Corporate Volunteering: What Your Nonprofit Should Know

Corporate volunteering has become a powerful force in the nonprofit sector, and it’s an opportunity your organization shouldn’t overlook. As more companies prioritize social responsibility, they’re encouraging employees to give back through hands-on volunteer work, skills-based projects, company-sponsored service days, and more.

In this post, we’ll walk through what your nonprofit should know about corporate volunteering, from how it’s structured to best practices for building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with corporate teams. Specifically, we’ll cover:

• What is corporate volunteering?
• How does corporate volunteering benefit nonprofits?
• Types of corporate volunteering programs to know
• Companies with leading corporate volunteering initiatives
• Best practices for engaging corporate volunteers

For nonprofits, corporate volunteering opens the door to new talent, fresh energy, and potential long-term partnerships. But to fully benefit, you need to understand how it works and how to position your organization to attract, manage, and engage these valuable supporters. Let’s dive in with the basics!

What is Corporate Volunteering?

Corporate volunteering refers to programs organized by companies that encourage or enable their employees to volunteer their time and skills to nonprofit organizations. It’s a key component of many corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and a growing way for businesses to support their communities beyond financial contributions alone.

Understanding the structure and purpose behind corporate volunteering is the first step toward effectively integrating it into your organization’s volunteer and partnership strategies.

How Does Corporate Volunteering Benefit Nonprofits?

Corporate volunteering offers more than just extra hands for a day. It creates meaningful value for nonprofits across multiple levels. Whether it’s a one-time service project or an ongoing skills-based partnership, these engagements can have a lasting impact on your mission and operations.

Here are some of the key benefits:

Access to Skilled Talent

Many corporate volunteers bring professional expertise in areas like marketing, finance, technology, or HR. Skills-based volunteers can help your nonprofit solve complex problems, improve operations, or launch new initiatives, all without the cost of hiring dedicated consultants.

Expanded Visibility and Awareness

When employees volunteer, they often share their experiences with friends, family, and their broader social networks. This exposure can increase your organization’s visibility and introduce your cause to new audiences, including future volunteers and donors.

Stronger Corporate Relationships

Volunteering often acts as a gateway to deeper partnerships with businesses. A successful volunteer event can lead to additional corporate donations, event sponsorships, participation in matching gift programs, or even long-term funding support.

Reliable Help for Events and Projects

Corporate groups can provide a dependable, organized source of support for large-scale projects or events. Their participation can help ensure smooth execution while also reducing the pressure on your regular staff and volunteer base.

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

Employees who have a positive experience volunteering through work may return as individual volunteers. Corporate programs can serve as a pipeline for ongoing engagement.

Unlocking Available Corporate Funds

Many companies offer dedicated volunteer grant programs (also known as “dollars for doers” that provide monetary donations in response to employees’ volunteer hours. This is a great way to unlock corporate revenue streams without asking supporters to give more!

Types of Corporate Volunteering Programs to Know

Corporate volunteering isn’t one-size-fits-all. Companies support their employees in giving back in a variety of ways — and understanding these different models can help your nonprofit tailor opportunities that appeal to corporate partners.

Here are the main types of corporate volunteering programs you should know:

Group or Team Volunteering

Companies often organize group service days where employees volunteer together at a nonprofit site. These events build team morale while providing your organization with concentrated support for hands-on projects like park cleanups, food sorting, or event staffing.

Individual or Team Volunteer Grants

Individual or team volunteer grants are a powerful way companies support nonprofits by financially rewarding their employees’ volunteer efforts. When an employee or group of employees volunteers a certain number of hours with your organization, their employer may offer a grant to recognize their service.

Individual Volunteering with Paid Time Off (VTO)

Many businesses offer employees Volunteer Time Off, or paid hours they can use during the workday to volunteer. These volunteers typically choose a cause they care about, which makes it important to list your opportunities on volunteer platforms and keep your website updated.

Skills-Based Volunteering

Instead of manual tasks, skills-based volunteers contribute their professional expertise, such as web development, graphic design, data analysis, or legal advice. These projects are often longer-term and can make a transformative impact on your organization’s capacity without the added costs.

Virtual Volunteering

With remote work on the rise, many companies now support virtual volunteerism. This includes tasks that can be completed online, such as mentoring, content writing, or virtual fundraising support. It’s perfect for nonprofits looking to engage volunteers beyond their immediate region.

By understanding these types of corporate volunteering programs, your nonprofit can better craft opportunities that align with both company goals and your mission needs, making it easier to attract and retain corporate support.

Companies with Leading Corporate Volunteering Initiatives

Some companies don’t just support corporate volunteering; they set the standard. These organizations have established strong cultures of employee engagement and social impact, providing valuable models for what effective corporate volunteering can achieve. Partnering with companies like these can offer nonprofits consistent, skilled, and enthusiastic volunteer support.

Here are a few examples of businesses with standout corporate volunteering programs:

Salesforce

Salesforce is widely recognized for its 1-1-1 model, which commits 1% of equity, 1% of product, and 1% of employee time to charitable causes. In addition, employees are given 56 hours of paid volunteer time off annually, and the company often organizes team-based service projects across its global offices.

Deloitte

Through its skills-based volunteering and pro bono services, Deloitte employees apply their consulting expertise to help nonprofits solve strategic and operational challenges. Not to mention, their Impact Day is an annual, company-wide volunteer initiative that engages thousands of employees in meaningful community service.

Microsoft

Microsoft has a robust volunteer program that includes both traditional and skills-based opportunities. Employees also receive paid time off to volunteer, and the company offers a “dollars-for-doers” program, donating $25 for every hour an employee volunteers, up to a maximum of $15,000 per year.

Timberland

Known for its commitment to community service, Timberland provides employees with up to 40 paid volunteer hours annually. The company also organizes large-scale service events that involve employees, partners, and community members, often focused on environmental restoration and neighborhood revitalization.

PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

PwC’s corporate responsibility efforts include skills-based volunteering programs that help nonprofits build capacity, particularly in areas like financial literacy, education, and technology. The company also supports team volunteering and community service days throughout the year.

Overall, these companies demonstrate that when corporate volunteering is thoughtfully integrated into company culture, it creates benefits for businesses, employees, and nonprofits alike. Learning from and engaging with these leaders can help your organization identify high-potential partnerships and build strong, sustainable volunteer programs.

Best Practices for Engaging Corporate Volunteers

Corporate volunteers bring valuable time, skills, and energy to your nonprofit, but maximizing the impact of that support requires thoughtful planning and effective engagement. When corporate teams have a meaningful, well-organized experience, they’re more likely to return, share their experience, and deepen their company’s relationship with your organization.

Here are a few best practices for engaging corporate volunteers effectively:

Understand the Company’s Goals

Each company may have different motivations for volunteering, from team building and employee engagement to aligning with a specific cause. Ask questions early to understand what they’re hoping to accomplish and tailor your opportunities accordingly.

Offer Meaningful, Organized Opportunities

Corporate groups want to feel that their time is making a difference. Create opportunities with clear objectives, structured activities, and measurable outcomes. Avoid ad hoc or last-minute assignments that feel disorganized or disconnected from your mission.

Communicate Clearly and Often

Provide all logistical details in advance, including time commitments, location, attire, and expectations. Assign a point of contact for the day of the event and make sure someone is available to answer questions and guide the group.

Show Appreciation

Thank volunteers personally during and after the event. Follow up with a thank-you email, photos, and a short impact summary they can share with their company. After all, effective recognition goes a long way in encouraging future engagement.

Collect Feedback and Improve

After the event, ask for feedback from both your team and the volunteers. What went well? What could be improved? Use these insights to refine future experiences and demonstrate that you value the partnership.

Build Long-Term Relationships

Don’t treat corporate volunteering as a one-off. If the experience goes well, explore additional ways to work together, whether through recurring service days, skills-based projects, sponsorship opportunities, or volunteer grant programs.

By focusing on alignment, communication, and impact, your nonprofit can create positive, lasting experiences for corporate volunteers that strengthen both your mission and your community partnerships.

Interested in exploring additional tips and tricks in greater detail? Check out Double the Donation’s guide to Leveraging Corporate Volunteer Incentives to learn more.

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Corporate volunteering isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic opportunity to strengthen your mission, expand your reach, and build meaningful corporate relationships. By understanding the different types of initiatives, tailoring your volunteer opportunities to corporate audiences, and becoming familiar with top employers offering the programs, your nonprofit can create experiences that benefit both your organization and the companies looking to support it.

Start by evaluating your current volunteer offerings and identifying ways to make them more corporate-friendly. With a little planning and outreach, you can tap into the growing momentum of corporate social responsibility and turn it into real support for your cause.

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About Double the Donation

Double the Donation helps nonprofits and schools raise more from matching gifts and workplace giving programs. We believe it should be easy for fundraisers to grow mission support by offering supporters actionable next steps for harnessing workplace giving programs. That’s why our robust database of workplace giving programs and native platform integrations enable fundraisers to pursue matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other workplace giving programs with less effort and more confidence.