Frequently Asked Questions for Organisations
There are 29 Volunteer Centres in Ireland. They are affiliated to Volunteer Ireland but are independent legal entities.
Volunteer Centres provide a placement service between individuals and groups who want to undertake voluntary activity and organisations that are seeking to involve volunteers. Their primary function is to match individuals and groups interested in volunteering with appropriate volunteering opportunities. They also undertake a variety of additional work such as Garda Vetting, promoting volunteering, and training in volunteer management.
Volunteer Ireland is the national volunteer development organisation and a support body for all local Volunteer Centres in Ireland. Their goal is to make sure that everyone who wants to volunteer, can volunteer. You can learn more about Volunteer Ireland’s work here. They also provide practical support to community groups such as information on how to set up a volunteer programme, design a volunteer role description and information on screening and selecting volunteers.
If you are a Roscommon-based community organisation and would like to advertise a volunteer opportunity, you can do this through I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland’s national database of volunteering opportunities.
Firstly, you can register your organisation online here and can begin to advertise roles.
Secondly, you should contact Roscommon Volunteer Centre directly and so that we can learn more about you and how to best support you.
It is possible to advertise a volunteer opportunity in more than one county. However, an organisation can only have one profile on I-VOL and your organisation will automatically be assigned to your closest Volunteer Centre. This is determined on where the organisation’s headquarters are based. The volunteer centre that has been assigned to you will coordinate with other volunteer centres across the country to ensure your roles are visible in other locations. This step is taken to ensure that you have just one point of contact for all of your volunteering needs.
It is possible to advertise a volunteer opportunity to under-18s. However, it is imperative that your organisation has a comprehensive child safeguarding policy or statement in place if they intend to a) recruit and place under-18s in volunteer opportunities or, b) place adult volunteers to work alongside under-18s (who may be volunteers or with whom the adult may have regular and necessary contact).
In addition to having a safeguarding policy, it is important that your community group implements thorough screening practices for all volunteers who will be working alongside minors. This includes ensuring that any volunteer, whether referred through Roscommon Volunteer Centre or elsewhere, undergoes appropriate background checks and Garda vetting procedures.
The safety and well-being of children are paramount, and these measures are essential to create a secure environment.
If you are already registered and would like to advertise a volunteer opportunity, you will need your organisation key. If you have lost this, please contact Roscommon Volunteer Centre for help.
If you would like to amend a published volunteer ad or your amend your organisation’s details you will need to contact Roscommon Volunteer Centre to do this. Please reach out to Clodagh at 089-400-8332 for support.
If you need support or advice on volunteer management, please visit Volunteer Ireland’s resources page where you will find helpful guides, advice and templates. Volunteer Ireland also offers a full training calendar covering all aspects of volunteer management which can be viewed here.
If you need more specific advice or support, please contact Roscommon Volunteer Centre as we may be in a position to offer bespoke training and direct guidance at no cost.
Every organisation is different and your needs will depend on the size of your volunteer programme. At minimum, we recommend that any organisation that involves volunteers has a volunteer policy in place and asks each volunteer to sign a volunteer agreement. There are many additional policies and procedures that can support your volunteer programme and templates of these are available from Roscommon Volunteer Centre. Remember, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to volunteer management.
A person can volunteer and remain on jobseeker’s allowance so long as they remain available to take up paid employment. Once you have found a suitable volunteering role, the individual will need to fill out a VW1 form in order to retain their jobseeker’s allowance. The organisation they want to volunteer with will have to fill out part of the form also. It can be downloaded from www.welfare.ie or found in the local Intreo or Social Welfare office. This is a simple form requiring a few details about the volunteering role. The Deciding Officer will then review the form and confirm that it is an acceptable voluntary role.
While many people volunteer to give something back, most volunteers find that they experience a number of benefits too. Volunteering is a great way to meet people, become part of a community and develop or sharpen skills. It has also been proven to have benefits to both physical and mental health. To learn more, read Volunteer Ireland’s report into The Impact of Volunteering on the Health and Well-being of the Volunteer.
You can find out what is needed to set up a new non-profit by checking out this advice from Carmichael: Setting up a new non-profit. It may also be useful to know what is involved in applying for charitable status: Top Tips for Applying for Charitable Status.