What Is Corporate Volunteering?
In the recent years, corporate volunteering has gained popularity as one of the most effective ways for companies to give back to their local community and also more global causes.
Corporate volunteering can take a few different forms such as virtual volunteering, in-person volunteering, bespoke volunteering days, and group volunteer programmes.
In this article, we will cover the various types of corporate volunteering, the steps needed to implement a volunteering program, and the reasons why employers might choose to offer paid time volunteering as a benefit to their teams.
Different corporate volunteering options
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering virtually might sound like an odd concept, and you might initially assume that this sort of online corporate volunteering could be limited in it's impact.
But actually, recent studies have shown that remote, skills-based volunteering programs like those championed here at Matchable create as much as 150x more impact value for our charitable partners than 'traditional' volunteering programs in-person.
Volunteering from the comfort of your des, naturally, is growing in popularity thanks to the rise in remote or hybrid approaches to work post pandemic.
This sort of virtual volunteer program actually typically creates much more learning and development opportunities, as employees can leverage their specific skill sets to help charities in need with digital tasks. For example, maybe you could tutor disadvantaged children in your local communities, or help with social media management for a non-profit near you, or proof read CVs for rehabilitated ex-convicts! 🤩 💚
This remote focused volunteerism appeals in particular to the millennial and Gen-Z workforce.
VOLUNTEERING IN-PERSON
In-person volunteer opportunities are the more traditional, expected options when it comes to giving back as a company. Employees can head as a group or individually to local charities, green spaces or the natural environment, or social enterprises and help in-person, usually with more manual tasks.
While the impact that you can create with in-person labour is limited, these kind of volunteering activities do create good opportunities for team building in-person, as well as helping to engage your team, boost motivation, and boost morale!
A lot of companies not only use in-person volunteering schemes as a way to hit their CSR goals, but also to help establish their corporate purpose, and create a shared culture of giving back to local communities.
GROUP VOLUNTEERING
A lot of businesses choose to focus on organising regular group volunteer activities as a way to encourage cross-team collaboration, and help to instil their corporate purpose across all employees at once.
This involves staff coming together to volunteer with a particular charity, non-profit, or impact startup as a team at the same time. This type of volunteering can be either virtual or in-person but as the name suggests, focuses on working together in a group to give back to your local community.
Of course, employee volunteerism doesn't have to be organised in groups, with many larger corporations now choosing to focus on individual volunteer opportunities for every employee. This kind of individual volunteer time certainly lends itself more to the digital, remote volunteer work detailed above, but there are still many charities that have low capacity for volunteers and would greatly appreciate 1 or 2 individuals coming to help out in person.
It is also worth noting that for charities (especially the smaller more innovative organisations that need your help most), accommodating large groups of over 10 employees at the same time can be tricky, as it requires multiple team members from their side to look after volunteers, as well as food, time, and resources to complete the volunteer project.
We've actually wrote an article all about why corporate volunteering isn't free, and the costs involved for the charities you want to work with.
If you're looking for more bespoke volunteer opportunities for larger teams, then it might be worth reaching out to a corporate volunteering expert like Matchable who has the contacts to help organise this for you far more easily.
IMPLEMENTING YOUR CORPORATE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Implementing corporate volunteering programs, and getting employee participation can lead to many benefits for both you the company and your employees. Here are some initial steps to take as you implement your new employee volunteer program:
Establish your volunteering goals: This could be improving employee retention/employee turnover with an improved employee benefits package, giving back to the local community where you're office is based, or developing useful skills in your team through charity work. Maybe you even have specific causes that your company is dedicated to helping. For example, on the Matchable platform you can select any of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals that you want to contribute to with your volunteer time.
Choose your approach: Next you need to decide what type of volunteering fits your team and company's desired outcomes. Whether it's in-person, virtual, or group volunteering, you need to weigh up what is convenient for the majority of your team, but also what kind of volunteer programs will create the impact you and your board members want to create. Perhaps you have detailed sustainability goals as a company, and you want to encourage your employees to get out and help clear up local green spaces with land management volunteer projects?
Find the right partner for you: The next step is finding the right volunteer partner, or charitable organisation(s) to partner with. The majority of businesses take the route of working with a dedicated volunteering partner that can take sourcing and organising volunteer opportunities off of your plate. Companies often provide access to these dedicated volunteer platforms to employees as an employee benefit alongside things like private health insurance and paid holiday leave.
Another option would be to work directly with 1 or 2 charities you're particularly passionate about helping, or that you have established relationships with.
Set your budget: Determine how much you can afford to spend on your volunteering program, including any costs associated with transportation or supplies for your teams.
Promote internally: Encourage employees to participate in the corporate volunteer programs by promoting it through internal communications such as newsletters, social media, or Slack channels. You can even establish individual volunteering champions within your team to help promote the projects and to use as a point of call for any questions around volunteer activities.
Track everything: It's vital that you keep track of the impact your volunteering program is having on the community and your employees, so that you can establish your return on investment, and also whether you're hitting your ESG or CSR goals. Most online volunteering platforms these days have dedicated dashboards where you can monitor the ROI from your volunteering time as a company. This can help to identify areas for improvement with your employee volunteer program, as well as informing new, future targets.
THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A CORPORATE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Below we'd highlighted just a few of the many benefits that can come for both employers and employees from employer supported volunteering:
Giving back: If you want to have a positive impact on the world through your work, then volunteering is one the best ways to effectively do so! It's not just pledging to cycle to work, or wash your clothes at 30 degrees, you're actually providing real tangible value and help to many charities across the UK and globally that are searching for volunteers.
Engaged employees: Participating in volunteering activities can enhance the sense of value and appreciation that individuals have for their work and time in the workplace. Moreover, it fosters a sense of altruism and shared values among larger teams, contributing to the development of a giving and supportive culture, which in turn helps with employee engagement at work.
Team-building: Engaging in corporate volunteerism can help to foster better relationships and collaborations between departments that are usually disconnected. This can lead to more productive, interconnected teams, and also allows employees to build new valuable social connections in their workplace.
Corporate Social Responsibility: There is more and more pressure from the public and governments for businesses to operate sustainably, and give back to social causes, and corporate volunteerism can really go a long way to improving your company's standing.
Up-skilling: Volunteering can help employees build new useful skills, and can also provide opportunities to hone their skills in new ways/situations. For example, perhaps a sales executive has never had the chance to develop a full sales strategy. But there could a local charity that needs exactly this! This could be an especially appealing benefit for those working in human resource management, as volunteering can offer significant (and innovative) learning & development opportunities.
In the corporate world, purpose driven business is a trend that isn't going away. Consumers are demanding that companies consider the impact of their work, and find new ways to create a positive impact around the world.
Corporate social responsibility is the future, and corporate volunteerism is the number one way to make an impact. So, hopefully this article has helped you to grasp the basics, and given you the volunteering itch!
