The preparation of the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report involved a wide range of research and related activities. These were undertaken to ensure the widest possible consideration of available information. Also considered were the opinions of stakeholders in the field of volunteerism such as politicians, government officials, international civil servants, academics, development practitioners and volunteers. Activities included a literature review; research on estimating the magnitude of volunteerism using national data; analysis of volunteerism terminology using international data banks; preparation of thematic background papers; in-depth interviews; establishment of a network of online researchers on proverbs and media; online discussions in development networks; and regional and thematic consultations.

The following consultations were held with participation of stakeholders:

October 2010
Technical Advisory Board Meeting, Bonn, Germany
Multi-Regional (Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East) Consultation, Istanbul, Turkey

November 2010
Civil Society Consultation, Bonn, Germany
North America Consultation, Washington DC, United States

January 2011
Francophone Africa Consultation, Dakar, Senegal
Anglophone Africa Consultation, Nairobi, Kenya
Asia-Pacific Consultation, Bangkok, Thailand

February 2011
Latin America Consultation, Buenos Aires, Argentina

March 2011
Civil Society and Media Consultation Meeting, Bonn, Germany

May 2011
Second Technical Advisory Board Meeting, Bonn, Germany
High-level Advisory Board Meeting, New York, United States