Key concepts for volunteers

Photo: Kaisa Sirén / Suomen Punainen Risti

Volunteer

Our organization's activities are based on volunteerism. A Red Cross volunteer is a person who participates in Red Cross volunteer activities of their own free will. Volunteer work is selfless and unpaid help from person to person. Volunteers plan, develop, and manage local activities and participate in key roles in decision-making at all levels of our organization. Becoming a volunteer does not require any special skills, but all our volunteers commit to promoting the principles that guide Red Cross operations. In volunteer roles involving the most responsibility, we require membership in our organization.

Member

As a member of the Red Cross, you enable voluntary aid work, as membership fees are used for training volunteers, local activities, and developing volunteer operations. As a member, you also get to influence the decision-making of your local branch.

Some of our organization's positions of responsibility, such as the role of chairperson or member of a local branch board, require membership in our organization. All our members commit to promoting the principles that guide Red Cross operations.

Red Cross membership is also a stand for humanity. The Red Cross helps those who cannot help themselves or are in a particularly vulnerable position - equitably, independently, and selflessly. We are more credible the more people want to make a difference with us.

Do you want to make a difference with us and become part of a unique chain of helping? Our membership costs 20 euros per year, or 10 euros if you are under 29 years old. Join as a member here. Further information about membership can be found here.

Oma Red Cross

Oma Red Cross is a platform for volunteer activities where, after logging in, you can participate in open groups and sign up for events, training, and activity groups. You can also sign up for events as a one-off without logging in. Whether you are a new or current volunteer, we warmly recommend adopting Oma Red Cross. Through the system, you can easily get up-to-date information on various activity opportunities and interesting events.

The organization's basic mission

The Finnish Red Cross is a humanitarian aid organization whose mission is to help those in need at home and abroad. It belongs to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which together helps people in the event of conflicts, disasters, and accidents and is ready to act in anticipation of them. The organization encourages people to take care of their well-being and look after one another. Our goal is that our activities bring joy, give hope, and strengthen people's trust in each other and in Red Cross aid.

District

The Finnish Red Cross is divided into twelve districts, whose employees support the activities of local branches. Districts organize, among other things, training and events for volunteers in their area, where volunteers can learn new skills and share their experiences. The districts' tasks also include maintaining regional preparedness and aid readiness, as well as maintaining contact with authorities in the area.

You can find more information on the districts' pages:

Branch

A Red Cross branch is a local unit where local volunteers work together in accordance with Red Cross principles. A branch is not its own registered association; it is part of the national organization, and its status and tasks are defined in the rules of the Finnish Red Cross and the administrative regulations for branches.

The branch has its own board, which plans and manages local aid activities together with volunteers. Volunteers organize volunteer activities that respond to local needs, such as friend circles, first aid activities, food aid, and fundraising collections.

Branches also maintain activity and aid readiness in their own locality. In the event of a crisis or accident, they provide local help.

Everyone has the opportunity to participate in branch activities according to their own interests and skills. Volunteerism is one of the fundamental principles of the Red Cross, and our domestic activities are based on the help of volunteers working in their own local branches. Branch volunteers receive support for their volunteer activities from district employees.

The easiest way to join your local branch as a volunteer is by creating a volunteer profile in the volunteer system Oma Red Cross. When creating a profile, you can also select the specific branch you wish to join. You can create a profile and become a volunteer in a branch even if you are not a member of the branch (see membership above).

You can find FRC districts and branches on the local activity website.

Activity group

Activity groups are thematic groups operating in local branches and districts, whose activities may relate to, for example, first aid, immigration work, or friend circles. You can find more information and groups in Oma Red Cross.

Online activities

Our organization offers many forms of volunteer activity that you can participate in online at a time that suits you. These include, for example, online friend circles, the Sekasin chat, online counseling for immigrants, and Remote Homework Help. More information about online activities can be found in Oma Red Cross.

Branch board

The branch board plays a central role in planning, developing, and implementing local volunteer activities. The board includes a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and four to ten other members, whom the branch elects at its autumn meeting. The term of office for board members is two years. The secretary, treasurer, and performance auditor also have important roles in the branch's operations. The term of office for these positions is one year. The secretary and treasurer can also be selected from outside the board. More information on the operations and tasks of the branch board can be found in the support materials for branches.

Lead volunteer

In addition to board members, lead volunteers also plan and organize branch activities. They also serve as important contact persons between the branch and the district. Such lead volunteer roles include, among others, the fundraising manager, membership master, and communications officer, as well as contact persons and other lead volunteers for various forms of volunteer activity, such as domestic aid, first aid activities, and friend circles. Some lead volunteer tasks can be shared among the branch board, but other branch members are also selected for the tasks. See the quick orientation packages for lead volunteers.