un volunteers

What un volunteers does

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is a United Nations programme administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), headquartered at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. Founded in 1970, UNV mobilizes volunteers for the UN system and global development partners, deploying 17,000+ UN Volunteers across 172 countries in 2025 and engaging nearly 21,000 online volunteers in 2026. The organization operates through six regional offices (Amman, Bangkok, Dakar, Istanbul, Nairobi, Panama City), a new subregional office in Almaty (2025), and approximately 60 field units worldwide, serving a client base of 55+ UN entities alongside government and civil society partners. Its core products include the Unified Volunteering Platform (app.unv.org) for volunteer registration and assignment matching, the UNV eCampus (learning.unv.org) for volunteer training, the Knowledge Portal on Volunteerism for evidence and policy data, and the UN Partner Toolkit for entity onboarding. The triennial State of the World's Volunteerism Report, with the 2026 edition focused on measurement, anchors its research output.

UNV's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. It generates no fee revenue from volunteer recruitment — UNV explicitly charges no fees at any stage. Funding flows through three channels: the Special Voluntary Fund (unearmarked voluntary contributions from governments, foundations, and the private sector enabling rapid crisis response and inclusion initiatives), the Full Funding programme (governments directly finance volunteer assignments — Kazakhstan since 2019, Republic of Korea since 1986, Uzbekistan since November 2025), and partner UN entity budgets that host deployed volunteers. Approximately 300 staff work at headquarters in Bonn, supplemented by field-based personnel across the regional and subregional offices.

Go-to-market operates through two distinct motions. On the demand side, UNV engages UN entities through formal request processes, the Partner Toolkit, and direct field engagement via 60 field units; it engages governments through the Full Funding programme and partner roundtables (e.g., the May 2026 Asian Partner Countries Roundtable). On the supply side, individuals self-register in the Global Talent Pool via the Unified Volunteering Platform and apply for international, national, or online volunteer assignments. Distribution to volunteers is community-led, with online volunteering enabling remote participation from any device. Marketing relies on the unv.org website, social media channels, the Knowledge Portal, and global campaigns including International Volunteer Day and the UN General Assembly-declared International Volunteer Year 2026 (IVY 2026).

Name

un volunteers

Legal name

United Nations Volunteers

Website

https://unv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Short description

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is the UN programme, administered by UNDP, that mobilizes 17,000+ volunteers annually across 172 countries to support UN entities, governments, and civil society in implementing peace, development, and humanitarian initiatives, funded through voluntary contributions and the Full Funding programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Volunteer Mobilization for Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Volunteer mobilization services
• International development support
• Humanitarian talent solutions
• Peacebuilding volunteer programs
• Sustainable development partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding - Special Voluntary Fund: UNV is primarily funded through voluntary contributions from governments, foundations, and private sector partners to the Special Voluntary Fund, which allows UNV to respond rapidly to crises, support inclusion and diversity, and promote volunteerism globally.
2. Full Funding Programme: Governments directly finance volunteer assignments through the Full Funding programme, sponsoring nationals or other nationalities to serve as UN Volunteers. Partners include Kazakhstan (since 2019), Republic of Korea (since 1986), and Uzbekistan (since November 2025).
3. Private Sector Partnerships: Private sector partners can sponsor UN Volunteers to provide talent solutions to the UN system. Companies like FIFA partner with UNV during initiatives like IVY 2026.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UNV mobilizes onsite and online volunteers and supports partners to advance peace, development, and human rights. It recruits qualified individuals from a Global Talent Pool, deploys them with UN entities, governments, and civil society organizations across 172 countries, and provides end-to-end volunteer management including recruitment, deployment, training, and performance support via the Unified Volunteering Platform, UNV eCampus, Online Volunteering Service, and Knowledge Portal on Volunteerism.

Product overview

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) operates a platform-centered portfolio of volunteer mobilization and management services organized around its core Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP), complemented by the UNV eCampus for training, the Knowledge Portal for research and evidence, and the UN Partner Toolkit for entity onboarding. The Full Funding Programme and Special Voluntary Fund are funding mechanisms through which governments and partners sponsor volunteer assignments. Flagship research products include the triennial State of the World's Volunteerism Report. Thematic initiatives such as the Hear Us. Act Now campaign and the International Volunteer Year 2026 drive specific global mobilizations, while the Online Volunteering Service enables remote participation. The Global Talent Pool serves as the candidate registry from which volunteers are matched to assignments across UN entities, governments, and civil society organizations in 172 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unified Volunteering Platform (UVP) Online platform that enables individuals to register, build a UNV profile, and apply for UN Volunteer assignments, and that supports UN entities and partners in matching candidates to volunteer opportunities.
• UNV eCampus Online learning platform that delivers training modules and professional development resources to UN Volunteers during and in preparation for their assignments.
• Online Volunteering Service Service that connects organizations and online volunteers to work remotely on sustainable development and humanitarian challenges without geographic constraints, hosted on unv.org.
• Knowledge Portal on Volunteerism Online portal for development practitioners and policymakers to access global, regional, and national data, evidence, measurement guidance, and peer exchange on volunteerism.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ UN Volunteers deployed in 172 countries in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Climate High-Level Champions and Zero Waste FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026COP31 Climate High-Level Champion and Zero Waste Foundation visited UNV headquarters in Bonn to align efforts around IVY 2026.
• Asian Partner CountriesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Asian Partner Roundtable held at UNV Headquarters in Bonn on 12-13 May 2026 with China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan to review Full Funding and Special Voluntary Fund results and explore collaboration.
• UzbekistancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Uzbekistan joined UNV's Full Funding programme in November 2025. First three international UN Volunteers from Uzbekistan will start assignments in August 2026 in Qatar, Singapore, and Türkiye, focusing on youth employment, environment, and AI.
• KazakhstanflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Kazakhstan joined UNV's Full Funding programme in 2019 and has supported the Special Voluntary Fund since 2016. Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian country to join and has sponsored 17 nationals to serve as UN Volunteers. In 2025, the President announced establishment of UNV Subregional Office in Almaty.
• Republic of KoreaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Republic of Korea has maintained a strong partnership with UNV under the Full Funding programme since 1986. Roundtable discussions focus on Korean youth and retaining Korean talent through volunteer assignments.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970UNV is administered by UNDP. UNDP provides institutional support, administrative services, and operational infrastructure. UNV operates as a UN common service serving the entire UN system under this arrangement.
• UNHCRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner79% of UN Volunteers were deployed with UNHCR between 2010 and 2015. UNHCR is a major host entity for UN Volunteers supporting refugee protection and assistance.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF engages UN Volunteers to support health, education, and child welfare programs globally. UNV and UNICEF launched the Global Learning Townhall Series in 2026.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Women partners with UNV for gender equality initiatives and hosts volunteers at its new international office at UN Campus Bonn.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Health Organization engages UN Volunteers to support global health programs and emergency response operations.
• IOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Organization for Migration works with UNV on migration management. In April 2026, IOM and UNV convened at UNV Headquarters in Bonn to reflect on collaboration.
• FIFAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA joined UN in support of International Volunteer Year 2026, bringing its 2.5 million member volunteer community. FIFA will deploy around 50,000 volunteers for FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Kazakhstan National Volunteer NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kazakhstan National Volunteer Network and Ministry of Culture and Information to develop methodological guidelines for volunteer engagement across social protection, education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, youth policy, and emergency response.
• IMPACT 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNV is a founding actor of IMPACT 2030, a private sector-led global collaboration mobilizing employee volunteers to advance SDGs.
• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNV collaborates with the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): UK-headquartered international development organization placing skilled volunteers in Global South assignments. Comparable to UNV on volunteer mobilization model, target populations, and development outcomes, though operating as an NGO rather than UN programme.
• Peace Corps: US government agency that mobilizes volunteers for international development assignments overseas. Highly comparable to UNV's international UN Volunteer deployments, with overlapping host-country footprint and similar mission framing around peace and development.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit mobilizing volunteers for development and shelter programs. Comparable to UNV on volunteer-driven development delivery, country footprint, and donor-funded operating model.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development NGO deploying staff and volunteers across fragile contexts. Comparable to UNV on field-based development delivery, UN-system contracting, and donor-funded program model.
• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): International medical-humanitarian organization fielding volunteer-staffed assignments in crisis contexts. Comparable to UNV on international volunteer deployment, UN system contracting, and humanitarian field presence.
• UN Volunteers (UNV): Anchor company — UNV itself is included here only as a self-reference for benchmarking against the directly comparable peer set below.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Global humanitarian network built on volunteer mobilization for disaster response and health. Comparable to UNV on volunteer-driven humanitarian delivery, geographic reach, and member-state governance structure.

Regional players

• iVolunteer: India-headquartered platform connecting skilled volunteers with NGOs. Comparable to UNV on online volunteer matching and Global South volunteer sourcing, but concentrated in a single national market.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Largest volunteer-mobilization organization in the US focused on civic service rather than international development. Comparable to UNV on volunteer-advocacy positioning but materially different in international scope and UN system integration.

Emerging players

• Peace Direct: INGO focused on locally-led peacebuilding, often through volunteer and community mobilizers. Comparable to UNV on volunteer-driven peace outcomes but with a narrower geographic and thematic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNVolunteers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/unv
• Facebookfacebook.com/unvolunteers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-nations-volunteers
• Instagraminstagram.com/unvolunteers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about un volunteers