Market Economy
Voluntary Aid and Development Organisation (VADO) is committed towards creating a social market system that will work for volunteers and the voluntary sector, by promoting incentive-based online relief-markets to drive the exchange of goods and services for the volunteering ecosystem, using vouchers.
In this ecosystem, the exchange of goods and services in the context of volunteering encompasses a wide range of offers. For instance, volunteers might be able to exchange their earned time-credits for doles, goods, services, raffles, or even educational and skills sharing opportunities, fostering a more diverse and inclusive volunteering experience.
While volunteering is inherently altruistic, there are instances where volunteers might appreciate some form of reward for their efforts. A social marketplace could offer a way for volunteers to receive discounts or fair compensation in the form of goods, services, or incentives, thus acknowledging the value they bring to the organizations, communities and individuals they support.
Therefore, VADO aims to drive economic growth and trade-aid within the volunteering ecosystem; where such a practice could encourage more people to volunteer, promote fair exchanges, charity shopping, and potentially address challenges related to resource mobilization and sustainability in the voluntary sector.
VADO’s effort in building a volunteer-driven market economy, that will serve the volunteering ecosystem interconnects network of individuals, for-profit and non-profit organizations, public establishments, local resources, and activities that supports volunteerism; and ensuring that the integrity of volunteering remains intact, preventing exploitation, and maintaining the spirit of altruism which are important factors to consider when implementing incentive-based markets within the voluntary sector.