In today’s socially-conscious age, more businesses than ever before are providing support to nonprofits and their communities. In fact, 85% of companies in the United States have a formal domestic corporate giving program. There are many different forms of corporate philanthropy that businesses can offer your nonprofit, from sponsorships to in-kind donations. However, if you’re seeking a combination of donations and volunteer support, volunteer grants can be especially impactful for your mission.
Volunteer grants are a type of corporate giving initiative in which companies provide monetary grants to nonprofits where their employees regularly volunteer. This earns your nonprofit critical volunteer support and funding while giving businesses a boost in their philanthropic reputations.
In this guide, we’ll cover how your nonprofit can begin receiving volunteer grants to further your mission:
By proactively seeking out this form of corporate philanthropy, you can maximize the monetary and non-monetary support needed to power change in your community. Let’s begin.
Plenty of companies offer volunteer grants to their employees, and chances are, you might already have volunteers who are eligible through their employers but simply aren’t aware. This can cause nonprofits to leave free fundraising dollars on the table, making it more difficult to see their nonprofit strategic plan through.
One of the best ways to tap into volunteer grants is by educating your volunteers about this opportunity and encouraging them to check their eligibility. A strong multichannel marketing strategy can help you get the word out about this impactful form of corporate support, so consider advertising volunteer grants on your:
Every company has a different policy when it comes to volunteer grants (such as donating per hour a volunteer gives or donating when a volunteer meets a certain hourly threshold), so prompt your followers to check their employers’ specific requirements if they have a grant program.
Your nonprofit may already have an agreement with a local business to receive corporate volunteering support. However, to capitalize on this, you can request that your corporate partner additionally offers volunteer grants in exchange for their employees’ hard work at your organization. This way, you’ll not only receive the help of skilled volunteers, but can also earn donations to power your mission.
To demonstrate to your corporate partner that offering volunteer grants is worth their resources, highlight these key benefits:
Meet with your corporate partner to discuss your financial needs and how a volunteer grant program would push you closer to meeting your goals (and will benefit their company). This transparency will help strengthen your relationship and may earn you additional monetary support through grants.
A key part of securing volunteer grants is motivating eligible employees to volunteer at your organization on a regular basis. This means you need to develop an engaging volunteer program that meets their interests and naturally aligns with their skills. After all, volunteers who are passionate and excited about their roles are more likely to support your nonprofit year after year, translating into more support and revenue for your mission.
To develop a quality volunteer program that will inspire your corporate volunteers, use these best practices:
Make sure to regularly express volunteer appreciation so your corporate volunteers feel recognized and seen for their efforts. For example, you might send handwritten thank-you notes, invite volunteers to an appreciation dinner or spotlight your corporate volunteers on social media. All of these practices can go a long way in retaining corporate support for your nonprofit.
Volunteer grants make volunteers even more valuable to your organization, helping you to receive both non-monetary and monetary support to drive your fundraising goals forward. Do your due diligence to promote volunteer grants among your existing volunteers and current corporate partners to maximize their impact. Then, regularly check in with your volunteers so you can improve your volunteer program as needed to retain their support.