International Year of Volunteering 2026: A Strategic Opportunity for Responsible Companies
In December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, IVY 2026). This designation represents more than symbolic recognition - it is a strategic appeal for organizations from all sectors to integrate volunteering - formal and informal - as an essential tool for accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The choice of 2026 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first International Year of Volunteers (2001) and the 55 years of the United Nations Volunteers program. This moment offers companies a unique opportunity to reassess and reposition its corporate volunteering programstransforming them into strategic initiatives in line with contemporary challenges - climate crises, social inequalities, digital transformation - and the growing expectations of stakeholders, investors and talent.
This resolution establishes clear priorities that dialogue directly with the business agenda: recognize and measure the contribution of volunteers to sustainable development, integrating voluntary action into development strategies (including corporate ESG and social impact strategies), removing barriers to participation and foster innovative volunteering models adapted to current organizational realities. For companies, these guidelines represent an invitation to elevate corporate volunteering from a peripheral initiative to strategic component with measurable impact.
Corporate volunteering is no longer just an expression of social responsibility - it's a strategic asset capable of generating multiple returns: it strengthens internal human capital by developing skills (leadership, teamwork, creative problem solving), increases talent engagement and retentionIt builds reputation and trust with stakeholders, and contributes directly to the SDGs - translating ESG commitments into tangible impact. Studies show that well-structured corporate volunteering programs generate measurable results in priority areas such as education, gender equality, digital inclusion, environmental sustainability and crisis response.
O Sustainable Development Goal 17 - Partnerships for Implementation - reinforces that ambitious targets require multi-sectoral collaboration: governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. Corporate volunteering the power of this partnership logicby connecting the technical capacity and resources of companies to the concrete needs of communities, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expanding the basis for collective action towards shared objectives.
What's more, corporate volunteering works like social innovation lab. By putting employees in direct contact with real community challenges, companies access perspectives that rarely emerge in traditional organizational contexts, test solutions in diverse environments and build genuine social relevance. By integrating volunteering into their strategic priorities, companies create a double advantageThey accelerate progress on the SDGs while strengthening more resilient social and economic ecosystems - in which they themselves operate and on which they depend.
O GRACE - Responsible Companies has worked with companies and civil society organizations to support the development of corporate volunteer programs that are strategically aligned with local challenges and the global goals of the SDGs, promoting long-term partnerships. Our focus is to support companies in maximizing social impactby integrating sustainable development into the organizational culture and translating values into concrete, measurable and scalable actions.
However, for corporate volunteering to evolve in a consistent and well-founded manner, it is essential to know the current state of the sector. For this reason, GRACE is, together with the ISCTEto develop a a pioneering study on corporate volunteering in Portugal, due to be presented during the first half of the year. This study aims to produce a rigorous and comprehensive diagnosis that responds to critical questions still without a clear answer in the national context, enabling companies and civil society organizations to make more informed strategic decisions on how to structure, expand and optimize corporate volunteering programs. By mapping best practices, identifying gaps and measuring results, this study will provide practical tools for corporate volunteering in Portugal to evolve from scattered initiatives into a coherent, professionalized and high-impact movementin line with the SDGs and the real needs of communities.
2026 is an opportunity that companies cannot afford to miss. The International Year of Volunteering offers a favorable global context for rethinking, innovating and expanding corporate volunteering programs - transforming them into strategic instruments for measurable social impact, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the growing expectations of employees, investors and society. By putting voluntary action at the heart of corporate social responsibility strategies - as advocated by SDG 17 - companies can accelerate progress towards a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future, while creating shared value for the business and for society.
The challenge is on: Is your company prepared to make 2026 the year in which corporate volunteering stops being a complementary initiative and becomes a strategic lever for transformation and impact? Change begins with a conscious decision - and the time is now.
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