Corporate Volunteering: A Guide for Businesses to Make Real Impact
Richard Sherry, Heart of Bucks Policy & Insight Manager
Corporate volunteering can be a powerful way for businesses to give back to their communities while enhancing team morale and fulfilling corporate social responsibility goals. There’s great opportunity for businesses and charities to collaborate in Buckinghamshire; but it’s important to understand what types of volunteering are genuinely beneficial to the local charity sector. This blog post offers guidance to business leaders on how to approach corporate volunteering effectively, ensuring that their contributions are meaningful and valued by the charities they seek to support.
- Understand the Needs of Charities
Before reaching out with an offer to volunteer, it’s crucial to recognise that not all forms of volunteering are equally beneficial. While the intention to help is always appreciated, certain activities — such as one-off team-building days that involve manual labour — may not always align with a charity’s needs or capacity. For smaller charities, organising and supervising volunteer activities can be resource-intensive and may not always result in a net positive outcome.
Top Tip: Start by asking what the charity needs most. Approach the relationship as an equal partner with a mindset of meeting the charity’s needs, not just fulfilling your company’s volunteering goals.
- Consider Skills-Based Volunteering
One of the most impactful ways businesses can contribute is through skills-based volunteering. Many charities, especially smaller ones, may lack expertise in areas like digital marketing, finance, legal, HR, or IT. Offering your team’s professional skills can provide significant value and help these organisations operate more effectively.
Top Tip: Identify the skills within your team and offer targeted support. For example, if you have a finance department, consider providing pro bono financial planning sessions for a charity. This can have a long-lasting impact compared to a single day of general volunteering. You can find out more about local volunteering opportunities using resources like Volunteer Bucks, provided by Community Impact Bucks.
- Be Open to Financial Contributions
Whilst volunteering is a great way to get involved, often a financial contribution can be much more helpful. For many charities, the resources needed to support volunteers can outweigh the benefits of short-term volunteering projects. Conversely, a financial donation can help fund critical programmes or cover core operational costs, and this is often the most effective way to support a small charity to continue making a difference.
Top Tip: If your company is keen on volunteering but the charity would benefit from financial support, consider a hybrid approach. One solution is to pay charities for volunteering opportunities if they are being used as team-building exercises; donating to the charity for providing a service to create a win-win scenario for both parties.
- Develop Long-Term Partnerships
The most successful corporate-charity relationships are built over time. Rather than opting for one-off engagements, consider establishing a long-term partnership with a local charity. This allows your business to be part of their journey, understand their evolving needs, and contribute in a more strategic and sustainable way. Charities have a huge amount to offer to partnerships as well, and a trust-based relationship will pay dividends for both parties.
Top Tip: Choose a local charity whose mission aligns with your company values and commit to supporting them over the long term. Regular engagement can take various forms, from board membership to ongoing pro bono support, resulting in a deeper and more meaningful impact.
- Communicate Clearly and Set Realistic Expectations
Clear communication and setting realistic expectations are essential for a successful volunteering experience. Understand that smaller charities may have limited capacity to accommodate large groups of volunteers and be mindful of their constraints. Work together to identify opportunities that are feasible and truly helpful.
Top Tip: When approaching a charity, be transparent about what your team can offer and ask what would be most beneficial. Avoid making assumptions about what might be useful and listen to the charity’s perspective on where support is needed.
Conclusion
Corporate volunteering can be a highly rewarding experience for both businesses and charities when approached thoughtfully. By understanding the unique needs of the charity sector, offering skills-based support, considering financial contributions, and developing long-term partnerships, businesses in Buckinghamshire can make a meaningful impact in their communities. For charities, this blog can serve as a resource to guide businesses towards more effective and mutually beneficial engagements.
If you’re a business looking to get involved or a charity seeking support, Heart of Bucks is here to help facilitate these connections and ensure that together, we’re making a real difference in Buckinghamshire.
