Corporate volunteering is an incredible opportunity for charities to tap into skilled professionals who are eager to give back. With the Volunteero app, corporate volunteers can engage seamlessly, while organisations can manage and track their efforts through the Volunteero dashboard. In this guide, we’ll share practical tips on how to attract, engage, and retain corporate volunteers effectively using Volunteero.
1. Understand Their Motivations
Corporate volunteers often participate for different reasons than traditional volunteers. They may be encouraged by their employer as part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, or they may be looking to develop new skills, build team relationships, or make a meaningful impact in their community. The Volunteero app allows organisations to create tailored volunteering opportunities that align with these motivations.
Remember that corporate volunteering should:
Be of mutual benefit
Not cause too much disruption to your normal services
Achievable
Make them want to come back!
2. Reduce barriers to involvement
This starts with your messaging, make it clear how they can get involved with your organisation and what the possible roles available are.
Customise relevant CSR opportunities that link directly to your application form. We advise keeping this process as streamlined as you can for CSR volunteers, so consider whether you can condense any training or onboarding requirements for CSR volunteers.
Depending on what will work best for your organisation you may choose to involve corporate volunteers in the following ways:
One point person will sign up on behalf of their team. They will select the relevant missions and/or shifts within the app. Reports and feedback will collated by them for everyone at their company. The benefit to this is that you will only need one app account on the system, meaning less admin work from your end, but you may feel less able to build connections with the rest of the team.
Individual sign-ups each corporate volunteer will sign up themselves, claiming their own activities and feeding back all within the app. You’ll need more app access for this route but are likely to get more accurate feedback and better conversation opportunities for getting them into other roles at your organisation.
If your CSR volunteers are going to be working directly with vulnerable people then consider whether the roles requires additional checks or training. These will likely need more lead time.
3. Work with a point person
We recommend identifying your CSR ambassador early on. This person will be your corporate eyes and ears, nudging their colleagues to sign up and encouraging them to get stuck in with volunteering.
4. Consider Charging for Corporate Volunteering
While many charities welcome corporate volunteers free of charge, some organisations implement a corporate volunteering fee to cover the time and resources involved in organising and managing these experiences. This can be particularly beneficial for charities with limited capacity, ensuring that corporate volunteering is sustainable and impactful rather than a drain on staff time.
If introducing a charge, transparency is key—make it clear where the funds go and how they directly support your cause. Many businesses are happy to contribute, particularly when the impact is well-communicated.
5. Offer Flexible Opportunities via the Volunteero App
Many businesses seek volunteering opportunities that align with their CSR objectives, use this to your advantage to curate your volunteering opportunities so that there is a mutual benefit.
Many corporate volunteers have busy schedules, so flexibility is key. With Volunteero, you can provide:
One-off opportunities: Ideal for team-building activities or CSR days. Fundraising days or large events can be a great way to involve corporate volunteers.
Skills-based volunteering: Allow professionals to use their expertise (e.g. marketing, finance, legal advice) to support your charity.
Remote opportunities: Virtual volunteering options can help busy professionals get involved without logistical barriers.
Micro-volunteering: Short, impactful tasks that can be completed in a matter of hours enable corporate volunteers to see the impact of their time straight away.
Examples:
One-off: Practical help such as gardening, painting or helping at a large event.
Skills based: Photography, filmmaking, content, reviewing a funding application or designing spaces.
Remote: Social media content, client check-in calls or feedback capturing.
Micro Volunteering: Sewing bags, seed packets, and care packages.
6. Communicate Clearly
Corporate volunteers are accustomed to professional environments with clear communication. Ensure you provide:
Concise, well-structured information about roles, expectations, and impact.You can achieve this by creating bespoke corporate volunteering opportunities with Volunteero.
A designated point of contact from your organisation is accessible through the app to answer questions and provide support.
Regular updates and notifications via Volunteero to keep volunteers informed and engaged throughout their involvement. Mission and shift descriptions can be filled with all the information your CSR volunteers need for their day. Using Volunteero’s chat functionality to create individual and group chats with your corporate volunteer teams.
7. Prepare for the day
Have everything ready to go, make sure everything is set up and ready. If they need equipment have it all out in advance.
Warm welcome Greet your team with a smile and the kettle on. This sets the tone for the day.
Briefing and introduction on arrival. Provide an overview of any key health and safety protocols, practical advice or information pertinent to the task.
Capture the moment don’t forget to get lots of pictures. Corporate volunteers like to showcase their involvement so make the most of this and snap away.
Communal areas provide cuppas and a space to have a break.
Lunch and a debrief share lunch or a drink after the day to gather feedback and talk through highlights.
8. Meaningful Impact Reports
Corporate volunteers and their employers want to know their time is making a difference. Have your volunteers submit a report after their volunteering tasks to record time spent, and tasks fulfilled and to flag any actions required. By asking for a report from either one designated volunteer or the whole team you have created a space to log the feedback and track impact which you can use for recognition at a later date.
Your Volunteero dashboard makes it easy to generate customised insights and impact reports, including:
Stories of individuals or communities helped.
Metrics such as hours volunteered, funds raised, or projects completed.
Testimonials from beneficiaries or charity staff.
9. Gather Feedback
Make use of our survey functionality to capture feedback directly from your corporate volunteers on their experiences with your organisation. Having all attendees complete a survey after their involvement with your organisation shines a light on their reflections which you can use to re-engage companies year on year.
10. Recognise and Celebrate Contributions
Recognition goes a long way in keeping volunteers engaged. Use Volunteero to:
Send thank-you messages directly through the app using the chat feature.
Award badges directly to volunteers all within the Volunteero app. Customise these to say thanks and spread a little joy.
Highlight contributions on social media, and shout out the companies who have given their time to help your cause.
End-of-year awards or appreciation events don’t forget to include corporate volunteers in your celebration events or volunteers week appreciations.
11. Build Long-Term Relationships
Rather than treating corporate volunteering as a one-off event, use Volunteero to foster ongoing relationships with businesses by offering:
Follow-up opportunities for volunteers to return are visible in the app.
Partnership agreements where companies support your charity year-round.
Networking events to engage corporate teams with your mission.
Did we miss anything? let us know if you have any other learning or feedback to share with fellow Volunteero users!
If you’d like more guidance, explore additional tips and resources can be found in our Help Centre and as always please don't hesitate to reach out to our team on support@volunteero.org.