VOLUNTEERING INFRASTRUCTURE

each year around 1,500 projects and initiatives at local, regional and nationallevels 42 . Since 2009 a national volunteering award has been proclaimed 43 .Furthermore an increase in the media coverage on volunteering can berecognised over the past years. In 2009 the main German broadcastingnetwork, the ARD, has designated a whole thematic week to volunteering.10. Additional countryspecificitiesThe promotion of the welfare state traditionally plays the most importantrole within Third Sector funding policy. This also counts for the volunteeringinfrastructure. For development of the infrastructure it will be important tosecure a sustainable funding through the public sector in order to achieve abroad based extension of facilities. National, state and local level will have tocooperate more closely.In recent time a new protest movement within civil society can be notedon all political levels (train station in Stuttgart, campaign against nucleartechnologies etc.). This growing political discontent of the citizens indicatesthe necessity for new governance structures and political participation at alllevels.11. RecommendationsOver the past years volunteering infrastructure has grown significantly inGermany. However, the facilities are mostly insufficiently and insecurelyfinanced. Very rarely they have more than one or two full paid staffmembers. This leads to a great diversity on the one hand, and to a growinginsecurity on the other hand. It will be one of the main tasks of volunteeringpolicy in the years to come to ensure greater stability. The federal structurein Germany marks one problem in this direction. A profound coordinationbetween the federal and state levels is needed taking into account the realityand needs of the municipalities. Despite declarations of intent however nocomplementary and sustainable programmes are in sight. One can doubtwhether they would be realisable at all.Also the National Strategy on Volunteering, passed by the Federalgovernment in October 2010, does not yet include strategic solutions forthe coordination and funding of the volunteering infrastructure. The federalgovernment should explore how a basic core funding of infrastructurefacilities could be realised through the federal budget. The funding shouldbe part of a national instrument for the promotion of civic engagement andshould contain the following components: basic funding of infrastructurefacilities; specific programmes directed to different target groups, such aselderly, migrants; innovative schemes, transfer of good practice.42. www.engagement-macht-stark.de43. www.geben-gibt.de162 Volunteering infrastructure in Europe 11 Germany