Discover Volunteer Opportunities in The Hague

Are you an international partner, spouse or recent graduate living in South Holland and looking for a job? Do you wish to prepare yourself for the Dutch job market? Join the career workshops from EURES organised together by Work in South Holland and the international centres of The Hague, Leiden and Rotterdam! During this multi-day programme with several workshops, EURES trainers will provide practical assistance to navigate the Dutch labour market. The workshops provide international job seekers with help for CV and cover letters, guidance on networking and job interviews and tips for job searching. EURES, the European Employment Services, is a network that helps jobseekers to find work in EU/EEA countries and Switzerland. In the Netherlands, UWV is the coordinating office for this organisation. The workshops Workshops will take place in April and May, on 13/04/2026, 20/04/2026, 04/05/2026 and 11/05/2026, from 9:30 until 12:00. The first workshop is located at The Hague Humanity Hub and the remaining workshops will be held at City Hall in The Hague. The workshops cover: Personal branding CV and cover letter Networking and LinkedIn Job interviews Participation The workshops are limited to a maximum of 10 participants. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. Eligibility Please note that Dutch nationals, Ukrainians, asylum seekers and status holders can report to their municipality for more extensive guidance. Orientation year permit holders having studied in the Netherlands, can still use the career services of their own university after graduation. You can apply for joining the career workshops if you meet the following criteria: You are a spouse with EU nationality or with a residence permit as partner of highly skilled migrants, researchers, entrepreneurs or EU citizens. You must be allowed to work in the Netherlands; You moved to the Netherlands as a recent graduate or researcher with an orientation year permit or with EU nationality; You live in the province of South Holland; You have lived in the Netherlands for at least 3 months; You have not worked in the Netherlands before; You understand English at least at B2 level. Contact For questions about the career workshops you can reach out to [email protected] This webinar is organised by EURES together with Work in South Holland and the three international centres in South Holland: The Hague International Centre, Leiden International Centre and Rotterdam International Center.

Here is an inspirational abecedary of volunteering to help you identify what kind of volunteer work would suite your values A – Advocacy Are you passionate about protecting the environment or democracy? You could volunteer for one of the many organizations that shape policy internationally. B – Buddy Want to make a difference, one person at a time? Many people experience loneliness and want to informally connect, be heard and get inspired. You could become their buddy! C – Community The government and businesses can’t solve every single issue that people face. Citizen initiatives collaborate to make The Hague healthier, cleaner and more beautiful. D – Donations Non-profits can only help their clients when there are enough resources to keep them running. You can help them raise funds or collect in natura donations. E – Equality Many volunteers strive to address inequalities, intolerance and poverty. Look for organizations that have equality as their main goal, you can help F – Fundraising If you are into grant writing, event planning and online fundraising, join forces with local organizations whose mission aligns with your values. G – Gratitude Volunteers experience gratitude from the people that non-profits serve, but also from the organization staff who spent months planning activities they could not run with you. H – Human rights Living in the International City of Peace and Justice, you will see many ways to support non-profits who protect human rights locally and abroad. I – Inspiration As an international you may know of initiatives or policies from other countries that worked well and could be implemented in the Netherlands. Inspire local organizations! J – Join! Volunteering is all about taking action, to belong and connect with others. You are the key to social change by choosing to get involved and by recruiting your friends to join you. K – Kindness Language and cultural barriers feel less unsurmountable when kindness is involved. You lifting up vulnerable people, patience and kindness make a world of difference to them. L – Leadership Non-profits constantly need new leaders with a wide range of life experiences, expertise, ages, and perspectives. Consider joining a board of directors or an advisory committee! M – Mentor – If you have ever had a mentor yourself, you know all about the powerful bond between mentor and mentee. Become a volunteer coordinator and mentor new recruits! N – Neighbourhood No need to go far to volunteer. Your own neighbourhood needs your time and energy to be a safe, caring and engaging place to live! O – Outreach Invite others to events to inventorize people’s concerns and ideas for improvements and solutions. Be the one who reaches out, facilitates and empowers! P – Paying it forward Can you remember a time when you or your family received support from a non-profit? Pay it forward and volunteer to help senior citizens, youth or refugees. Q – Quality of life When you volunteer for a food bank or a community center which offers free meals or children’s activities, you have a concrete impact on the quality of life of people in your city. R – Respect A key concept for people who want to make a difference, it is not about what you think would be good for others. Listen to their needs, respect their boundaries and find solutions together. S – Service There are many service clubs in The Hague, they raise funds to support small non-profits. They are a great place to network and make a genuine difference. T – Time Becoming a financial donor is not the only way to help the community. Giving some of your spare time to volunteer whether for a simple or complex task makes a huge difference! U – Unity Volunteers come together to run events and programmes. All goes smoothly when there is a clear vision and task distribution. Grow by being part of something bigger than yourself. V – Voice If you have the gift of storytelling and communication, you can help vulnerable people have a voice to bring in better policy and improve systems that exclude some citizens of The Hague. W – Wellbeing There is a major need for volunteers within organizations that help improve people’s wellbeing through access to sport, healthy food and quality time with someone who feels lonely. X – eXchange Volunteering is a great way of sharing skills and knowledge. Clients, volunteers and non-profit staff all learn by exchanging ideas and stories. Y – Youth Early intervention can change at risk child or teenager’s life for the better. You can volunteer to help them with their homework, or run activities which boost their confidence. Z – Zeal Many volunteers are idealists and throw themselves into their volunteer roles with their heart and soul! Find a good balance between your community time and your self-care time to thrive.

Overcoming Your Apprehensions About Volunteering When speaking with potential volunteers at our recruitment events, we sometimes hear a few common concerns about signing up. That’s completely normal! Let’s take a look at these worries—and how easy they can be to overcome. “But I’ve only been here for a couple of weeks” Many volunteer roles don’t require any special knowledge of local culture. If you can find your way to the organization’s location by public transport or car and arrive on time, you’re ready to get started! A great way to begin is with a one-time opportunity, such as helping out at an event. It’s a simple, low-commitment way to see how volunteering feels. You’ll meet other volunteers and local non-profit staff, which can quickly help you feel more connected to your new community. “I’m too old / too young” Volunteers come from all age groups, and every generation brings something valuable to the table. In fact, many volunteers in the Netherlands are aged 50+. One project that welcomed around 100 international volunteers each year, The World in Your Classroom, had a star volunteer who joined at age 70 and continued until the project ended four years later. Teachers and high school students loved his guest lectures, and many students eagerly lined up to chat with him or take a photo together. For him, inspiring young people was incredibly rewarding. At the same time, international university students also volunteer with us in large numbers. They often shine in roles involving IT or digital communication. With such a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available, there is almost certainly a role that fits you perfectly, whatever your age. “I don’t have special skills” You might be surprised by how simple some volunteer tasks are. For example, you could greet visitors at an event, hand out promotional material, or check names on an RSVP list. Food banks are always grateful for volunteers who help pack food parcels for clients. Prefer something more active? You could help set up and dismantle stands and podiums at festivals and fairs. Or you might assist in preparing vegetables and cleaning up in a kitchen for a meal for senior citizens at a local community centre. No task is too small: every volunteer contributes to making these projects possible. “I’m nervous about joining alone” Starting something new can feel a little daunting, but that initial discomfort usually fades quickly. Volunteer coordinators are experienced at welcoming newcomers and making them feel part of the team. Remember: every volunteer started as a newcomer once. People keep returning because they find the experience meaningful and enjoyable. If it helps, you can also team up with someone you meet at a volunteer recruitment fair and sign up together, especially for roles where many volunteers are needed. “I don’t have much time” Busy schedules are very common, and volunteer organizations understand that. Flexible volunteering has become increasingly popular, and many non-profits now offer short-term or one-off opportunities. When browsing the Volunteer The Hague vacancy page, simply select the “one-off” option in the left-hand column to see opportunities that only require a single commitment. Some roles take place in the evenings or on weekends, making them easy to combine with work or studies. Others are during office hours and can be ideal if you’re looking for project experience, professional references, or simply the joy of contributing alongside other kind-hearted people. “My Dutch isn’t perfect” Good news! Volunteer The Hague only offers opportunities that do not require fluency in Dutch. Organizations on our platform value your English and other language skills. If you would like to practice Dutch while volunteering, you can contact our sister organization Den Haag Doet. They offer volunteer roles where Dutch is required. They can guide you about which roles involve conversations about simple everyday topics, and organizations whose staff are used to speaking clearly with non-native speakers. “I don’t know where to start” With so many possibilities, choosing a role can feel overwhelming. That’s why Volunteer The Hague created the Talent Scan tool. This short quiz helps identify volunteer roles that match your lifestyle, skills, and interests. After completing the quiz, simply scroll down past the recommended categories to see current vacancies that fit your volunteer profile. From there, you can apply directly and start your volunteering journey. Volunteering doesn’t require perfection, just a willingness to show up and contribute. You might be surprised by how quickly it becomes one of the most rewarding parts of your week.