Corporate volunteerism is more than just a buzzword—it’s a powerful tool that drives meaningful impact for the nonprofits and schools that pursue it. As organizations look to engage their supporters in these programs, the need for marketing corporate volunteerism effectively has never been greater.
In this blog post, we’ll explore eight effective strategies for doing so, helping build stronger partnerships with individuals and businesses alike:
- Spread the word about corporate volunteerism on social media.
- Spotlight companies with standout corporate volunteer initiatives.
- Encourage volunteers to look into their employers’ programs.
- Add a corporate volunteer incentive search tool to your website.
- Recognize corporate volunteers supporting your cause.
- Highlight corporate volunteer opportunities in newsletters or email blasts.
- Reach out to companies’ CSR or corporate citizenship teams directly.
- Follow up with eligible volunteers after they partake in relevant activities.
From dollars for doers (or volunteer grants) to paid time off for volunteer activities , corporate volunteer incentives can have a significant impact on your organization. However, many eligible individuals have no idea their employers offer these programs—which is another reason why marketing these opportunities is so essential.
Let’s begin!
1. Spread the word about corporate volunteerism on social media.
Social media can be a powerful way to reach a broad audience that may be interested in scaling up their support through corporate volunteer programs. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (X), and Facebook are ideal for showcasing the impact of corporate volunteers and promoting upcoming opportunities to get involved.
As you market corporate volunteerism using these online platforms, sharing stories, photos, and testimonials from past volunteer events can inspire others to get involved. Meanwhile, engaging content, such as behind-the-scenes videos or live streams, can create excitement and encourage participation.
Social media also allows for interactive engagement, where followers can comment, share, and ask questions, fostering a community around your cause and an interest in program involvement.
Top Marketing Tip: Double the Donation clients can access eye-catching, customizable marketing templates within the 360MatchPro platform. Just log into your existing 360MatchPro account, find a social media post you like, and personalize it to fit your organization and its brand strategy.
2. Spotlight companies with standout corporate volunteer initiatives.
Highlighting examples of companies with exceptional corporate volunteer initiatives in your marketing efforts can serve a multifaceted purpose in your strategy. Here are a few key benefits of doing so:
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Companies whose programs you highlight receive recognition for their devotion to CSR and employee volunteerism
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Employees from those companies are informed or reminded about their employers’ volunteer programs and inspired to participate
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Other companies and their employees can be inspired to participate in corporate volunteer programs as well
If you’re interested in promoting leading examples in your marketing strategy, there are a number of company compilations that showcase top programs available online. For example:
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12 Leading Volunteer Grant Companies: Increase Corporate Dollars (from 360MatchPro)
- Highlights include Apple, Disney, and Microsoft
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Top Volunteer Time Off Companies | 35 Programs to Know (from Double the Donation)
- Highlights include Patagonia, WarnerMedia, and Hasbro
3. Encourage volunteers to look into their employers’ programs.
Tons of companies offer employee volunteer programs, but many employees are not fully aware of the opportunities in place. Encouraging volunteers to explore these programs by checking in with their employers can lead to increased participation and support for your cause.
You can get your network excited about this idea through a combination of email campaigns, informational sessions, or other resources on your website that explain how to access and utilize these programs.
By educating volunteers about the benefits, such as paid time out of the office or the opportunity to have a greater impact on your cause, you can inspire and empower them to take advantage of these programs on your behalf. This not only helps your organization but also strengthens the volunteer’s connection to both their employer and your cause.
4. Add a corporate volunteer incentive search tool to your website.
Speaking of encouraging volunteers to look into available programs, one of the best things you can do to aid in their search is providing access to a volunteer program database tool. This type of solution will provide program details such as minimum volunteer hours required, grant amount per hour volunteered, qualifying organizations and employees, and more. When you work with Double the Donation, you can embed the Double the Donation Volunteering search tool directly into your main Volunteers page, on your volunteer registration forms, and more.
This allows you to streamline the process for volunteers to discover opportunities offered by their employers. By making this information readily accessible, you can increase awareness and participation in corporate volunteer programs and maximize the impact of these initiatives.
Additionally, providing detailed instructions on how to apply for these incentives can further simplify the process for volunteers, ensuring that they can fully utilize the resources available to them.
5. Recognize corporate volunteers supporting your cause.
Recognizing corporate volunteers is a crucial step in fostering long-term relationships and encouraging continued support. Publicly acknowledging their contributions can make volunteers feel valued and appreciated in their engagement, and can also go a long way in inspiring others to get involved.
Ideas for doing so can include:
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Highlighting individuals accessing VTO programs on social media
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Adding individuals who secure volunteer grants to a dedicated donor wall
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Sharing examples of corporate volunteer teams on your social media pages, newsletters, or website
Recognition can also be extended to the companies they represent, strengthening your partnership and encouraging further collaboration.
6. Highlight corporate volunteer opportunities in newsletters or email blasts.
Including corporate volunteer opportunities in your digital (or physical) newsletters and email blasts can be an effective way to keep your audience informed and engaged at large.
This might include practices such as:
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Regularly featuring upcoming events or opportunities well-suited to corporate volunteer groups.
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Highlighting success stories and corporate volunteer testimonials to inspire readers to take action.
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Providing clear calls to action, such as links to sign-up forms or contact information, to make it easy for recipients to get involved.
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Segmenting your email list to target specific audiences, such as corporate partners or employees of companies with known volunteer programs, to increase relevance and engagement.
All in all, consistent communication through these channels helps keep corporate volunteerism top of mind for your supporters. And when corporate volunteerism remains at top of mind, your audience will be more likely to engage in the programs.
7. Reach out to companies’ CSR or corporate citizenship teams directly.
When it comes to marketing corporate volunteerism, building mutually beneficial relationships with the companies’ whose support you seek can go a long way. Many of these businesses will even have dedicated CSR or corporate citizenship teams with which you can engage, and doing so can lead to fruitful partnerships and increased engagement with their employees in the long run.
Reaching out directly to these teams allows you to tailor your pitch and demonstrate how their employees can make a meaningful impact through your organization. Offering customized volunteer opportunities that align with the company’s overall values or CSR goals can make your proposal more attractive, too.
Top tip: If a company’s employees already volunteer with or give to your organization, this engagement history can be an invaluable piece of information to use in your outreach pitch . After all, companies want to support the causes their employees care about!
Once you’ve established a collaborative relationship, regular communication and updates on the impact of their volunteers’ contributions can strengthen the partnership and open doors to new volunteer opportunities and corporate support.
8. Follow up with eligible volunteers after they partake in relevant activities.
By the time an individual completes their volunteer activity, they should be familiar with the idea of corporate volunteer incentives. However, many volunteer programs require steps after the event concludes, such as submitting an hour log or grant request application, so sending a reminder again afterward is a must.
Not to mention, you can also use your post-event outreach as a way to thank supporters for their involvement in your cause. Be sure to focus on the impact they’ve had on your organization, and mention how they can stretch that impact even further with a volunteer incentive.
This follow-up can also serve as an opportunity to invite them to future events or ask them to share their experience with colleagues, potentially recruiting even more volunteers from their company.
Next Steps
Successfully marketing corporate volunteerism requires a thoughtful approach that aligns with both your organization’s mission and the goals of your corporate partners and their employees. By implementing these eight strategies, you can attract new corporate volunteers, deepen relationships with existing ones, and create opportunities that are rewarding for everyone involved.
As businesses continue to seek ways to make a difference, your ability to effectively market volunteerism will be key to driving engagement and amplifying your impact for your cause. And ensuring you power your efforts with the right tools to do so is essential!
Read Now: [Free Download] Standout Strategies for Leveraging Corporate Volunteer Incentives
