According to research from Pilotlight, corporate volunteering could generate up to £17 billion for UK charities. The report also calls for UK employers to do more to support skills-based volunteering in their communities.
So what’s stopping corporations from encouraging their employees to volunteer? Some leaders say it’s difficult to find opportunities that align with company goals. Maybe some corporate leaders just aren’t looking, or aren’t aware, of the vast opportunities available. Not to mention the benefits they can provide.
It’s not as if the demand isn’t there, the report states that 45% of adults would like to use the skills or knowledge they have developed at work to help out charities, good causes or community groups on a voluntary basis.
There is a push to move towards a ‘workout culture’. This involves actively encouraging and supporting employees to use their time and skills to support charities and get involved in their community. Overall, it builds a stronger, more progressive company culture.
Promoting the Benefits
Allowing workers to volunteer is known to increase employee well-being, improve retention, and increase attraction to potential employees.
Furthermore, while volunteering helps the community, it could also help improve an organisation’s culture. Corporate volunteering days provide a chance for employee bonding – especially relevant due to the face-to-face time lost during the pandemic.
Recent research from the Charity Retail Association shows that charities are experiencing volunteer shortages, with many reporting that these shortages have had a negative effect on income. What better way to fill these gaps than through corporate volunteering? Promoting the benefits of volunteering and tugging on the heartstrings a little bit can’t hurt anyone.
What can Charities do?
An area on your website specifically dedicated to outlining what corporate volunteering is on offer is a great help. The first step is to make key information easy to access.
Any organisation with volunteering opportunities should be promoting them digitally. This is the best way you can reach a wide audience. This might involve posting on social media, or investing in a volunteer management system.
We appreciate some organisations may not be able to afford digital tools like volunteer management software, that’s why we created TryVolunteering.
TryVolunteering allows you to advertise your opportunities for free on our national platform. Get started today by signing up as a Provider. You can set up your own profile and invite your existing volunteers to sign up. We will also automatically link all volunteers who sign up using your link to you.
In addition, our varied pricing options mean there’s something to suit organisations of any size. With our cheapest option starting from just £19 per month. Find out more on our website. You can even share your opportunities to other local TeamKinetic sites to really maximise your reach.
What can employers do to encourage their employees?
- Talk to your employees.
Firstly, find out what it is they might want to get out of volunteering. Find out what they’re interested in, particularly if it aligns with your company’s goals. Employees will be more enthusiastic about volunteering if it connects with their values.
- Reach out to charities.
Find charities that work in the fields you’ve identified as important to your company and employees. This could even end up becoming a long-term partnership for ongoing corporate volunteering days.
- Start spreading the word!
Tell your employees how they can join in, explicitly promoting the benefits. Why not give them a paid day off to get involved? Mention it in your meetings, newsletter, emails – basically any communication channel.
You should also set up a way for employees to give feedback on what worked and what might not have worked, this allows you to improve your volunteering days as time goes on.
- Celebrate your achievements.
Volunteering is a great way to pick up new skills and put those you already have into practice. Posting about your volunteering on social media and internal email updates can also be a great morale booster for employees.
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