Wit of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam/Faculty of Philanthropy discussed the societal value of volunteer work. Although almost half the population volunteers, paid work is often considered more valuable. He proposed using terms like ” volunteerism” or “social work” to emphasize its importance. He also examined societal trends in this area:

• Volunteering weekly or more often decreases
• The nature of volunteering is changing
• Healthy people can do volunteer work better/more easily.
• There is a great stigma attached to unemployment; people prefer to work.

Merijn Ruis – The science behind happiness and volunteering

Merijn Ruis concluded the substantive sessions with insights from positive psychology. He offered three practical tips for a happier life:

1. Focus on gratitude
2. Chat with a stranger every day
3. Asking for help = giving someone else the chance to experience the helper high

He emphasized that volunteering not only helps others but also gives the volunteer a boost of happiness. And don’t forget to express your appreciation to others!

Closing and conclusions

During the closing discussion, the importance of diversity and collaboration between organizations was emphasized. Volunteering can contribute to social cohesion, but requires a new way of thinking and appreciating. Finally, a joint search was made for an alternative term for volunteers , with suggestions such as:

• Benefactors
• Benefactors
• Lucky charms
• Happiness Makers
• Community caretakers

Follow-up

The meeting offered valuable insights and tools for the future of volunteering, with concrete next steps such as the helpdesk session for digital autonomy and further collaborations between civil society organizations. Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about follow-up sessions.

Over drinks, people chatted some more, made new connections, and exchanged phone numbers. Everyone left happy and full of new insights. We thank RAI Amsterdam for their hospitality and for making the venue and drinks reception available free of charge. We look back on a very enjoyable, interactive, and informative afternoon.

Photos: Peter Lange