How to Cash In on Corporate Volunteerism

Five employees working together on a team building volunteer project

Did you know many nonprofits in your community offer corporate volunteerism opportunities and incentives? If you are not already highlighting your nonprofit as a welcome space for corporate volunteers, you may be missing out on valuable volunteer hours for your organization! According to a recent study, nearly 60% of companies offer paid time off for employees to volunteer and 81% of younger generations expect companies to commit to good citizenship. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly more common or even mandatory in some working environments. There are several ways companies are looking for volunteer work for their employees, so today we are sharing three tips to cash in on these corporate volunteers. 

Offer & Highlight Team Projects 

HR departments are always looking for team-building opportunities, and when they can combine these with corporate volunteerism, they are able to kill two birds with one stone. On your end, make sure you have volunteer opportunities that work well for both small and large groups. These will vary depending on your mission, but nearly every nonprofit that utilizes volunteers can find a way to accommodate a group. Using CERVIS, you can enable group registration for your events. This allows a team leader to sign up an entire department; it also allows a certain number of employees to volunteer without making each employee sign up on their own. This simplifies the process for both you as the volunteer coordinator, as well as the group coming to volunteer with you.

Don’t have people asking you for group volunteer opportunities? Reach out to the HR department or administrative staff of companies in your area and let them know you offer ways to help them achieve their corporate volunteerism goals. Make it easy for them to schedule and sign up to serve. 

Invite Skills Based & Pro-Bono Work

Do you already have or are you able to create volunteer opportunities that require certain skill sets? Maybe building projects that require certified workers, medical roles that require degrees, financial audits that need to be completed by a professional? These are just a handful of ways volunteers can not only give of their time, but also their specialized skills. Many companies encourage their employees to volunteer in their strengths and allow them to do so during work hours to aid the companies’ CSR. With CERVIS, you are able to create and restrict volunteer opportunities based on skills and professional certifications, ensuring the most qualified volunteers are serving your nonprofit in the best way possible. We even make it easy for you to run background checks on your volunteers if needed! 

Partner in a Fundraising Event

When you team up with a local business for an event or fundraiser, it’s a win-win for everyone! The employees can get volunteer hours and your nonprofit can raise money. These partnerships help not only the nonprofit with fundraising, but also aids the company in accruing volunteer hours and connecting with the community. This can take a variety of different forms - a picnic in the park, a sponsored run, a car wash, a silent auction, etc. Get creative with your corporate connections. At CERVIS, it is easy to set up an event with the necessary volunteer work and specifically share it with only one group of people. Your contact can then share the event with their team and employees can sign up for open positions until everything is covered.

Many companies have required volunteer hours built into their business model and these are just three ways you can capitalize on that. Take advantage of these opportunities, and help connect their employees with your volunteer program. You might even gain some new long-term volunteers who keep coming back to serve outside of their corporate volunteer program. Here at CERVIS, we are always ready to help you better organize and manage your volunteers so you can focus on what really matters!


Group of four employees enjoying a FREE CERVIS Volunteer Management demo

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Elizabeth Mayberry