This paper presents preliminary findings from a study commissioned by Forum to examine how the disruption of international volunteering by COVID-19 is impacting on the work of international volunteer cooperation organisations (IVCOs), other VIOs, partners and the communities they serve. Focus groups and interviews are being conducted with seven IVCOs, representing eight countries, and two surveys have been conducted – one with volunteers and the other with IVCOs and other volunteer involving organisations.

The paper shares initial findings around three aspects of the COVID-19 experience: What happened to volunteers in the COVID-19 pandemic? What programme innovations and adaptations signal new growth areas in a post-COVID-19 context? And initial insights into what the future for volunteering for development (V4D) holds.

This research project is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec), and by Unité, in the context of Unité’s institutional partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC.