© ullmann.photography
Volunteering
Want to become a volunteer in Zurich?
The City of Zurich supports volunteering because voluntary activities are an important resource for the functioning of a society. They are the expression of a civil society’s desire to do its bit and make a vital contribution to a community’s diversity and social cohesion. Many public services could not be provided without the contribution of volunteers.
Volunteering opportunities for English speakers
Volunteering is an excellent way of getting to know your local community. Many organizations do, however, require volunteers to know German. We have compiled a list of web addresses where people with little or no knowledge of German can also make an important contribution. Contact an organization directly to learn more about the opportunities on offer and arrange an initial meeting.
International groups of volunteers
International groups of volunteers
| Organisation | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Zharity | Zharity is a non-profit platform that supports charitable projects and events in Zurich. They coordinate a range of activities such as plogging (picking up trash while running/walking), collection drives, and fundraisers, all of which support social causes benefitting the local or global community. | |
| WWF International | WWF International hosts a wide variety of events, from landscape management, cleanups, arranging experts to talk about solar energy, and learning about species and ecosystems... to simply hanging out to discuss about sustainability! They are open to hearing your input and ideas, or even developing your own project. | |
| Amnesty International | Amnesty International in Zurich has an English-speaking subgroup. The groups work closely with one another and host a variety of activities to raise awareness of human rights violations. | Website |
| Impact Hub Zürich | Join the changemaker community! If you would like to volunteer in our Impact Programs and support hands-on Climate and Entrepreneurship events such as the Climathon Zürich, feel free to reach out. It is a great opportunity to learn about the newest sustainability frameworks, network and get to know different projects and events. |
Sport and leisure
© Nathalie Tardy
Sport and leisure
| Organisation | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Swissvolunteers | Fancy volunteering at different sport and cultural events in Switzerland? Register as a volunteer to find out more about different events. | Website |
| SPORTEGRATION | Sportegration organizes a range of different projects for refugees in and around Zurich. The main focus is having fun while playing sports together. Are you enthusiastic about sports and want to take on a coaching role? Do you have time for administrative tasks or do you want to contribute in some other way? | |
| Workcamp Switzerland | Workcamp organizes camps lasting between two and four weeks in Switzerland and abroad, where groups of volunteers from different countries can engage in a wide range of community development tasks, including environmental, social, and cultural work. | Website |
| Zurich Film Festival | Support the annual film festival in September/October and work as a volunteer in cinemas, at the Festival Center, or at some of the festival events as a host, working behind the bar, or helping to assemble and/or dismantle the festival site. | Website |
Volunteering in your neighborhood
Volunteering in your neighborhood
| Organisation | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Nachbarschaftshilfe / Neighborhood Help | Take an active role in your neighborhood. Go shopping for elderly people, water plants for your neighbors when they are away, or help out in the garden. There are countless opportunities to volunteer in your own neighborhood or further afield. | Website |
| Gemeinschaftszentren / Community Centers | Community Centers are meeting points for the people of Zurich where they can plan and organize sociocultural activities. Meet people and join existing projects or start your own. | Website |
Cultural exchange
Cultural exchange
| Organisation | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Flüchtlingstheater Malaika / Malaika Refugee Theater | The Malaika Refugee Theater is looking for volunteers to work on the stage or behind the scenes, helping with production, cooking, or as drivers. | Website |
| Gemeinsam znacht | Cook dinner and invite refugees to share a meal and build bridges by getting to know them. You can register as hosts on the website and get connected with your guests. | Website |
| Expo Transkultur | Expo Transkultur promotes intercultural dialogue and organizes a variety of events and workshops. Volunteers are needed to help with project management as translators or with different tasks during their events. | Website |
| Migrantenvereine / Immigrants associations | The immigrants association of your home country might have some volunteering opportunities or further contacts for you. | Website |
Teaching, coaching and mentoring
Teaching, coaching, and mentoring
| Organisation | Description | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Autonome Schule Zürich / Autonomous School Zurich | This independent and autonomous school was founded as a project to fight racism and injustice. It offers classes in German, English, physics, mathematics, and more. Students are teachers and teachers are students! Your ideas and projects are welcome. | Website |
| Singa | SINGA in Switzerland brings people with and without refugee and migrant backgrounds together to collaborate on entrepreneurial projects. You can support the SINGA Factory in Zurich by becoming a workshop trainer, a mentor to a SINGApreneur, or by spreading awareness as a journalist. | |
| Capacity | Volunteer your expertise as a mentor or trainer, or help with other tasks as part of Capacity entrepreneurship programs for migrants and refugees. | Website |
| Powercoders | Powercoders offers a program that trains refugees and migrants to enter the IT job market by offering a coding bootcamp followed by an internship. You can volunteer as a job coach or support the teachers with your expertise as an IT trainer in the classroom. | Website |