Every volunteer at heart has a cause that they are passionate about, from helping the disadvantaged youth to advocating for mental health. But the biggest problem in the volunteer sector is the huge gap between the NGOs and the volunteers. The volunteers struggle in reaching the right NGOs while the NGOs struggle in attracting the best volunteers for their cause. When I started my volunteer journey, I was faced with the same challenge. I was an aspiring volunteer ready to offer my skills to the community. I wanted to explore different NGOs to discover which one fits me best, however, the search didn't go smoothly. The ads were all over the place, plus some of the causes that I am curious about weren't appearing in my search. Sourcing good NGOs which fit one's personal skills and advocacy can be overwhelming! I believe other first-time volunteers may have had similar experiences. My online search eventually led me to iVolunteer and I was surprised by what I found. It's the first time I learned of an organization that acts as a bridge between volunteers and NGOs. I signed up to their website and scrolled through the many volunteer opportunities available from different NGOs. Before joining the volunteer activities available, I first attended their Start your Adventure webinar where they discussed how aspiring volunteers can jumpstart their volunteer journey. I also attended their volunteer expo Go Volunteer where volunteers can interact with iVolunteer's partner NGOs and know more about their advocacies and volunteer opportunities. These two events helped me in choosing the NGOs I want to explore and offer my help. After my first volunteer activity that I joined through their platform, my journey as a volunteer has continued to evolve. I went from being a clueless first-time volunteer to a volunteer writer who is about to share with you how iVolunteer Philippines has grown over the years, with September 2024 as their 15th Year Anniversary, and how they plan to continue to grow in the future with the support of their volunteers, partner NGOs, and hopefully you.
iVolunteer Team participating in DSWD's relief operations
iVolunteer was created by individuals who have a heart and passion for volunteering. They also started their volunteer journey by searching for volunteer opportunities, and, similar to my experience, they couldn't pinpoint the most suitable volunteer opportunities. JB Tan and Bel Padlan, the founders and past executive directors of iVolunteer, were former work colleagues who shared the same passion for volunteerism. While their workplace offered CSR programs, it was held only once a quarter and had very limited slots. It was during Typhoon Ondoy when their vision was actualized. At a time when one of the strongest storms hit the Philippines, both of them saw how there were many Filipinos like them who want to offer help and volunteer but don't know where to start. This problem sparked JB and Bel to create a website where Filipinos can access a centralized platform where they can sign up and volunteer right away. Their shared vision and even their background in technology proved to be a great combination as this led to the creation of the platform that we now all know as iVolunteer Philippines.
JB and Bel doing a session on Partner's Community Meet-up
Having the desire to help is a great start but taking action and putting yourself out there does come with some challenges. When you realize you want to offer your time, talent and treasure to help communities, you begin to wonder about the next step, "But which NGO should I choose? Where do I start?" When you're new to something, it's normal to start off confused and hesitant to make a move. Sometimes, this is where some people don't push through or act on their passion. Moreover, when you do find an NGO where you want to invest your time, effort, or donation, you want to make sure that what you offer is going to land in a safe place. In the aftermath of Ondoy, there were donation drives which were not going to the intended beneficiaries. It's a reality that isn't only limited to that time. As someone who also volunteers, this was also one of the issues that I pondered on when I was starting my journey. We invest not only our time and effort but also our hearts when we volunteer: we simply want our hearts to land in a safe place. With these significant and real issues that volunteers face, it is indeed a blessing that iVolunteer was created. iVolunteer provides the public free access to a platform where they can choose where to volunteer from the many and diverse NGOs, along with the information about the NGO and their volunteer activities. With just a few scrolls and a few clicks, people can easily sign up for a volunteer activity of their choosing. The date, time, location, and other necessary information are provided. Moreover, iVolunteer sends their own team in their NGO partners' activities to ensure the quality and transparency of the activities that the volunteers sign up for or send their donations to. Overall, iVolunteer has created an eco-system for Filipinos which made volunteering easier, safer, and more transparent—a system we can rely on where our volunteer spirit can be supported and nurtured.
iVolunteer's first Volunteer Engagement Workshop
Through the years, iVolunteer has continued to leave an impact in the development sector year after year. As of 2024, there are 162,399 volunteers that have been engaged, 24,434,032 volunteering hours, 428 partner NGOs, and around 5 million pesos total amount donated, and these numbers continue to grow. There has also been an expansion in Davao under the leadership of Judith Apolinario-Follero, the newly-appointed Executive Director of iVolunteer. This is a significant impact which shows that volunteerism is spreading on a larger scale. The fire of volunteerism in Manila is now spreading in Davao – more Filipinos are waking up to their passion to help.
iVolunteer's Partners Community Meet-up 2023 in Davao
For the past 15 years, iVolunteer has also formed strong partnerships with many NGOs. JB, Judith, and Bel believe this is one of the greatest impacts of the organization. Through the years, their NGO partners have maintained their connection with iVolunteer as they preserved and protected the faith they placed in them. Some of their NGO partners like The Storytelling Project, Child Hope Field of Dreams Children's Home, and Citizens Disaster Response Center have nothing but praises for the efforts of iVolunteer in helping them source donations in order to provide the adequate amount of goods and resources for community projects. The Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation also sent a heartwarming message to iVolunteer saying, "My heart goes to you with all sincerity in the beautiful thing that you do – encouraging others to volunteer, not out of pay, because they're not paid, but giving your self, your time, talent, and treasure. That alone is inspiring." iVolunteer together with its volunteers are devoted and driven to continue helping our fellow Filipinos. Being able to see communities and our fellow Filipinos be uplifted from their struggles drive them to keep doing what they do. Helping others comes with its own challenges, but it's certainly worth it. It's not just for a few people, it's for everyone, because we are all connected. As iVolunteer's long-time NGO partner Project Pearls shared, "Sama-sama tayo. Bayanihan tayo. Dahil hindi naman to kaya ng isang tao lang o ng isang organization lamang." Oneness over division, compassion over indifference. The founders hope for a future where volunteering is an integral part of every Filipino's life. Whether one chooses to volunteer in small ways or big ways, it would create a ripple effect in the overall state of the community. Every help matters.
The past and present of iVolunteer Philippines has indeed been impactful and life-changing. As they're celebrating their 15th Anniversary, iVolunteer is far from stopping their innovation. They have added a feedback process where volunteers can send feedback about the NGOs they volunteered at. With the help of their Technology Director, Bel Padlan, iVolunteer is poised to become a self-regulating ecosystem. The number of their NGO partners continues to grow and it can be challenging to catch up with all of them. iVolunteer would leverage technology and would need the help of the public to regulate this ecosystem as the organization opens up its programs to wider sectors from Manila to Davao and eventually to more cities in the Philippines. The co-founder, JB Tan, is also pushing for this self-regulating system. He wants to go beyond collecting data on the number of volunteer hours that the volunteers have acquired and understand more about the impact of the volunteers in the communities they engage in. For this reason, JB and his team are in the process of launching a national survey that would gauge the progress of the volunteer sector. The internal environment of iVolunteer is also undergoing development. Under the new leadership of Judith, her team is currently brainstorming for new plans to mold the next leaders of iVolunteer. She values the fresh ideas that the younger generation can bring into the organization. She understands that there are things that they can see that the older generation might miss. iVolunteer is burning the candles to forge the new leaders, and with this everyone can expect the organization to continue evolving.
iVolunteer's Partners Appreciation Night 2024 in Manila
iVolunteer has definitely revolutionized volunteerism in the Philippines by making a sturdy bridge between the volunteers and the NGOs. In the past, the ease of connection between these two was almost non-existent. However, iVolunteer successfully bridged the gap and has provided a solution to the challenges that both volunteers and NGOs face when trying to connect with each other. No longer will volunteers take that much time out of their busy schedule to find good NGOs that fit their skills and advocacy. At the same time, NGOs also won't need to prepare huge budgets and manpower to put up events or campaigns just to attract volunteers.
iVolunteer's GO! Volunteer Expo 2023 in SM Megamall
With a few clicks of a button, iVolunteer makes it easy for people who share the same vision to come together and create an impact.
Are you an aspiring volunteer looking for the best volunteer opportunities to support your advocacy? Join iVolunteer now and see the possibilities that await you.
Making an impact is just a few clicks away. Click ➡️ https://www.ivolunteer.com.ph/register
Written by Marian Alice Meñez, iVolunteer
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