Unleashing the potential of volunteering for local development

Across OECD countries, just under one-quarter of the population formally volunteers at least once a month. These volunteers contribute to local development in many ways, from revitalising neighbourhoods and enhancing social cohesion to bolstering community resilience to societal pressures and shocks, such as natural disasters. However, volunteering is under pressure in many places. Local and national approaches such as developing overarching strategies and enabling legal frameworks, as well as improving the volunteering “market”, can help to rejuvenate volunteering.