Duties of the Sending Organization in the ESC

European Voluntary service is one of the most effective ways for many young people to gain international experience. The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) contributes to the personal and professional development of young people by offering such opportunities. When you go abroad, your direct contact is your sending organization. Sending organizations play an important role in facilitating and supporting volunteers’ participation in projects abroad. In this article, we will provide detailed information about the tasks of sending organizations.

1.Providing Ease in Finding Projects

Sending organizations play an important role in helping host organizations find volunteers to join their projects. They help prospective volunteers to easily find suitable projects, making the process more efficient. Host organizations communicate with sending organizations to publicize their projects and in this way connect with volunteers. Once prospective volunteers find suitable projects, they receive support from the sending organization to prepare the documents they will use in the application process.

2) Supports in CV and Motivation Letter.

The sending organization supports the volunteers in preparing their CVs and motivation letters. Volunteers send their documents including their EVS background and experiences to the sending organization of their choice by e-mail. During this process, organizations in different cities can be contacted through tools such as Zoom. The sending organization reviews the volunteer’s CV and motivation letter and makes the necessary arrangements. They make sure that the CV complies with the Europass format and emphasizes the volunteer’s strengths. In the motivation letter, it is ensured that the volunteer expresses his/her interest in the project and the reasons for participation in a clear and effective way. This support from the sending organization helps to make the volunteer’s application more professional and more likely to be accepted.

3) Different Organizations can be the sending organization.

Many different types of institutions can act as sending organizations for volunteers. These include civil society organizations, municipalities, governorships, district governorships, EU offices of universities, provincial/district directorates of national education and youth and sports directorates. Each of them can play different roles to facilitate the participation of volunteers in projects abroad. Sending organizations guide volunteers through the application process and enable them to participate in projects.

Duties of the Sending Organization in the ESC

Finding a Sending Organization

Finding a sending organization is actually not difficult. Many groups on Facebook can provide references and recommendations for volunteering opportunities. Also, organizations can be selected and supporting organizations can be found through the Eurodesk page. Google searches are also very useful in this process.

How does the application process work?

The sending organization reviews all application documents with both itself and the host organization. Afterwards, it contacts the volunteer and ensures that the documents are organized. The host organization is contacted with the ‘sending organization reference’ issued in your name. The National Agency provides your sending organization with a certain grant amount for expenses such as visa costs.

Considerations for Finding a Sending Organization

Sending organizations should be adequately vetted and their websites should be carefully reviewed. Paying attention to people’s experiences and references will help to make the right decision. It is important to remember that the supporting organization is obliged to support the volunteer.

What Does the Sending Organization Look for in a Volunteer?

Effective communication is one of the elements that the sending organization pays the most attention to during the volunteer application process. Volunteers should express themselves clearly and concisely in the emails they send and demonstrate their suitability for the project in their CV and motivation letter. It is important that the CV is strong in terms of content and accurately reflects the volunteer’s experiences and skills. Although there is no screening process, it is important for both the sending organization and the host organization that the documents are complete and organized. The sending organization reviews the volunteer’s application documents and makes the necessary adjustments, then forwards the documents to the host organization. The final decision depends on whether the host organization will accept the volunteer or not. Therefore, proper preparation of the documents increases the chances of the volunteer’s acceptance.

Conclusion

In our article titled “Duties of the Sending Organization in ESC”, we have discussed in detail the duties of sending organizations in the volunteering process and how you can choose the most suitable organization for you. Volunteering offers a great opportunity for young people to gain international experience and develop themselves. Cooperating with the right sending organization is an important step on the road to success. With the right support, your volunteering journey will not only be an experience but also a valuable contribution that you will remember for the rest of your life. Develop yourself and leave a positive mark on the world with the European Solidarity Program!

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