Charity: Volunteer Event

Overview

Conduct a volunteer event with a local non-profit organization.

See the Charity & Community Give-Back Guide for the comprehensive approach to this topic.

Charity & Community Give-Back Guide

Details

What a great feeling to give back to your community. You provide resources to a worthy cause, feel good helping your neighbor, and feel like you’re giving to something bigger than yourself. Plus, your employees will feel great knowing they are able to give back as part of their job.

When organizing a volunteer event, get employees and – if possible – customers involved!

Key Steps

  • Find a local charity that needs your help. Coordinate with them to find a specific event in which to participate.
  • Put up a sign asking for volunteers in your location. Create a sign-up sheet for your employees, and if appropriate, create a sign-up sheet for customers too! Get phone and/or email so you can keep in contact with the volunteer team as the event nears.
  • If appropriate, have t-shirts made for all the volunteers. Look like a team!
  • Have a banner or sign made up that you can put on-site to let others know who is participating
  • If you’re a restaurant, see if there is an opportunity to provide food or refreshments to all those volunteering.
  • As the volunteer day draws closer, send reminder and confirmation emails or make calls to connect with each volunteer personally.
  • Make sure the volunteers know how to dress appropriately for the event. Building houses, digging in dirt, and working to serve meals require different clothes.
  • Work with the charity to understand what supplies are needed or should be brought by volunteers. Do teams need gloves? Safety hats?

Guide To Recruiting Employees

  • When providing an opportunity for employees to volunteer for a charity event, make sure they understand it is a personal choice and they are in no way expected or obligated to volunteer. Do not require or pressure them to participate. Furthermore, do not suggest that it would benefit their employment with your company if they volunteered their service or that it would be detrimental to them if they did not volunteer.
  • Let the charity know that while your company donated the materials, your employees volunteered their own time to provide the service.
  • Remind your employees that while at the event, they should not accept any money or tips for the service.
  • An employee’s decision regarding a volunteer opportunity should not be reflected positively or negatively in their performance evaluation or in the terms or conditions of the employee’s employment with your company.
  • Be careful how you communicate the company’s support at the event. Suggested language – “Complimentary lunch service is provided by Your Company and the service is donated by Your Company’s Employees.”

Volunteer Opportunities

VolunteerMatch

VolunteerMatch.org has excellent resources to find local volunteer events.

Youth Service America (YSA)

If you have a majority of employees under the age of 25, check out the YSA website for local volunteer opportunities.

Food Banks/ Soup Kitchens

Google “food banks” or “soup kitchens” in your area. Contact them to see what help they may need.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity has volunteer events all over the world. Enter your zip code on their website and find events taking place in your community.

Support The Environment

Check out these activities on LSMGuide:

Also, check out the Charity Partner marketing activity on LSMGuide:

Lastly, check out this list of 20 fun ideas for group volunteering!

Photo Source: flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/3831296928/