Volunteers
Volunteers participate in activities other than their professional activities, without pay and for a good cause.
Such activities are performed for or through associations (formal volunteer work) or independently (informal volunteer work). Volunteer work can be performed on a long-term basis or only for a specific occasion or project. An honorary office (to which one is elected) is a special form of voluntary work.
Further information on important aspects of this sub-topic can be found at the bottom of this page.
The freedom of association also applies to persons who do not have a Swiss passport, i.e. they are allowed to join associations and set up associations. Associations provide great possibilities for integration.
In the context of associations, digital cooperation refers to the cooperation within the executive committee as well as to interactions with members or between them. Digital media facilitate the exchange of media content and offer the possibility to digitally create media content individually or together with other users. Digital collaboration includes joint data storage and processing (e.g. Dropbox, Google docs, etc.), communication channels such as WhatsApp, Slack, social media platforms and planning tools such as Trello and Doodle. With a survey tool such as Findmind or Surveymonkey, member’s needs and ideas can be surveyed at any time; the interactive Mentimeter presentation software is suitable for live surveys at the general meeting.
Participation (from Latin “pars” = part and “capere” = to appropriate, to take) means to take a share of something, to take part in something. Successful participative cooperation not only leads to more sustainable solutions but also promotes trust among the participants. Within an association, participation only works if the executive committee makes it clear that it really appreciates members’ ideas and suggestions. There has to be a clear will to promote participation within an association: an appropriate budget, a defined time frame, and support from the executive committee are necessary. The participative approach provides broader support with regard to an association’s work. Participants are often multipliers who tell others about their ideas and experiences – great advertising for an association! Participation is not limited to the members of an association. Outside parties, such as young people or senior citizens, experts or people with unconventional ideas, who help develop a project, may also make interesting contributions. Cooperation with other associations or organisations also constitutes a form of participation if both entities are equally involved.
Volunteering in an association usually requires a lot of time and effort. It is therefore important to show appreciation to those involved. Such appreciation can take the form of a birthday card from the chairperson, the financing of further education or a thank-you party for the volunteers.
Question
Our association has won a recognition award from the municipality. I am the chairperson. Who should I take with me to the award ceremony? Four people are allowed from each organisation.
Answer
Ideally, you should address the question in the committee and come to a joint decision. This provides the committee with the opportunity to celebrate once again and name the individuals who played a special role in this success, also including "ordinary" association members. Further decisive factors include who is available at the time of the award ceremony and whether there are additional criteria as regards the delegation's composition.
The dossier of voluntary work records and documents voluntary and unpaid work, for example as a volunteer in an association. It shows the skills and competences employed during such work. This helps to make voluntary work visible and to emphasise its value for society. The dossier replaces the former proof of time worked as a volunteer.
Honours are part of an association’s tradition. People are honoured in different ways for their loyal membership or for their particular dedication and achievements. Some associations explicitly have honorary memberships.
To ensure that the association’s members and committee members remain motivated is an ongoing task for associations. For people to get involved, good internal communication and a culture of appreciation are important.
Anyone holding a committee office or wishing to do so should have the opportunity to prepare for this job. The costs should be borne by the association because the association will benefit from the acquired knowledge. The opportunity to take some training courses is also a form of recognition. Vitamin B offers specific seminars for committee members working on an honorary basis.
Committee members often work a lot and they do not receive any remuneration. It is therefore important to promote not only member relations, but also relations with the committee. Good discipline in meetings and the appreciation of the honorary committee work can be helpful and motivating.
Benevol is the French name for voluntary work (bene volere, Latin for good will or benevolence). Under the umbrella of Benevol Schweiz, different entities are grouped together which are engaged in the placement and recognition of volunteers.
Question
We are seeking a voluntary fundraiser for an adventure playground and want to advertise accordingly. We will place an advert in the local press and will publicise the position with the parents' association, parents' forum and the district association. Do you have any other ideas as to where it would be suitable to look for a suitable individual?
Answer
I doubt that you will find who you are looking for like this. In your case, I would task a committee member with taking on responsibility for the focus area of fundraising and also not delegate fundraising to just one person. For example, an interesting option might be a temporary working group made up of members in which different ideas on the topic of fundraising are sought, exchanged and subsequently implemented.
To ensure that the association’s members and committee members remain motivated is an ongoing task for associations. For people to get involved, good internal communication and a culture of appreciation are important.
Ancillary staff in the sense of the law (Article 55 CO) are persons who carry out activities for the association and provide support, e.g. for the association’s events. Ancillary staff is neither active as a body of the association (committee, auditors, commissions) nor are they employees of the association. In the event of a damages claim, the association is not liable for their misconduct if it can prove that it has exercised the necessary care in selecting, guiding and controlling the ancillary staff.
The term civil society refers to the network of organisations and initiatives that work without profit for the public benefit and contribute to the further development of a society worth living in (associations, citizens' initiatives, environmental movements, etc.). The sociologist Anthony Giddens says about the value of such organisations: “I think we know now what a good society looks like. It’s a kind of balance between government, markets and civil society.”
The Swiss militia system refers to a (political or military) system, which is essentially carried by part-time civil offices at the national or local level.
Question
Our committee has taken the decision to symbolically record the work it performs so as to be able to legitimise its position well during negotiations for subsidies. Is it only the time spent in attendance at the office that should be recorded? Or should the, in some cases, very long amounts of time required to reach the office also be taken into account as no other work can be performed during the journey?
Answer
It is great that you record your hours and can thus substantiate the work you perform! This forms the basis for the recognition of performed work, irrespective of whether compensation is provided for it or not. At the same time, the recording of hours worked is also helpful for things like job descriptions for interested volunteers.
Whether travel time should be included in these working hours is actually contentious, with both approaches being legitimate. Ideally, both should be reported separately, with different rates being applied to working hours and travel time (e.g. half the [fictive] remuneration for work is paid for travel time).
Social capital arises from the willingness of people to cooperate with each other. In doing so, energies are created (social capital) that are beneficial for the community and that have an impact on the common good. The term was first used in the U.S. and gained new popularity in the early 1990s through research publications of Robert D. Putnam. Social capital includes trust, shared norms, mutual support and informal relationships in a society. In addition to human capital, manufactured capital and financial capital, it is the fourth asset of a society.
Volunteer work is done apart from professional activities, usually free of charge and for a good cause. Such work can be done within an organisation (formal volunteer work) or outside (informal volunteer work). Volunteer work can continue for a long period or be performed on a specific occasion or for a specific project only. A special form of volunteer work is the honorary office. Volunteers may ask for confirmation of the work done (proof of time worked as a volunteer).