Commitment and volunteering

How do I find a job that suits me?

If you want to take on a voluntary activity, you should ask yourself a few questions:

• Where do my interests lie?
• Am I looking for contact with people, would I prefer to do something manual or do I like organizing?
• What knowledge, skills and strengths can I contribute?
• How much time can I spare?
• Am I prepared to make a certain commitment or do I want to remain flexible?
  

Before starting work, you should ask the job site a few questions:

• What exactly does the task involve?
• How much time is expected of me?
• Are there fixed operating times?
• Who is my local contact?
• Who will train me?
• Is there the possibility of a "trial phase"?
• Who will accompany me in my work, in what form and how often?
• Who do I cancel with if I am unable to come?
• Do I need support with my voluntary work and if so, in what form?
• What is the division of tasks between full-time and voluntary staff?
• Can I or do I want to design something myself or do I have a say?
• If I don't want to continue, how do I end my job?
• Is there evidence of the activity?
• Are costs reimbursed and if so, by whom and how?
• Am I covered by accident and liability insurance as part of my voluntary work?
• Are there training courses, further training, excursions, social events and who bears the costs for these?

Free help is not a matter of course....and recognition should come from the heart!

People who invest their energy, strength and time for others deserve special thanks and recognition. The culture of recognition can take many different forms and includes all forms of recognition, appreciation and awards as well as the opportunity to participate in the organizations, associations and institutions for which the service is provided. Under certain circumstances, the provision of financial, personnel and material resources is also possible.

Many institutions, associations etc. already offer their volunteers a range of benefits, as mentioned above. At the same time, under certain conditions, there are also various official ways of recognizing long-term and particularly time-intensive civic commitment.

These include, for example:

• Decoration of Honor of the Bavarian Minister President (Free State of Bavaria)
• Bavarian volunteer card (district)
• Proof of voluntary work (district, municipalities, charities, etc.)
• Isar-Loisach Medal (district)
• German Citizen Award (regional)

Receiving unemployment benefit I and II (ALG 1 and II) and carrying out voluntary work are not necessarily mutually exclusive. 165 from voluntary work is generally exempt from deductions while you are receiving ALG I. However, as this depends very much on the type of activity and income, it is necessary to obtain detailed advice from the employment agency before taking up voluntary work.

In ALG II, € 100 and corresponding, proven expenses remain exempt from deduction. Here too, prior, detailed advice from the Jobcenter is recommended in any case.

Voluntary work is sometimes also rewarded with an expense allowance. There is no so-called remuneration for voluntary work. The very nature of voluntary work is to be unpaid.

Nevertheless, it may be possible to receive an expense allowance, either in the form of reimbursement of expenses as part of the lump sum for voluntary work for the actual costs incurred, which can be a lump sum or on presentation of receipts, or a small payment as part of the lump sum for training managers.

You can read about the extent to which these cash benefits are subject to income tax under the terms themselves.

... refers to the self-determined and targeted commitment to sustainable improvements both in the personal living environment and in the community.

Civic engagement opens up creative and collaborative solutions in all areas of social life by combining personal initiative and social responsibility and ultimately includes voluntary work, honorary positions, self-help, citizens' initiatives and self-organized projects.

It is also about improving the relationship between citizens and the municipality. Public concerns thus become a matter for the citizens themselves.

On July 1, 2011, compulsory military service was suspended in Germany and civilian service was abolished. At the same time, the Federal Volunteer Service was launched.

The aim of the Federal Volunteer Service is to attract citizens who are interested in volunteering and provide them with interesting opportunities.

In contrast to the former civilian service, there is no age limit for the Federal Voluntary Service.

Anyone can take part in the Federal Volunteer Service and get involved in social or ecological work for the common good, but also in other areas such as sport, integration, culture and education, as well as civil protection and disaster relief.

The prerequisite is that the school has been completed.

Volunteering can last between 6 and 24 months, and for anyone over the age of 27, it is also possible to volunteer part-time (more than 20 hours per week). Volunteers receive pocket money of up to €402 per month. The actual amount is decided by the volunteer placement. Volunteers also receive an ID card that grants them benefits such as discounted tickets, admission to museums or similar.

You can find suitable places of employment and further detailed information via the external link below.

Data protection is an important topic, but should not lead to sleepless nights.

That is why there is a telephone hotline for associations that provides answers to important questions in the area of data protection.

Data protection hotline for associations and volunteers in Bavaria

Telephone number: 0981 / 53-1810

Service hours from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

You can also find helpful answers to data protection questions on the website of the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision www.lda.bayern.de.

Volunteering in the traditional sense is an honorary and voluntary public office that is not remunerated.

The term "honorary office" goes back to a social or political office and can also be obligatory under certain circumstances (examples of honorary offices are: election workers, lay assessors, lay judges, etc.).

In common parlance, the term "volunteering" often refers to a wide range of different concepts, such as voluntary work or civic engagement.

But regardless of whether you are a volunteer or a citizen, they all have one thing in common:

• There is no appropriate, performance-related pay.
• There is no legal or physical coercion; the deployment is voluntary.
• As a rule, the aim is to increase the common good.
• This criterion is used to differentiate between self-help and housework for one's own benefit.
• The engagement largely takes place in public spaces, and participation is generally possible for other people.

The lump sum for voluntary work was introduced in 2013 and is intended for expenses directly related to voluntary work. It can be claimed for any type of activity for non-profit associations, church or public institutions.

From January 1, 2021, the lump sum for voluntary work is tax-free up to an amount of € 840 per year (Section 3 No. 26a EStG). Amounts in excess of this are taxable.

Further requirements:

The voluntary activity must serve to promote charitable, benevolent or ecclesiastical purposes and may only be carried out on a part-time basis and for less than one third of a comparable full-time job.

The lump-sum allowance for voluntary work may not be claimed if a lump-sum allowance for a trainer is already received for the same activity - and vice versa.

However, the lump sum for exercise leaders can be claimed in addition to the lump sum for voluntary work if the two activities are different and can be distinguished from one another.

The Survey on Volunteering is a barometer of volunteering that was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) for the third time in 2009.

In order to be able to provide data on volunteering in Bavaria, the Bavarian State Ministry had the 2009 Volunteering Survey analyzed for the state as well. The volunteer survey is the latest survey on the current situation and trends in volunteering. Here you can get a general overview of volunteering behavior, e.g. across gender and age.

When you volunteer, the focus is on personal motivation and development.

You want to get involved on your own initiative and in a self-determined way and not because it is expected by society. People do not want to commit themselves for the rest of their lives. This is why people often only consider a temporary assignment.

Volunteering should be a give and take from which a personal benefit of a non-monetary nature can be derived.

The term voluntary engagement goes back to the English term volunteer

back and means offering to volunteer.

The FSJ offers an opportunity for professional orientation and promotes the development of social skills.

The Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) is a year of social education for young people and not an apprenticeship or employment relationship. The FSJ offers young people under the age of 28 the opportunity to do something for themselves and others as a volunteer. The prerequisite for the FSJ is that participants have already completed their compulsory schooling. The duration of the Voluntary Social Year is variable, but must be a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 24 months.

To find out where an FSJ can be completed in your area, it is also worth taking a look at the typical job exchanges on the Internet. Some providers also advertise their FSJ offers there.

Further information about the Voluntary Social Year can be found on the following pages:

• Voluntary social year - StMAS Bavaria
• Voluntary Social Year - BMFSFJ

For voluntary work with children and young people, it is recommended that an "extended certificate of good conduct" be presented.

In some areas it is even mandatory. Please inform yourself in advance.
If you require the certificate of good conduct as part of your voluntary work, you can apply for it at the residents' registration office of the municipality or town where you live.
The certificate of good conduct is usually issued free of charge in these cases. However, you will need confirmation from the association or organization in which you are working as a volunteer. Then you will receive it free of charge.

You can download the work aid for independent organizations, associations, communities and those responsible for youth work:

Civic engagement is possible in many areas:

• Sport and exercise
• Culture and music
• Leisure and socializing
• Health
• Social
• School and kindergarten
• Educational work for young people and adults
• Environmental, nature and animal protection
• Politics and political representation
• Professional interest groups outside the company
• ecclesiastical or religious area
• Crime problems
• Accident and rescue service / volunteer fire department /THW etc.
• Other civic activities at the place of residence

More and more associations are faced with the task of recruiting new members for the board.

You can find helpful tips in the following brochure from the German Foundation for Engagement and Volunteering DSEE

The lump sum for trainers is primarily associated with voluntary work as a trainer in the field of sport. Nevertheless, there are also other voluntary activities for which the tax relief can be claimed, e.g. for work as a trainer (training and further training, courses, lectures), educator, caregiver, part-time care of disabled, sick or elderly people or artistic activities such as choirmaster or conductor.

The exercise leader allowance is subject to further conditions. For example, the activity must be carried out in the service or on behalf of a public or public-law institution, a non-profit association, a church or comparable institution for the promotion of charitable, benevolent or ecclesiastical purposes.

The activity may not be carried out as a main occupation, whereby an activity is deemed to be part-time if it does not take up more than one third of a comparable full-time occupation.

Currently (as of 2025), the tax-free allowance for the training manager allowance is € 250 per month or € 3,000 per year. Anything above this must be taxed.

When it comes to insurance issues, the focus is usually always on accident and liability insurance.

It should be assumed that volunteers' own private insurance policies do not generally cover voluntary work.

Clubs, associations, foundations, organizations, etc. are called upon to provide insurance cover for their volunteers. Volunteers are therefore often already insured through the organization for which they are volunteering as part of their voluntary work.

However, to be absolutely sure whether insurance cover exists, it is always advisable and necessary to clarify this before starting work. You should therefore discuss the insurance issue with the respective organization.

If no insurance is possible through the organization, but you have private accident and/or liability insurance, find out from your insurance company whether they provide cover for your voluntary work.

For people who are not affiliated with an organization, etc., but are otherwise active on a voluntary or honorary basis for the common good, the Bavarian Volunteer Insurance offers protection under certain conditions.

The contracts concluded by the state government with the Versicherungskammer Bayern protect in particular volunteers in the many small, legally dependent initiatives, groups and projects. The insurance is application- and contribution-free.

However, the insurance cover provided is subordinate (subsidiary), which means that any other existing liability or accident insurance (statutory or private) takes precedence over the state insurance in the event of a claim.

You can find out more about volunteer insurance via the link below.

If your own accident insurance does not cover you to the required extent, there is statutory accident insurance from the VBG. It is not responsible for all honorary posts, but it does cover quite a lot.

• Bavarian volunteer insurance
• Accident insurance for voluntary work

Reading is an essential basic skill for life!

More and more children are finding it difficult to read fluently and understand texts they have read. The volunteer office therefore launched the "Reading mentors for elementary school in the district" project in November 2009. Active senior citizens are deployed to practice reading and text comprehension with one child or smaller groups at school in the mornings and also to encourage a love of reading.

Over 100 reading mentors in 15 elementary school have been involved in this area so far. Schools, parents, teachers and above all the pupils are very happy about this support.

There is always a need for new reading sponsorships at schools in the district. If you are interested, please contact the volunteer office at the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district office.

Stay in your own four walls for as long as possible!
If barrier-free construction or conversion is important, the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district office will provide you with advice from a trained volunteer housing consultant and the district's disability officer.
Advice can be provided in person on site and/or by telephone. The housing consultants will be happy to take a look at the conditions in your home, discuss with you which measures are necessary and sensible, make suggestions for implementation, provide assistance with the application process and tell you about the options for financial support for housing adaptation measures.

The aim is to prevent accidents and improve quality of life. We want you to be able to live well in your own four walls for as long as possible - so find out more!

You can download the housing brochure and the flyer on housing advice:

It would be nice if someone came to visit...

A day in a retirement or care home can be long. Many single residents would like to have contact from outside, someone to come and visit them to brighten up their day a little.

If you can imagine visiting elderly people in care homes and spending some of their free time with them, please contact us. Of course, you can also contact the facilities directly.