Our mission is to inspire volunteers and empower volunteerism.

Our vision is that volunteerism enhances everyone’s life and is key in community. We are connectors.

Volunteer Victoria’s core values and guiding principles inform how we achieve our mission and vision and the ways we build and steward relationships with our communities of practice and partners. Volunteer Victoria is committed to:

• Building and sharing knowledge through the delivery of professional development, training, learning and networking opportunities, and specialized services and resources that advance the quality of volunteer programs and build capacity in the non-profit sector
• Treating all members, volunteers, partners, staff and stakeholders with fairness, dignity, and respect
• Providing welcoming spaces that embrace diverse ideas, knowledge, cultures, and experiences
• Enhancing the quality of life for individuals and the wellness of communities through volunteerism

Volunteer Victoria is committed to upholding the principles of Justice, Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (JAIDE) for all individuals who live, learn, and volunteer as uninvited guests on the traditional territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and W̱sáneć Nations.

We recognize that our privilege is built on foundations forged by First Nations peoples who faced centuries of colonization and harm to their culture, safety, and economy. We are committed to decolonizing volunteerism in our own organization and supporting others who partner with us and share this same goal.

We value and embrace diversity. Every team and every project is made stronger with the inclusion of people with different identities, lived experiences, values, and beliefs.

Our definitions for this work are as follows (thanks BCCampus for the language):

Equity is the absence of barriers that exclude people with non-dominant lived experiences, perspectives, and identities. We recognize that everyone is not starting from the same place and that there is a need for intentional interventions to allow people who experience exclusion to be present and contribute.

Diversity is the presence of people in a group with a variety of lived experiences, perspectives, and identities that may include (but are not limited to) race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political beliefs, religion, marital status, family status, ability, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, and class and/or socioeconomic status. We recognize that these categories are not fixed or independent of each other. They are fluid and can intersect in all sorts of ways. We respect an individual’s right to self-identification and affirm that no one way of being is intrinsically superior to another.

Inclusion is the practice of creating and sustaining environments and communities in which everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and empowered to participate fully and authentically in ways that work for them.

We want to create brave and welcoming spaces for individual volunteers with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including but not limited to:
• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
• members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin;
• persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
• persons who identify as women; and
• persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.

We recognize that many of these identities intersect and that therefore, equity, diversity and inclusion can be complex and are underpinned by the principles of justice and equity. We value the contributions that each person brings, and are committed to ensuring full and equal participation for all in our community.

Everybody has the right to volunteer, but not every volunteer position is right for everybody. We believe that everyone can find the right volunteer position – where they are at, without judgement, and without barriers to inclusion and equity. 

The Board, staff and volunteers at Volunteer Victoria engaged in conversations, planning sessions and interviews over 18 months to create a strong strategy for the years 2024-2027. We enrich the quality of life in our community through volunteer involvement. We continue to provide leadership to the nonprofit community, serving as the primary recruitment and referral centre for the Greater Victoria Region.

There are ways for Volunteer Victoria to lead in policies that shift the lens from “volunteering” to “volunteerism”. In a world that is more disconnected than ever, we support endeavors to counteract social isolation, enhance community well-being, and engage proactively with youth, adults, seniors, and people on a mental health or substance use journey.

We recognize that we need to plan for the future paying attention to issues around cost of living, demographics, urban realities and general labour issues. The closure of backbone organizations and economic uncertainty need to be considered when making bold moves or reinvigorating areas of practice in the organization.

We have confirmed three goals:

1. Promote and enable volunteerism to build connected communities.

2. Apply an holistic approach to employee and volunteer attraction, engagement and retention.

3. Ensure that VolVic is a financially viable organization with diverse revenue streams.

Brokerage – Volunteer Victoria matches individuals and groups interested in volunteering with opportunities across Greater Victoria. We manage information on a comprehensive range of local volunteer opportunities. The list of volunteer opportunities changes daily and exceeds 700 positions. We provide free advising services to volunteers of all ages and stages of life so we can match them with a volunteering opportunity that meets their needs. We deliver presentations in schools, community centres, conferences, and at any location where people want to learn more about volunteering and their rights as volunteers. Our Volunteer Access Program and Recreation Visiting Program serves more than 170 people each year who are on a mental health or substance use journey.

Marketing and Promotions – We promote and market volunteering through local and regional events and media campaigns on a weekly basis. More than 400 unique volunteer positions are listed in local newspapers, and on television and radio each year. Volunteer Victoria stimulates, encourages, and celebrates local interest in volunteering and community activity. Each year, we recognize and celebrate more than 300 youth and provided them with Recognition Certificates. Every April, Volunteer Victoria hosts National Volunteer Recognition Week events and activities. We partners with people and organization across the region to celebrate volunteers, promote volunteerism, and raise awareness of the impact of volunteerism in our community.

Emerging and Best Practice Development, Training and Development – Volunteer Victoria explores emerging practice and promotes best practice in working with volunteers to all volunteer involving organizations. We deliver training and certification for potential volunteers, volunteers, volunteer managers, and staff in voluntary organizations. Each year more than 700 individuals participate in training opportunities. 54% of all training is offered at no charge. Volunteer Victoria host an Executive Directors Network and a Volunteer Managers Network to help peers connect, build and share knowledge, and to convene conversations, to develop partnerships and collaborations, and to explore opportunities. Volunteer Victoria delivers a 6-week online Volunteer Coordinator Certification Program.

Develop Volunteering Opportunities – Volunteer Victoria works in close partnership with more than 300 voluntary organizations, municipalities, and public sector agencies as well as community groups and faith groups to develop local volunteering opportunities. We play an important role in in developing the quality of volunteering, not just in providing volunteers. We provide specific programs for youth aged 15 to 25, and for individuals on a mental health or substance use journey. When individuals face barriers to volunteering we work creatively to develop volunteer opportunities that meet their specific needs.

Policy Development and Response – Volunteer Victoria identifies proposals or legislation that may have an impact on volunteering or the voluntary community. We lead and/or participate in campaigns on issues that affect volunteers or volunteering. As the local experts on volunteering Volunteer Victoria informs strategic thinking and planning at a municipal and regional level.

Strategic Consultation and Resources – Volunteer Victoria provides tools, resources, and consultation to the community on issues related to volunteer and non profit management. We host a library of books and resources on non profit management and have public spaces where members of the public can come to explore their volunteering options. We offer members access to Grant Connect – a fundraising database that helps organizations find grants.