Corporate Volunteerism: A Guide for Nonprofits + Companies

What are the different types of corporate volunteering?

Corporate volunteerism initiatives come in several shapes and sizes. Consider these popular types of employee volunteering to include or target in your programming:

• Direct Service Volunteering. Through this type of volunteering, employees directly interact with nonprofit beneficiaries and community members. For example, they may provide tutoring sessions to local students, walk dogs at an animal shelter, or serve meals to people without permanent housing.
• Indirect Service Volunteering. Indirect service volunteering does not involve interactions with beneficiaries. Instead, employees can support their community by assembling care packages, participating in a beautification project, or creating marketing materials online.
• Skills-Based Volunteering. Also called SBV, this type of volunteering allows employees to make use of their professional skills to advance nonprofit missions. For instance, employees at a law office may provide pro bono legal services to a charitable organization, while those at a web development company may revamp a nonprofit’s website for free.
• Volunteer Grants. A volunteer grant program rewards employees for committing their time and skills to causes they care about. Typically, once they’ve volunteered a minimum number of hours with a nonprofit, they can submit a volunteer grant request to your company. Then, you donate a certain amount of money to that nonprofit, depending on how many hours the employee volunteered.
• Volunteer Time Off. You can think of Volunteer Time Off, or VTO, as a short-term employee internship. Companies generally offer their staff between 8 and 40 hours each year to participate in volunteer activities, such as direct, indirect, or skills-based volunteering, while still receiving their regular paycheck.
• Team Volunteering. These volunteer opportunities double as team-building events for your company. Many nonprofits need larger teams of corporate volunteers to assist them with projects, from constructing houses to participating in a local cleanup activity.
• Mentorships. Through mentorships, employees can make a direct impact on an individual community member’s life. This may involve supporting a student’s personal goals and academic performance or helping a young professional along their career path.
• Employee Internships. Some companies lend their employees to nonprofit organizations by allowing them to participate in internships, enabling employees to provide their skills to the nonprofit over the long term. During these internships, your business will continue paying employees’ salaries. Patagonia, for example, permits any employee within the company to spend up to two months working for an environmental group of their choosing.

Each type of corporate volunteering varies in the level of commitment expected from your employees. Micro-volunteering opportunities, like translating a single document or drafting a letter, can take only an hour or so, while initiatives such as employee internships can last several months. Be sure to offer several options that appeal to different employees at your company.

7 Corporate Volunteering Statistics You Should Know

If your organization is ready to become a leader in corporate volunteerism, explore the following statistics to inform your approach:

• 71% of employees believe it’s important to work at a company that gives back through philanthropy and volunteering.
• 96% of companies find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who don’t.
• Companies see 52% less turnover among employees who participate in workplace giving programs, like volunteer days.
• 60% of companies offer paid volunteer time off (VTO) to employees.
• 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs.
• 80% of companies with volunteer grant programs contribute between $8-$15 per hour volunteered.
• Virtual volunteering was the most offered volunteer program by companies to both domestic and international employees.

Staying up to date on the latest corporate volunteerism and philanthropy trends ensures that your team is well-equipped to engage its supporters or employees in effective volunteerism and create a meaningful impact on society.

How to Start a Corporate Volunteer Program (For Companies)

A successful corporate volunteer program differs from company to company. After all, your guidelines and initiatives depend on your industry, business goals, and employees. Follow these seven steps to piece together your program:

1. Define your goals and priorities.

Identify your corporate volunteerism goals to secure support across all areas of your company. Focus on issues or causes that align with your overall mission and values. General Mills, for example, is a global food company that focuses its volunteerism efforts on supporting food banks and anti-hunger organizations such as Feeding America.

Additionally, send out surveys to your employees to find out which causes are close to their hearts, which skills they would like to apply, and which communities they’re most interested in supporting. Use these insights to guide your decision-making as you build your program.

2. Outline your corporate volunteerism program.

Based on your goals and employee feedback, determine which types of corporate volunteering to implement. If you’re hoping to engage and retain remote employees, for instance, you might promote virtual volunteering opportunities.

Formalize your decision-making by creating an official policy for your corporate volunteer program that lets employees know which organizations your program supports. In this document, you should include information such as:

• Issues or causes supported by the program
• Employee eligibility criteria for participation
• Causes or types of nonprofits excluded from the program
• Contact information for questions related to employee volunteering

Make this policy available to employees and other stakeholders alike. You can even create several versions depending on the audience. An employee-facing version might include more details about participation, while a public-facing version might feature information on how you’ll report the program’s impact.

3. Invest in CSR software tools.

A comprehensive CSR software solution can facilitate your corporate volunteering initiatives and other philanthropic programs you might launch in tandem. Look for key features that empower your company to:

• Share upcoming volunteer opportunities with employees.
• Plan and manage company volunteering events.
• Track volunteer participation and hours.
• Process and follow through with volunteer grant requests.
• Measure the impact of employee volunteering.

Beyond managing your corporate volunteerism, this software can streamline other aspects of your CSR strategy and workplace giving, such as matching gifts, payroll giving, and more.

4. Reach out to potential nonprofit partners.

Develop long-term relationships with nonprofits in your community by seeking out partnerships with organizations that align with your mission and values. For instance, a company with a philanthropic goal of improving sustainability might partner with an environmental nonprofit by setting up employee volunteering opportunities with them throughout the year.

Your company can even go beyond corporate volunteering to sponsor the nonprofit’s events or programs. In return, the nonprofit will typically feature your company in its marketing materials to help boost your reputation, turning your support into a mutually beneficial partnership.

5. Promote your corporate volunteer program.

Once you’ve worked out all the details, start engaging employees in your corporate volunteer ideas by spreading the word about your program. Start by walking through your policy in a company-wide meeting, then host follow-up Q&As as necessary. Link to key documents in your employee portal so everyone can access the information they need to get involved.

Furthermore, you can encourage participation by appointing corporate volunteer ambassadors within your company. These individuals act as authoritative resources for employees interested in your program and serve as an example to inspire people to get involved.

6. Measure your corporate volunteering impact.

To ensure the long-term success of your corporate volunteer program, be sure to measure your results. For instance, some basic metrics to keep an eye on include:

• Employee participation rate
• Total number of volunteer hours contributed
• Volunteer event attendance
• Average amount of volunteer grants awarded

Share this information with your employees, customers, and nonprofit partners to maintain engagement and morale. Many companies compile their corporate volunteerism data into yearly impact reports containing their CSR progress and publish them on their websites to demonstrate their corporate citizenship.

7. Recognize your employees for participating.

Remember that your CSR impact is only possible thanks to your employees’ participation. With this in mind, develop a strategy for recognizing those who engage with your corporate volunteering activities. Some popular methods of employee recognition include:

• Sending a personalized eCard.
• Creating social media shoutouts.
• Spotlighting employees on your website.
• Featuring employees in your email newsletter.
• Giving out volunteer awards.

Ultimately, having a recognition program in place is beneficial to your company as a whole. Frequent appreciation can go a long way toward reinforcing excellent performance, improving engagement, and cultivating a sense of community in the workplace.

How to Attract Corporate Volunteer Support (For Nonprofits)

Attracting corporate volunteer support can significantly strengthen your nonprofit’s capacity to serve the community. By strategically targeting companies and leveraging their existing resources, you can increase the number of corporate volunteers you receive and subsequently expand the impact of your mission.

Here are some tips and strategies for nonprofits looking to attract corporate volunteer support.

1. Encourage Volunteers to Explore Employer-Sponsored Volunteer Programs

Many companies offer volunteer grant programs or Volunteer Time Off (VTO) as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. These programs allow employees to dedicate a portion of their work hours to volunteering, while the company may also match their efforts with financial contributions. To tap into this resource, encourage your volunteers to check with their employers (or use a dedicated volunteer grant database!) to learn about the volunteer opportunities they support.

2. Target Companies for Corporate Team Volunteer Days

Many companies are interested in organizing team-building activities that also give back to the community. Corporate team volunteer days provide an opportunity for employees to come together and work as a team, all while contributing to a charitable cause. To attract these opportunities, reach out to local companies, particularly those with robust CSR programs, and offer your organization as a venue for these group activities.

Create packages for companies to choose from, offering a variety of volunteer opportunities, whether it’s a one-time cleanup event, building homes, or providing support at a community outreach initiative. Highlight the team-building benefits of such events and their positive impact on your cause to make the opportunity even more enticing for companies.

3. Build Long-Term Partnerships with Companies

One-time volunteer efforts are great, but building long-term partnerships with companies can bring sustained benefits to your nonprofit. To attract long-term support, look for companies whose missions align with your nonprofit’s values and causes. Establish a relationship with key decision-makers within the company, such as CSR managers, HR directors, or corporate communications teams, to foster a deeper understanding of how your nonprofit’s mission can complement their goals.

Create a compelling pitch that demonstrates the value your organization offers in terms of community impact, employee engagement, and brand enhancement. Highlight the potential for ongoing collaboration, such as employee volunteer programs, sponsorship opportunities, or even joint events. By positioning your nonprofit as a long-term partner, you can establish a more reliable and impactful relationship.

4. Offer Skills-Based Volunteering Opportunities

Companies often have employees with specialized skills that can be extremely valuable to nonprofits, such as expertise in marketing, technology, finance, or legal services. To attract this kind of support, create skills-based volunteering opportunities that leverage these professional talents.

Encourage companies to have employees volunteer their specific expertise to help your nonprofit’s operations or tackle more complex issues. For instance, a marketing team might assist with social media campaigns or branding efforts, while a tech company might help improve your nonprofit’s website or set up a database. By offering opportunities for employees to use their professional skills, you make volunteering more meaningful and aligned with their interests.

5. Showcase the Impact of Corporate Volunteerism

Corporations (and their employees) want to see the tangible impact of their support. To attract corporate volunteers, be sure to showcase the measurable results of your nonprofit’s volunteer programs. This could include data on the number of people helped, projects completed, or how volunteer time translates into positive outcomes for your community.

Use visuals such as before-and-after photos, infographics, and success stories to demonstrate the difference that corporate volunteers can make. When companies see that their employees’ time is making a real difference, they’re more likely to engage and sustain their volunteer efforts with your nonprofit. Be sure to report back on the success of each volunteer initiative, and always provide feedback to corporate partners on the positive effects of their contributions.