International Scholarship Application

The 28th IAVE World Volunteer Conference (WVC 2026) will be held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from November 16-18, 2026, hosted in partnership with Ghadan, a non-profit organization providing leadership for volunteering.

A key objective for the conference is to be a global platform that inspires and empowers volunteer movements and changemakers and we are seeking to involve participants from at least 100 countries. The conference will also showcase work associated with the global Call to Action for the Future of Volunteering and will be a key event associated with the United Nations  International Year for Volunteering for Sustainable Development, IVY 2026. 

An international scholarship fund has been established to provide assistance to individuals from outside Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region to attend the conference. (A separate scholarship fund for attendees from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region will be provided and directly managed by Ghadan).

It is intended that the international scholarship fund will support as many scholarships as possible within the designated budget (the maximum number will be up to 120 scholarships) and to maximize the diversity of countries and participants.

Applicants to the international scholarship fund will be selected on how well they meet the criteria below.

The IAVE World Volunteer Conference international scholarship fund has three key objectives:

1. To support the widest diversity of individuals and nationalities to attend the conference;
2. To support those individuals whose knowledge and experience can add value to the conference content; and
3. To support those who require funding to enable them to attend and participate in the conference.

 When considering an application to the international scholarship fund please note the following:

• Although the scholarship will be offered to an individual, they must be associated with an organization that is a member (non-corporate) of IAVE and/or a member of IAVE’s Global Network of Leadership for Volunteering Organizations (GNVL). Consideration will also be given to individuals from international organizations outside these networks recommended by IAVE and/or Ghadan. Only one nominee per organization will be considered and the organization must show support by cosigning the scholarship application.

• The scholarship will cover accommodation (organized and allocated by the conference host organization) and free registration to attend the conference. Travel support will also be considered and the maximum travel reimbursement cap is 1,500 USD. Any funding to support travel will be paid by reimbursement following receipts for the agreed costs being provided and verified.

• All individuals selected to receive a scholarship will have to show proof of travel tickets purchased by the August 1, 2026.

Individuals applying for a scholarship must meet the following criteria:

• You must be involved with an organization that is a member of IAVE (non-corporate) and/or a member of IAVE’s Global Network of Leadership for Volunteering Organizations (GNVL). IAVE membership must be registered by March 1, 2026. Consideration will also be given to individuals from international organizations outside these networks recommended by IAVE and/or Ghadan. The organization must show support by cosigning the scholarship application.

• You must complete a 350-word submission outlining how your knowledge and experience adds value to the conference under one of the following three themes. Please note only one theme should be selected. Your 350 words should focus on demonstrating how the work you have been involved with has had meaningful impact.

1. 1. Social Impact – measuring outcomes.
   2. Responding to Change – recognizing and supporting diverse forms of community/volunteer engagement.
   3. Embracing the future – harnessing the opportunities of digital transformation.

• Indication of need: Due to the limited availability of scholarship funds, applications presenting a clear, substantiated need will be prioritized. Applicants with a total organizational budget of less than $1 million (USD) will be given preference. Please note that full scholarships are unlikely.

• You must be prepared to present at or moderate sessions as appropriate. (Not everyone will be asked to do this).