Getting involved starts in your own city

Start with three questions to yourself: how much time you realistically have, what you are good at, and who you would like to work with, for example children, older people, animals or nature. With these answers every search becomes more concrete. Many volunteer centres offer short tests or quizzes that sort out your motives and preferences.

After that, a counselling session is worth it. According to the federal association of volunteer centres, there are around 500 such centres in Germany bringing people and volunteering together. They know the organisations in their area and where help is needed right now. The counselling is usually free and without obligation.

Try a role before you commit. A taster session or a one-off assignment quickly shows you whether the task and the team suit you. If they do not, that is not a failure but a hint about where to keep looking.

Usually you do not need an application like for a job. You contact the organisation or a volunteer centre by phone, by email or through the contact form of a volunteering database. Say briefly what interests you about the task and how much time you can give.

Often a first meeting follows in which both sides check whether it fits. For work with children and young people, many organisations ask for an extended certificate of conduct. For some roles, such as rescue services or hospice work, there is training before your first assignment.

In that meeting, also ask about induction, a contact person and insurance. Good placements are happy to answer, because they know volunteers only stay when they are well supported.

The choice is wide. According to the 2024 survey, most people volunteer in sport, followed by social services, culture and music, and school and nursery. Church and religion, environment and nature, rescue services and the fire brigade, and youth and education work are large fields too.

Almost half of all volunteers are active in a club or association. There are also initiatives, foundations, parishes, welfare organisations and municipal institutions such as libraries or senior centres. Typical tasks range from homework help and visiting services to language cafés, reading mentorships and serving on a board.

The survey has no separate field for peace. Everyday peace work is part of many fields, though, for example in encounter projects, in integration or in formats that bring people with different opinions into conversation.

Less than many people think. According to the 2024 survey, 53% of volunteers spend up to two hours a week on their most time-consuming activity. 24% spend three to five hours, 19% six hours or more.

Almost half of all volunteers are active at least once a week. There are also assignments that last only one day, such as action days, festivals or collections. They are a good way to get to know a field before you take on a regular task.

Volunteering takes time, and that time is missing elsewhere. If you take on too much, you can easily feel under pressure, especially when others rely on you. So be open from the start about your limits and about how long you want to commit.

There are also small costs, for example for travel or materials. Many organisations reimburse expenses, so ask before you start. For accidents and damage, statutory accident insurance often applies, for example when you work in social welfare or on behalf of a municipality or a parish. For volunteers without other cover, many federal states have taken out group insurance.

Finally, not every task suits every person. If a role keeps feeling wrong, you may end it. A good placement helps you to finish it properly.

Volunteering is unpaid in principle. Many organisations do pay an expense allowance or reimburse costs such as travel. Since 1 January 2026, income from a part-time activity for charitable, benevolent or church purposes is tax-free up to 960 euros a year. This is the volunteer allowance under section 3 no. 26a of the Income Tax Act.

For coaches, trainers, carers, artistic activities and the care of older, sick or disabled people, the higher trainer allowance of 3,300 euros a year applies. The two allowances cannot be combined for the same activity. Whether anything is paid, and how much, is up to the organisation.