volunteers

We Support You

IVY volunteers are committed to cooperation – they invest their time and competences in supporting the projects they have a passion for.

As a volunteer, you undoubtedly gain new experiences, skills and contacts which will be beneficial for your future personal and professional development.

We support you along the way so that your volunteering activity will be a unique experience in a safe and secure environment.

Benefits

Financial support

Every volunteer receives a stipend to cover expenses for food and accommodation. The amount provided allows them to live in similar conditions as the local population where they are volunteering, and ranges from 23 to 39 EUR per day. AEBR transfers the financial support in multiple instalments: one week before deployment, during deployment and at the end. The financial support provided is a guarantee that all young people who are interested in the initiative can participate: it is a stipend, not a salary. As such, it is not taxable. There is no fee to participate.

Insurance

IVY volunteers are fully covered with health, liability and accident insurance. AEBR arranges the policies for you for the entire duration of the experience.

Contribution to travel costs

Travel costs to relocate are covered by AEBR, based on lump sums according to the distance between the host organisation and your place of residence. Similar to other volunteering programmes, the sum is allocated according to the category and depending on the distance in km.

Training and mentoring

AEBR provides IVY volunteers with all relevant information needed for the experience. During a group call prior to starting, you can chat with other volunteers who are about to start their experience and clarify any doubts. Once you arrive at the host organisation, mentors will also share information on Interreg and offer different training activities. The mentor will accompany the IVY volunteers during their entire stay, helping them to settle in, make progress in their activities and develop ideas.

Recognition

IVY volunteers receive a certificate of participation at the end of the experience as a recognition and proof of their commitment. Additionally, they receive a digital badge to highlight the new skills gained in European cooperation projects/programmes, attesting their firsthand experience in collaborating with organizations across the EU and neighboring regions. Throughout their service, volunteers gain new skills in the form of personal, linguistic and professional competences related to the field they are involved in.

Become part of a dynamic network

Once your volunteering experience is over, we would like to stay in touch! AEBR has set up a network of former IVY volunteers so that they can exchange relevant information on opportunities and events, and support one another. We also involve IVY volunteers in various initiatives we are part of, like the group meetings following up on the implementation of the Youth Manifesto on Cooperation Policy, Youth4Cooperation, writing articles for the Stories of European Cooperation published by Interact and more.

Get a grant to organise your own local event

The European Commission and AEBR provide additional funds for IVY volunteers who wish to organise local events – known as Citizens’ Engagement Activities – informing citizens of the achievements of the European Regional Policy. As an IVY volunteer, you can come up with your own ideas on how to best raise awareness of the benefits that the Cohesion Policy provides locally, and how to engage citizens in a stimulating debate. Here you can find the guidelines to organise an event.

 Are you interested in becoming an IVY volunteer? Apply here!