Legislation

Laws and legal guidelines affecting volunteers and the organizations involving them -- from a range of countries.

Related Topics: Legal Issues | Risk and Liability | Government Relations/Codes
"A New Era of Responsibility": An Open Letter to President Obama, Susan J. Ellis
California Governor "Pumps Up" Volunteering, Susan J. Ellis
The Choice of the Citizen: Pay Taxes, Do Without, or Volunteer, Susan J. Ellis
Confidentiality and Other Objections to Volunteers, Susan J. Ellis
Of Course We Should Give Volunteer Firefighters a Tax Break, Jordan Golson, Wired
Employee or Volunteer: What’s the Difference?, Melanie Lockwood Herman
Executive Order on National and Community Service Programs
It Pays to Volunteer, Come Tax Time, Wall Street Journal
Lifting Someone Else: Government Encouragement of Volunteer Efforts, Michael Jay Friedman, eJournalUSA
Making Ongoing Volunteering Valued and Visible, Susan J. Ellis
Mixed Messages from Government: Lessons from Minnesota, Susan J. Ellis
The Money Factor in Volunteer Management, Susan J. Ellis
Priorities and Prospects for a Lifelong Learning Society: Promoting Volunteer Activities
The Role of Volunteer Resources Managers in the Serve America Act, Paula J. Beugen
Shaping Public Opinion: Volunteering, Government, and News Reports, Susan J. Ellis
Tax Deductions for Volunteers, Conrad Teitell
Taxation of Benefits for Volunteers, Denise Y. Bowen, Federal, State and Local Governments Newsletter of the IRS
Turbulence at the State Level, Susan J. Ellis
Volunteer Activity in Elections
description of volunteer work permitted or limited in federal US elections
Volunteer Rights Inquiry - Reports

Material from the innovative Inquiry conducted in the UK, 2009-10.

Volunteering Is Bigger than the Nonprofit Sector, Susan J. Ellis
Volunteers Should Not Be Second-Class Taxpayers, Susan J. Ellis

The following articles on this topic were published in the Engage journal. Previews and some articles are complementary; full articles are available to paid members.

Canadian Government Budget-cutting Raises Issues
Developing Volunteering Infrastructure: National Down or Local Up?
End Slavery at Liberty and Freedom
Exploring the Issue of Volunteer Rights
On the Front Lines of the Volunteer Rights Inquiry
Questions of Public Policy
Towards a More Cohesive Volunteerism Public Affairs Strategy: A Story, Steps and Lessons from Minnesota
Walking a Fine Line: Are We Over-formalising Volunteering?

When newspapers in England reported of serious breaches of trust between volunteers and their organisations in 2009, Volunteering England was prompted to set up the Volunteer Rights Inquiry to begin to understand the nature and scope of the problems experienced by volunteers and identify suitable remedies. This Interim Report goes into detail about the findings of the intensive set of hearings held.  In 2014, a Final report of the Call to Action Progress Group following the Volunteer Rights Inquiry was produced by NCVO.

, 2010, pp. 32
Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement

Provides voluntary and not-for-profit organizations in Canada with a philosophical framework for involving volunteers at the governance, leadership and direct service levels. The Code outlines the values, principles, and standards for effective volunteer practices within organizations. It also includes the Organization Standards Checklist.

Community Development Policy (New Zealand)

NZ government site offering policy statements, reports,and other materials on volunteering as well as other community development,  including a study of Maori volunteering.

European Commission Youth Programme

Non-formal education programme targeting young people aged between 15 and 25 years in 31 European countries.

Nonprofit Issues

Nonprofit Issues® is a national Web newsletter of "Nonprofit Law You Need To Know." Written for nonprofit executives and their advisors, lawyer Donald Kramer provides clear, concise and comprehensive coverage of real issues that affect nonprofits every day. While there is a fee for subscribing to the full publication or participating in webinars, sign up for the free weekly e-mailed "Question and Answer" where Don Kramer responds to readers' questions on topics of general interest, often volunteer-related.