Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Good Management Makes Corporate Giving Easier

By Sebastian Troup


Organizing workplace philanthropy might sound like a big task, but with the right management, it can be handled easily. The first tip is to make the process as easy as possible for employees to sign up. You should provide options for pre-organized events so employees only have to choose where and when to volunteer. To capture their attention, publicize the sign-up process in as many ways as possible. Hang a poster in the break room, create a shared calendar or spreadsheet or spend time during a staff meeting passing around a sign-up sheet.

As administrators, we are always busy, so incorporating workplace philanthropy is much easier if you make the program very manageable. Assign someone to act as the liaison between the charity and your company, as this will ensure that the information is passed along and all details are well coordinated.

In addition, when it comes to corporate volunteerism, be sure that your volunteer efforts are a seamless fit with the other philanthropy programs in your company. When you build upon your current charitable efforts, this creates a synergy that produces the best possible results. If your main corporate goal is promoting a cleaner, better world environment, make sure that your volunteer events and giving program support this goal. On your company website or intranet, list all of the volunteer options for your employees and make it easy for them to find volunteer tasks, make a donation or see any other possible option. Showcase the idea that there are many ways for employees to help. By keeping all of this information in one, easily accessible location, it reduces your management burden.

You also need to ensure that record keeping is a high priority. Keeping accurate records of volunteer hours, monetary donations and other philanthropic efforts is the best way to monitor campaign performance. You can easily track what parts of your program are working and which areas need to be enhanced.

Instead of trying to track this data on a spreadsheet, consider using volunteer management software as this makes the whole process much easier and far more accurate. This type of software also allows you to instantly grab a progress report and share the results of your corporate giving program with company leaders as quickly as possible.

Many employees may want to volunteer but don't quite know where or how to channel their passion. Providing vetted volunteering options for employees to choose from will make involvement easier, rather than asking employees to find and identify volunteer opportunities on their own. Remember the first rule of volunteer management: Make it easy.

It is also important to recognize that some employees already have strong volunteer commitments they are passionate about, and they shouldn't be neglected. Asking employees to suggest events or ideas for volunteering is a great way to keep them engaged and a part of the process.

Lack of time or enthusiasm are not the top reasons why employees don't take part in volunteer programs. The main reason is simply because no one asked them to participate. People are often hesitant about making that first step, so be sure to ask your employees to help and often. Bring up volunteer events at meetings, take up signup sheets and send out informative emails discussing company goals, upcoming events and the impact of the corporate giving program. When employees do volunteer, never forget to recognize this effort. When people know that they are appreciated, they are far more likely to participate in future events.




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