Submit Your Volunteer Story to Global Volunteer Voices

Help Us Share the Stories Behind Volunteer Service

Every volunteer has a story.

Some stories begin with a personal experience. Others grow from a desire to help a neighbor, support a cause, honor someone special, strengthen a community, or create meaningful change.

The Global Volunteer Recognition Program™ is now accepting volunteer stories, interviews, and nominations for Global Volunteer Voices, an annual publication dedicated to celebrating the people, organizations, families, students, and community leaders making a difference through service.

Volunteers from all backgrounds, locations, causes, and experience levels are invited to participate.

GVRP membership is not required to submit a story. Submissions are free.

Submit Your Volunteer Story

What Is Global Volunteer Voices?

Global Volunteer Voices is an annual volunteer publication created by the Global Volunteer Recognition Program to preserve and share meaningful stories of service.

The publication will feature volunteers serving in local communities, schools, nonprofit organizations, healthcare programs, disaster response initiatives, environmental projects, virtual volunteer roles, international programs, and many other areas of impact.

Digital and Printed copies will be available for purchase after publication.

Global Volunteer Voices is more than a collection of biographies. It is a record of why people serve, the challenges they face, the lessons they learn, and the impact they create.

When Is the Volunteer Story Submission Deadline?

The annual submission deadline is December 15.

Stories submitted by December 15 will be considered for the edition scheduled for publication early in the following calendar year.

Submissions received after December 15 may be saved for a future edition or considered for another GVRP recognition opportunity.

Complete the Volunteer Story Submission Form

Who Can Submit a Volunteer Story?

Submissions are open to GVRP members and nonmembers worldwide.

You may submit:

Your own volunteer story
A story about another volunteer
A written interview with a volunteer
A story submitted by a nonprofit or community organization
A student or youth volunteer story
A family, team, or group service story
A story about remote or digital volunteering
A volunteer coordinator or community leader interview
A story about a meaningful service project
A nomination recognizing someone whose volunteer work deserves to be shared

Parents, guardians, teachers, volunteer coordinators, nonprofit leaders, mentors, and organization representatives may submit stories when they have the necessary permission.

Parent or legal guardian permission is required before GVRP can publish identifying information or photographs of a minor.

Do You Have to Be a GVRP Member?

No. You do not have to be a GVRP member to submit a volunteer story or be considered for publication.

Global Volunteer Voices is intended to celebrate a broad and diverse community of volunteers, including people who are learning about GVRP for the first time.

Selected current GVRP members may be eligible for an expanded member spotlight that includes additional editorial space, GVRP recognition details, and approved website or social media links.

Selected nonmembers may receive a standard or condensed volunteer spotlight.

Stories are reviewed based on their completeness, relevance, impact, permissions, available space, and alignment with the publication.

Volunteers interested in expanded recognition opportunities can explore GVRP annual memberships.

What Types of Volunteer Stories Are We Looking For?

There is no single type of volunteer whose story matters most.

We welcome stories involving:

Animal welfare
Arts and culture
Community development
Crisis and disaster response
Disability inclusion and accessibility
Education and literacy
Environmental service
Faith-based service
Food insecurity
Healthcare and public health
Housing and homelessness
Human rights and advocacy
International service
Military members, veterans, and their families
Older adults
Remote and digital volunteering
Students and youth leadership
Mentoring
Fundraising
Family volunteering
Long-term community service
One-time projects that created a meaningful impact

A volunteer does not need to have completed thousands of hours or received a major award to have a story worth telling. Small, consistent acts of service can create meaningful change.

You can also explore additional volunteer awards and global recognition opportunities.

Tips for Submitting a Strong Volunteer Story

Begin With the Reason Behind the Service

Explain what inspired the volunteer to become involved.

Was there a personal experience, community need, important cause, family tradition, mentor, life event, or moment that encouraged the volunteer to act?

The reason behind the service often helps readers connect with the story.

Describe What the Volunteer Actually Does

Be specific about the volunteer’s role.

Instead of writing only, “She helps her community,” explain how she organizes food drives, mentors students, fosters animals, supports hospital patients, creates care packages, cleans public spaces, or coordinates volunteers.

Specific details make a story more memorable and credible.

Explain Who or What Benefits

Describe the people, animals, organizations, neighborhoods, environments, or causes supported through the service.

When available, include measurable details such as:

Number of people served
Volunteer hours completed
Events organized
Funds raised
Items collected or distributed
Students mentored
Animals supported
Projects completed
Communities reached

Exact numbers are helpful, but they are not required.

Share a Meaningful Moment

Include a memorable experience that shows why the work matters.

This might be:

A conversation with someone who received help
A challenge the volunteer overcame
A project that grew unexpectedly
A moment when the volunteer realized their work was making a difference
A lesson learned through service
A person who inspired the volunteer to continue

Personal moments help transform a list of activities into a meaningful story.

Include a Quotation

Consider adding a brief quotation from the volunteer.

For example:

“Volunteering showed me that people do not always need a perfect solution. Sometimes they need someone willing to listen and take the first step.”

The quotation should sound natural and reflect the volunteer’s own experience.

Discuss Challenges Honestly

Volunteer stories do not have to make everything sound easy.

Writers may discuss challenges such as limited resources, burnout, transportation, accessibility, volunteer recruitment, funding, scheduling, or balancing service with work, school, and family responsibilities.

Sharing how a volunteer addressed a challenge may help and encourage other volunteers.

End With What Comes Next

Describe the volunteer’s future goals.

They may want to expand a project, recruit additional volunteers, support a new community, continue their education, develop leadership skills, or inspire others to become involved.

What Information Should You Prepare?

Before opening the submission form, gather:

The volunteer’s name and preferred published name
City, state or province, and country
Volunteer role
Organization or project name
Primary area of service
Approximate length of service
Volunteer hours or impact measurements, when available
The story behind the service
A meaningful experience or accomplishment
A quotation from the volunteer
Website or social media links the volunteer approves for publication
One to five high-quality photographs
Photo credits
Permission from the volunteer and anyone prominently shown in photographs
Parent or guardian permission when a minor is involved

You may save your written answers in a separate document before entering them into the form. Keeping a copy makes it easier to review your story and prevents losing longer responses.

Photograph Submission Tips

Strong photographs help readers connect with a volunteer’s work.

Whenever possible, submit:

A clear portrait of the volunteer
A photograph of the volunteer actively serving
Images from a volunteer project or event
Photographs showing the cause or community supported
High-resolution, original image files

Avoid submitting:

Blurry or heavily filtered images
Screenshots of photographs
Images containing private or confidential information
Photographs you do not have permission to use
Images of minors without appropriate permission
Photographs containing visible patient, client, student, or organizational records

Submitting a photograph does not guarantee that it will appear in the publication. Images may be cropped or resized to fit the final design.

What Happens After You Submit?

After the submission form is completed:

The GVRP team will review the information for completeness.
The submitter or featured volunteer may be contacted with follow-up questions.
Permissions, photographs, links, and membership information may be reviewed.
Selected submissions may be edited for grammar, clarity, length, safety, and publication style.
Final stories will be placed according to the magazine’s available space and editorial design.
Contributors will receive publication updates when available.

Learn more about the program’s broader work through the GVRP credibility, awards, and recognition page.

Is There a Cost to Submit?

No. There is no fee to submit a volunteer story.

Selected contributors are not required to purchase a printed copy. Digital and printed copies are expected to be offered separately for those who would like a physical keepsake.

Contributors are not paid for their submissions, and a complimentary printed copy is not included.

Can I Nominate Someone Else?

Yes. You may nominate another volunteer, interview a volunteer, or submit a story on behalf of an organization.

Before submitting, make sure the featured person knows about the submission and agrees to have their information considered for publication.

GVRP must receive appropriate permission before publishing identifying information, personal quotations, interviews, or photographs.

For another way to celebrate an inspiring volunteer, learn about the Community Champion Spotlight.

Can Organizations Submit More Than One Volunteer?

Yes. Schools, nonprofit organizations, volunteer programs, community groups, and other organizations may submit more than one volunteer.

A separate form should be completed for each individual volunteer unless the submission is specifically about a family, group, team, or shared project.

Can Volunteers From Outside the United States Submit?

Yes. Global Volunteer Voices welcomes submissions from volunteers worldwide.

Stories may involve local, national, international, in-person, remote, or digital volunteer service. Submissions should be completed in English so the GVRP team can review and edit the story.

Can Youth Volunteers Be Featured?

Yes. Student and youth volunteer stories are encouraged.

A parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative must provide permission when a featured volunteer is under 18. Additional care may be taken when publishing a minor’s name, location, photographs, school, organization, or online links. Please provide the name exactly as you would like it published.

Can I Submit a Previously Published Story?

A previously published story may be considered when the submitter owns the content or has written permission to provide it to GVRP.

The submission form should identify the original publication and provide any required attribution. GVRP may request additional proof of permission before using previously published writing or professional photographs.

Will Every Story Be Published?

No. We reserve the right to refuse publication if the submitted story is not volunteer related.

Share Your Volunteer Story

Volunteer service deserves to be remembered.

Whether you have served for one month or several decades, completed one meaningful project or built a lifetime of community involvement, your experiences may encourage someone else to take action.

Help us document the people behind the service and share the lessons, challenges, compassion, and leadership that make volunteerism powerful.

Annual submission deadline: December 15

Publication: Early in the following calendar year

Submit Your Story to Global Volunteer Voices

Questions about the submission process may be sent through the GVRP contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Global Volunteer Voices?

Global Volunteer Voices is an annual GVRP publication featuring volunteer stories, interviews, service projects, community impact, and lessons learned through volunteering.

Who can submit a volunteer story?

Volunteers, family members, parents, guardians, teachers, mentors, nonprofit representatives, volunteer coordinators, and community organizations may submit stories with the appropriate permission.

Is GVRP membership required?

No. Members and nonmembers may submit stories for free. Selected members may be eligible for an expanded feature with additional approved links.

When are volunteer stories due?

The annual deadline is December 15. Stories submitted by the deadline are considered for publication early in the following calendar year.

Is there a submission fee?

No. There is no fee to submit a volunteer story.

Will the magazine be free?

No. Digital and printed copies will be available for purchase.

Does submitting a story guarantee publication?

No. All submissions are reviewed, and publication depends on editorial space, story completeness, permissions, available photographs, and other editorial considerations.