Pledge 1% of Time
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Learn the social and business value of employee volunteerism.
- Determine the type of volunteer program that best fits your company.
- Identify the steps to start today.
Volunteering Drives Social and Business Value
Employee volunteering has long been a cornerstone of corporate social impact strategies. It enables employees to give back to the communities where they live and work and empowers them to feel part of something bigger than themselves. It brightens our communities by accelerating impact in schools and nonprofits, many of which rely on volunteers to deliver their core services every day.
But did you know that volunteering is good for your company, too? It reinforces your company’s culture and strengthens camaraderie among employees. Employee volunteering not only helps you hire and retain top talent, but it directly helps your bottom line, too!
Check out these stats:
- 93% percent of employees believe companies must lead with purpose. (Porter Novelli)
- Companies with giving programs have 2.3 times the employee retention rate. (Deloitte)
- Companies with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable than ones with low engagement. (Zenefits)
Employee volunteering is also an easy place to start your giving back efforts. Let’s learn how!
Create the Volunteer Program That’s Right for Your Company
Companies that join the Pledge 1% movement by pledging employee time implement a wide range of volunteer programs. Some set aside opportunities throughout the year for their team to volunteer together while others have found success in giving employees 3–7 days of Volunteer Time Off (VTO).
| Type of Volunteering | Examples |
|---|---|
|
Hands-on Volunteering |
This could mean cleaning up a beach or serving meals at a local shelter. These activities could be done with the full company, together as a team/department, or individually. |
|
Skills-based or Pro Bono Volunteering |
This could either mean that your employees volunteer their unique skills or that they volunteer to help nonprofits better use your company’s donated products. |
|
Fundraising |
This could mean hosting a fundraising event like a volleyball tournament or walkathon, or promoting crowdfunding campaigns in the office. |
|
Workforce Innovation |
This could mean bringing in people from diverse backgrounds as interns and helping them gain skills through mentorship. |
|
Virtual Volunteering |
This could mean taking on digital projects or assembly kits that employees can support from their own homes individually, or together online over coffee. |
If you’re just launching a volunteering initiative, it’s usually best to start small. Commit to volunteering with 1 or 2 organizations or a few structured company-led opportunities per year. You can always diversify later on.
It’s a great idea to find volunteer opportunities that are easily repeatable year after year or potentially even more often. This builds awareness and familiarity with the organization, allows your company to make a clear and measurable impact on that cause, and becomes simpler and faster to execute each time you do it!
Get Started
By joining Pledge 1% you gain access to case studies, resources, and guidance on how to implement the best volunteer program for your growing company. In the meantime, here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Create a clear mission and vision for the program.
- Get buy-in from key stakeholders.
- Build a Volunteer Time Off Policy.
- Plan your first team volunteer day.
- Survey employees to create focus areas for giving.
- Identify 2–3 causes to support and vet specific organizations.
- Designate an employee lead or group to organize and structure events.
Sum It Up
Many companies start by giving time and commit to new pledge types when they feel they are ready to do more. It’s important to consider what you’re able to accomplish through volunteering and develop a balanced giving program with components that best fit with your company’s overall culture and goals.
