Nonprofits find themselves in a tough predicament; demand for their services is at an all-time high, while volunteer rates are decreasing. Engaging and retaining volunteers is a time-intensive process and it can be disheartening when they underperform.  

A 2023 study from the Do Good Institute, a part of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, found that nearly half of nonprofit leaders consider finding volunteers a ‘big problem.’ The same report indicated that few can retain the volunteers they find, meaning that a large portion of time and resources are dedicated to volunteer engagement efforts. 

Thankfully, not all the news is grim. Leaders at large companies have many reasons to encourage their teams to volunteer, and plenty offer incentives to do so. About 60% of organizations offer paid volunteer time off, companies see 52% less employee turnover among people who are involved with company volunteering, and volunteering can reduce burnout and stress by improving mental and physical health. 

Nonprofits need volunteers. Corporates want their teams to volunteer. Bridging that gap, however, is easier said than done. Organizations like Purposely are acutely aware of the challenges nonprofits face when recruiting volunteers and can offer insights into how organizations can reframe their volunteering efforts, specifically with corporate volunteers.

What is the Volunteering Story

A volunteering story serves as a type of inspirational ‘sales pitch’. Its objective is to motivate potential volunteers, gain buy-in from your team, describe what needs to be done, and define what outcomes you’re looking to achieve.  

The first step to involving volunteers is to clearly articulate how they can help. Great volunteering stories are easy to communicate and use data to show the impact of your programs or past volunteering initiatives. People reading or listening to your volunteering story should clearly understand your mission and how they’ll contribute to your cause.  

Most importantly, keep in mind that your volunteering story is never ‘done.’ Instead, think of it as an experiment that you can always tweak as you gather more information about the companies interested in your mission (more on this in the next section). 

While the volunteering story is outward-facing, remember to set clear goals for your organization as well. Apart from the time-saving benefit, there’s another more substantial outcome you can expect for your nonprofit: it’s a chance to find people who identify with your cause and inspire them to get more involved, either through more volunteering or as potential donors or advocates. 

Read how Purposely helped save the Elizabeth Fry Society over 30 working hours with corporate volunteers here. 

Engaging Corporate Volunteers 

Unlike full-time volunteers, you can get creative with initiatives for corporate volunteers to combine a fun social experience with impact. Think of things on your to-do list that may seem trivial but are time-consuming. Some examples include helping paint a facility, event prep, gardening, or organizing storage spaces. Brainstorm several options and keep time commitments flexible so it’s more inclusive to everyone who might want to join in.  

Most importantly, use each corporate volunteering experience to refine your volunteer engagement strategy. A robust corporate volunteer engagement strategy should allow you to do at least the following three things: 

• Identify the types of companies that are the best fit for your nonprofit
• Describe the type of experience you want to give to your volunteers
• Build the playbook for cultivating volunteers into donors and advocates 

Finding Your Ideal Corporate Volunteers 

Can you write out the characteristics that would make a company an ideal volunteering candidate for your nonprofit? If so, you’re off to a great start.  

Building a profile for these ideal organizations can be a huge time saver, focusing your time on organizations that are likely to provide volunteers who share your values consistently. Keep track of which types of participating organizations produce long-term volunteers, donors, or advocates of your cause.  

If you’ve never worked with corporate volunteers before, there are plenty of things you can do to start building out your ideal company profile. Here are some ideas to get started: 

• Start local. Look for companies in your area with whom you or your team may already have relationships 
• Search for companies whose values and visions are similar to yours 
• Look for companies that offer volunteering incentives, such as paid volunteering days 
• See if organizations have purpose-driven commitments that align with your mission, like sustainability practices or a focus on human rights in their supply chains 
• Search for companies that participate in organizations or networks that show they care about social responsibility. For example, if they are B-Corps, members of PledgeNoHate.tech, or are part of 1% for the Planet 

Keep in mind why an organization wants to volunteer in the first place. Do they care about a specific cause? Are they creating a space for socialization and team building? Do they characterize themselves as a purpose-driven organization? Understanding their motivations will help you refine your volunteering story over time to best connect with your ideal corporate volunteers. 

Focus on Creating an Experience 

No matter the types of companies you work with or their reasons for providing volunteers, you need to have a plan for everyone who participates. Focus on creating a positive and memorable experience for your volunteers. Volunteers who have fun are more likely to volunteer again or even contribute to your cause. It’s important to encourage collaboration and camaraderie among your volunteers, keeping in mind the motivation behind their volunteering. 

Clear communication of goals and expectations is crucial, as is ensuring they’re all consistent with your volunteering story. Make training sessions on volunteer tasks easy and communicate the impact volunteers make on their community. Give volunteers space to complete their tasks and have someone from your team available to answer any questions they might have.

Wrap up the volunteering session by highlighting the impact of their work and celebrating them. Show them that you value and appreciate the time they took to support your nonprofit.

Cultivating Volunteers into Donors 

Individuals who volunteer once for your organization are more likely to become long-term volunteers, donors, and advocates. In fact, they are 66% more likely to donate than their non-volunteering counterparts. This statistic may be appealing, however, you still need to put in the work so your volunteers continue believing in your mission.  

The best place to begin the cultivation process is by showing genuine appreciation for your volunteers. Start by recognizing and thanking volunteers for their contributions. This can begin during the volunteering experience itself by having team members engage with your volunteers, sharing their passion for your mission, and highlighting the impact they’re making in their community. Follow up after the volunteering is done, sharing stories of constituents who have benefited from your work and making your volunteers feel important. After all, they are! 

Some nonprofits will take a photo with the whole team of volunteers at the end of every session. Most organizations are proud to share these photos internally or even post them to social media to celebrate the experience they had with your organizations. 

As future projects come up, communicate specific needs and projects requiring support to your corporate volunteers. Actively communicating and showing that their efforts are appreciated can be a strong way to recruit new volunteers, build loyalty, and encourage new donations. 

It takes time to find ideal corporate volunteering partners and create experiences that keep volunteers coming back. Not every engagement will be perfect so don’t let one negative experience affect your enthusiasm.  

Instead, use it as feedback to improve your corporate volunteer engagement strategy, showing that you value the experience and insights of participants. As your strategy matures, you’ll begin to grow a pool of supporters that you can cultivate into potential donors.  

Families Matter had never worked with corporate volunteers before speaking with Purposely. Read how they were able to craft an engaging volunteer experience here. 

Making the Most out of Corporate Volunteers 

There’s only one way to gauge the success of your corporate volunteering efforts, and that is feedback. Having a plan to gather feedback from your volunteers can accelerate the growth of your corporate volunteering program. 

There are many ways to collect feedback. Some ideas include: 

• Formal volunteer surveys at different moments during the experience 
• Informal conversations with volunteers asking what they liked about the experience and what suggestions they have for next time 
• Holding debriefs after volunteering engagements with your team to discuss observations and see what did and didn’t work 

The more you can demonstrate to volunteers that you take their feedback and suggestions seriously, the more likely they are to contribute ideas. Implement changes and enhancements based on feedback. Keep the process dynamic and adaptable to find the best way to engage volunteers. Don’t be afraid to experiment with format, volunteer times, follow-up materials, and donation asks.

In Summary 

With so many challenges in finding supporters for your cause, corporate volunteers can be of immense and often unexpected value. Think of all the work that you need done, probably a laundry list of tasks and activities that seems endless. There are likely many opportunities for corporate volunteers to help lighten the load.  

As we’ve discussed, take time to think about your volunteering story. With so many organizations searching for help, why should they choose you? How can you make it a rewarding experience for them? Of course, this story will change and improve through practice and feedback. 

Remember to keep the bigger picture in mind. Not only will corporate volunteers help in specific situations, but they can also help you expand your reach to find new donors, advocates, and long-term volunteers. If you hope to reach this ideal scenario, be prepared with a plan of action. Identify companies that align with your mission, build experiences that engage volunteers, and cultivate them through gratitude and relevant communication. Add in a healthy dose of creativity and experimentation and watch as your corporate volunteering program flourishes. 

Purposely matches passionate employees with inspiring nonprofits. They empower nonprofits by co-creating projects, managing volunteers, and tackling impactful initiatives. It's fun, rewarding, and delivers real results. 

iATS Payments by Deluxe partners with organizations like Purposely to bring actionable best practices to our nonprofit clients. As the only payment processor dedicated exclusively to nonprofits, we believe in the power of collaboration and community to deliver long-term and holistic solutions that help nonprofits pursue their missions.