Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI)
A global movement that inspires and equips young people to deliver change in their communities while building work-ready skills toward sustainable livelihoods
How it works | Impact | Our unique approach | Partners | Get involved
Volunteering channels the desire of young people to make a difference and lead change. It also builds the skills they will need to move from learning to earning and secure sustainable livelihoods.
Volunteering helps young people:
- Learn about communication and teamwork
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Build resilience and a sense of civic responsibility
The Global Volunteer Initiative (GVI)is a movement that harnesses the potential of young people as changemakers. GVI supports UNICEF Country Offices and partners to design, expand and strengthen volunteer programmes that respond to the priorities young people and communities identify as most urgent.
It represents UNICEF's largest cohort of offline youth mobilization, with over 15 million young volunteers impacting nearly 250 million people, across more than 40 countries on key issues such as climate change, mental health, nutrition and education.
How the GVI programme works
GVI works with young volunteers, communities, public institutions and businesses to design initiatives around real needs at the grassroots level. It connects volunteers with a diverse range of partners with the experience, technical expertise and resources to help young people co-design and implement the projects that matter to them.
The approach is:
- Context-driven and volunteer-centred, rooted in the priorities of young people and their communities.
- Collaborative and co-creative, bringing together local knowledge, partners and resources.
- Agile and iterative, learning from what works and adapting as needs change.
- Built to share power, involving young people meaningfully from the outset.
To support these programs globally, GVI provides a comprehensive suite of resources, including stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, technical support, digital technologies, and a cross-border community of practice across 40+ countries.
Young people know what they want to achieve. GVI works out how it can be done.
What makes the Global Volunteer Initiative programme unique?
GVI stands out through its combination of:
- Global reach, local action, using UNICEF and GenU’s country presence and youth networks to mobilize volunteers around community priorities
- Systems-building approach, supporting countries to initiate, expand and improve youth volunteer programmes over time
- Youth-led design, co-creating initiatives with young people from the outset rather than treating them only as participants
- Cross-sector power, connecting public-private-youth partners with technical expertise across climate, health, education, WASH, mental health and peacebuilding
Partner with Generation Unlimited
Get involved
GenU and UNICEF are scaling GVI with organisations that want young people to have a real role in shaping and delivering change.
Organisational partners
Funders, companies and local civil society organisations can support implementation and expand effective programmes.
Subject-matter experts
Contribute research, technical expertise and lessons from volunteer mobilisation.
Youth volunteer networks
Help shape programme design, connect existing movements and bring more young people into action.
For more details, contact [email protected].
