Photo: (Volker Weihbold)
The framework conditions for non-profit organizations and voluntary work are to be improved. Participants in the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) and the Voluntary Environmental Protection Year (FUJ) will in future receive 500 instead of 270 euros per month. In addition, the reform of the Volunteer Act should bring a nationwide service point for volunteers and volunteer centers.
“Heart and Soul of our State”
“Austria is the country of voluntary work, of non-profit status,” said Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) at a press conference in Vienna. According to Nehammer, 3.7 million Austrians volunteer, they are “the heart and soul of our state”. Before the media event, Nehammer, Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens), Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and the two State Secretaries Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) and Andrea Mayer (Greens) held a volunteer summit with the heads of non-profit and voluntary organizations.
New Volunteer Law
The agreed measures would now be cast in a new voluntary law. This is intended to upgrade the voluntary social year, “it needs more recognition,” said Nehammer and announced the increase in pocket money to the marginal income limit. This is currently 500.91 euros. There will also be higher financial support for participants in memorial, peace and social services abroad. The volunteers also receive a free climate ticket in the same way as basic and civil servants.
Rescue services and civil protection organizations are also to receive additional funds for equipment and infrastructure. A framework will be created so that volunteer organizations “can use their energy to find more volunteers”. These provide a “service to society, fellow human beings and are “priceless in the truest sense of the word”. Vice Chancellor Kogler spoke of “mainstays for our community” and a great “economic importance” of volunteering.
First funds in autumn?
It is also planned to expand the deductibility of donations to non-profit organizations and to grant non-profit organizations an energy cost subsidy to cushion the high energy costs. This should be worked out in the next few weeks. In the fall, “the first funds should flow here,” said Kogler. A new state prize for voluntary work will also be awarded annually in the future. Strengthening honorary posts and voluntary work “can and should also be an antidote to this charged mood, to hatred and hate speech,” emphasized Kogler. “Because all kinds of cooperation can counteract this phenomenon.”
According to the government, the main concern of the organizations is to expand and modernize the deductibility of donations to non-profit organizations. In the future, this should also include organizations from the fields of art, culture, sport and education. The application and recognition procedure is also to be simplified, it has been announced.
An additional ten million euros
The volunteers work 24 million hours a week, reported Social Affairs Minister Rauch. Around 1,500 people would complete the voluntary social year every year, “around 75 percent opt for a job in the social and health sector,” said Rauch. In total, an additional ten million euros will be spent on the measures in the future, the minister reported. The law is to be sent for review on Thursday and passed before the summer. As early as this year, the volunteers should “enjoy the additional incentives”. The State Prize for Voluntary Work will be awarded for the first time on December 4, announced Rauch. “We need solidarity and a minimum of cohesion like a bite of bread in order to be able to meet the challenges of the future,” said the Minister of Health.
Nationwide service point
Every second person in Austria volunteers, said Plakolm. With the new nationwide service point to be created, networking will be offered in addition to advice. While many organizations are registering a good influx of members, it is often difficult in clubs to find people who take responsibility. “This is also due to the fact that a lot of things are becoming more and more legally complex. With the nationwide volunteer service point, we are creating a fixed and reliable pillar on which the many volunteers can rely – even if their hat is on fire,” said the State Secretary.
Source: Nachrichten
