Society. An hour or two from time to time: "à la carte" volunteering is booming

“I lead an inclusive running event” in Strasbourg, “I play music in a nursing home” in Lyon, “I share my work and my career” in Valence… These missions, which take 1 to 2 hours maximum, are just a few examples among the hundreds offered on the “ I want to help ” platform.

Created by the Ministry of Youth and Sports five years ago in the midst of the Covid crisis, the site connects associations with needs (14,000 to date) with volunteers with a desire to help (680,000). As a result, there were more than 235,000 “matches” in 2024, nearly half of which were for one-off assignments. This occasional volunteering isn't new, but it's gaining traction.

The platform also advocates this “non-commitment” on its homepage: “You have the right to change your mind to find the association that suits you! Nothing obliges you to become a long-term volunteer.”

The parallel with dating apps is tempting. "Associations are adapting to changing needs, where fewer and fewer people want to get involved as a vocation," emphasizes Benjamin Richard, responsible for platform development at the ministry, who leaves it directly to the associations to create advertisements.

It was with the same observation in mind that Atanase Périfan, the creator of the Fête des voisins (Neighborhood Festival), launched " L'heure civique" (Civic Hour ) in 2022. This other digital platform connects town halls (210 to date) and departments (5) with "volunteers" (20,000) for one-off one-hour missions. Here, the terms "volunteer" and "commitment" have been banned altogether.

"These are words that are frightening today," says Atanase Périfan, who also founded the "Voisins solidaires" association. "Yet there is a wealth of generosity. People don't want to be tied down, we want to reassure them. They can go away for a month to their country house."

These platforms can be a start: "a third of the 'I Want to Help' volunteers had never volunteered before," says Benjamin Richard, whose platform mobilized 12,000 people during the Food Bank's most recent national fundraising drive. And these one-off actions aren't an end in themselves either: "85% of those who participate in a mission want to do more," the developer continues. "Some want to get involved for the longer term; it's a gateway."

Atanase Périfan also sees "L'heure civique" as a "complement" to more traditional volunteering. "20% of our volunteers become volunteers after a year," emphasizes the man who has already converted La Motte-Servolex (Savoie). And the 173,000 civic hours he has identified are surely much more numerous. "Once contact is established between a local resident and an elderly person in need, the mutual aid often continues without the platform," rejoices the entrepreneur, himself a volunteer.

Other, older associations also network at the national level, such as " France Bénévolat " or "Tous bénévoles", created in 2003. François Bouchon, president of France Bénévolat, qualifies this: "Digital platforms have become an indispensable tool, but human contact is important when it comes to volunteering for a mission."