5 Best Practices for Launching an Employee Volunteer Program

With the growing desire among employees to see their employer’s commitment to social impact and to have opportunities to participate in their efforts to do good in this world directly, right now is a great time to launch your employee volunteer program. But, if you’re going to commit time and resources to this program, you want to ensure you are able to motivate your employees to participate and create a program that helps them to feel connected to their colleagues, the company, and your mission to do good in your community. Here are five best practices to help you accomplish all of that through your employee volunteer program:

1. Align with your business:

A study by Boston College’s Center for Corporate Citizenship found that “strategic business positioning” is one of the key drivers of success for any corporate volunteering program. Positioning includes a focus on “resonant causes” that connect to the business in some way.

2. Offer a clear purpose:

Your employees want to feel like they’re making a difference when volunteering. Make clear the purpose of your volunteer program and how it will positively impact local communities and the people who live in them.

3. Involve everyone:

Everyone in your organization should be involved in volunteer programs, from the CEO to the newest employee on the org chart. In fact, getting buy-in and involvement from executives is a great way to encourage everyone at your company to get involved.

4. Provide options:

As we navigated the pandemic, it became clear that different employees had different levels of comfort with in-person events. Providing opportunities to volunteer remotely took on a new level of importance. What’s more, the concept of a corporate headquarters no longer exists for many companies. Employees are often located in different cities around the country or world, and remote volunteer opportunities give you the chance to engage them all — no matter where they are located. Check out our blog with guidance for engaging your hybrid workforce.

5. Include solid logistics:

No one wants to show up on volunteer day and find there’s nothing to do or that organizers promoted the wrong time or that the work is actually needed at a different location. While most volunteers work with a cheerful willingness to complete the jobs ahead, solid logistics decrease friction and make it easier for volunteers to jump into the work quickly.Investing time and focus to build the foundation for your program will help ensure it engages employees and benefits the community.To discover how Bright Funds can support your program, connect with us today.