As businesses aim to improve their societal effect, corporate volunteerism is becoming increasingly popular. Furthermore, these initiatives provide several internal benefits for businesses. An employee volunteering program encourages teamwork and allows employees to broaden their skill sets. These initiatives are a fantastic way to tap into your employees' expertise by encouraging them to volunteer their effort and time for a larger good in their community!
According to research by City Philanthropy, 53 percent of under-35s desire to volunteer more than they do, with the number rising to 60 percent among 18-24-year-olds.
The scenario of corporate volunteering has evolved from what it used to be. Employees now like to engage in volunteer opportunities that can have long-term benefits and also be a platform for them to put their skills and knowledge to good use. For your corporate volunteer program, you might want to choose a hybrid of on-field and virtual volunteering.
It's essential to carefully plan and ensure that you know the best practices for a successful volunteer day and that you provide the finest experience for your employees! In this blog, we will discuss 6 easy steps to organize a successful and effective company volunteer day.
It's not always easy to find common ground on your employees' busy schedules, especially when vacations, business travels, conferences, and other activities are involved. Ideally, you'll want to pick a date when the vast majority of employees are available to participate if they so desire.
Compiling a list of potential dates and sharing them with your coworkers to pick a date that works best for the majority of your employees would be the best approach and ensure that you will have good attendance.
When planning a company volunteer day, you will need to get approval from your higher-ups for many of your plans. Especially the causes you want to support and the events you want to organize to achieve your goals for the day.
While finalizing the cause your company's volunteer day would like to support, choose a nonprofit that aligns with your company’s values and policies. This way you will be able to gain the required signals to move forward with your plans.
You could also engage your employees in the decision-making process by giving them options for charities and letting them vote for the cause they would like to volunteer for.
The key to creating a successful corporate volunteering program is to set clear and quantifiable goals. Consider how your program's objectives fit into your company's overall strategy and develop metrics to help you turn these aims into measurable accomplishments.
Respond to queries like, "Why do you want to start an EVP?" What is the maximum number of employees you want to engage? What is your goal in terms of volunteer hours? This will give your volunteer program direction and ease the decision-making process.
The next stage is to draw out your action plan now that your purpose and goals are clear. Create or find volunteer opportunities in your community. To find fresh opportunities that will interest your staff and correlate with their skills, reach out to local charities or use an online tool like Chezuba.
Increase the number of charitable possibilities. Offer your staff donation options to support charity organizations to engage them in even more philanthropic endeavors. Adding a volunteer grant program to your list of corporate philanthropy efforts can also be a good option
Like organizing any company event, your company volunteer day should also be an event where all employees come together to work for a common goal. It can be a great arena for team building and bonding among employees.
A well-thought-out communication strategy is essential for keeping your employees engaged from the start. You should create a buzz around the program through online campaigns, incentives for teams with maximum sign-ups, or promotional videos.
Monitoring and tracking the results of your program will allow you to assess employee engagement, your program's efficiency, and whether you were able to stick to your original plan to meet your objectives. This is also a wonderful method to identify potential roadblocks and devise tactics to overcome them.
To have a better understanding of your program, Collect your employees’ feedback on the program and ask them for suggestions for the next employee volunteer day you plan. The key metrics to track are the numbers of volunteers, hours, and results.
Your corporate volunteering program can be a great approach to keep employees engaged while making a difference. The key steps to keep in mind are to plan for the day in advance, be mindful of your company’s values, promote your program, and offer incentives to participants. The right tools and technology can make a difference in your employee volunteering programs.
Chezuba is a corporate volunteering platform that offers the means required to keep track of your company's employee volunteer data while also helping you curate for your team some of the best online volunteering opportunities with nonprofits from across the globe.
Learn how Chezuba is the right fit as your corporate volunteering tool by booking a free demo.
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