Mobilizing volunteer engagement for the Sustainable Development Goals: design lessons from volunteering policies

Despite growing recognition of volunteering as a helpful civic resource for addressing societal challenges, including delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the designs of the policy frameworks that structure volunteer engagement remain poorly understood. This article addresses that gap by asking how national volunteering policies differ in their recognition of governance functions, their targeting of individuals versus voluntary organizations, and their instrument mixes. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six national policies spanning diverse world regions and the full spectrum of governance capacity (Chad, India, Norway, Paraguay, South Korea, and the United States), we identify individual-focused, sector-focused, and hybrid policy approaches. Across all cases, policies span the full range of Nodality, Authority, Treasure, Organization, and hybrid instruments, combining substantive and procedural tools. Our article bridges the volunteering and policy design literatures, offers a replicable coding scheme for future comparative work, and provides practical design recommendations for policymakers seeking to align volunteer engagement with SDG implementation.