Ask a CSR Friend: Building a Board Service Program

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

I work for a mid-sized business with a strong employee volunteer program. We offer lots of opportunities throughout the year ranging from on-site micro-volunteering to team-based school revitalization projects. I am positive we could get more investment from the company if we align and promote our opportunities using professional development outcomes, so I’m contemplating developing a board service program. We get plenty of requests from local nonprofits interested in tapping into support from our executives, however, I would want this new program to also be available to emerging leaders. Is that even possible? And if so, how do I get started?

Signed,

Board Curious in Boise

Dear Board Curious, I love what you’re proposing! Gone are the days when nonprofit board service was reserved for the C-suite. Sure, execs bring business savvy and connections (and maybe even deep pockets if personal donations are expected), but the real magic happens when board service becomes more inclusive. By engaging a broader group, we generate fresh perspectives, foster innovation, and give nonprofits access to a wider range of skills and networks. Nonprofits, frankly, can’t thrive without engaged board members. They provide:

• Strategic Guidance: Helping shape long-term strategies and big decisions to ensure the nonprofit stays on track with its mission and achieving its goals.
• Financial Oversight: Board members play a key role in budgeting, financial planning, and fundraising, which keeps the nonprofit solvent.
• Leadership and Governance: Boards ensure ethical operations and legal compliance, holding leadership accountable and ensuring they have the resources and support needed to succeed.
• Accountability and Sustainability: From managing risks to ensuring transparency, board members help keep nonprofits healthy, sound and around for the long haul.
• Ambassadorship: They act as champions, advocating for the cause and raising visibility.

The reality in 2024? Nonprofits are struggling with recruitment, engagement, and diversity. The need for boards with broader representation and members with differing lived experiences and fresh perspectives is greater than ever. In fact, BoardSource’s report,

Leading with Intent

, tells us that nearly half (49%) of all nonprofit chief executives said that they did not have the right board members to “establish trust with the communities they serve.” Yet too many talented mid-level leaders shy away from board service because they think it’s a job for those with “Chief” in their title.

Why your company should care:

Creating a nonprofit board service program isn’t just good for nonprofits—it’s a win for your company too. When you offer board opportunities, employees sharpen leadership, governance, and strategic thinking skills, and they bring those skills back to work. It’s an untapped development tool that boosts employee engagement, strengthens community ties, and even helps with succession planning. Plus, employees who feel trusted and valued are more likely to stay—and stay motivated.

How to get started:

1. Align with CSR goals: Make sure the program complements your company’s values and culture, along with its social responsibility and professional development objectives.
2. Set clear goals and metrics: Define what success looks like—whether it’s leadership growth, nonprofit board diversity, or community impact.
3. Plan resources: Budget for training, event costs, internal and external outreach, and financial gifts tied to board roles. Will you match personal donations at the current rate or offer a pool for “first come, first served” board contributions?
4. Engage executive champions: Senior leaders can help drive awareness and support for the program and mentor participants.
5. Partner with nonprofits: Build relationships with local or national nonprofits that have vacant seats, starting with your grantees or those aligned with your company’s mission.
6. Select participants: Set your criteria and look for employees with passion and potential, not just titles. Diversity matters here.
7. Train well: Develop a curriculum on governance, finance, legal responsibilities, and fundraising. Consider real-world case studies and coaching.
8. Provide ongoing support: Offer resources and start an internal network for employees to share their board experiences and challenges. Determine how board service fits into your company’s volunteer time off policy.
9. Measure and adjust: Track progress and impact and use feedback – from employees and from nonprofits – to refine the program.
10. Celebrate successes: Highlight stories of impact to inspire others and showcase the value of board service.

By launching a nonprofit board service program, you’ll cultivate leaders, boost employee engagement, and make a real difference in the community—all while strengthening your company’s commitment to social impact. One last note, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that nonprofit board service is a topic that is often mentioned by your peers when we convene them as part of Points of Light’s Corporate Service Council. In fact, we’ll be hosting a Council meeting on Oct. 16, 2024 on this very subject. I invite you to learn more about the

Corporate Service Council and its benefits

and reach out to us if you’re interested in participating. Until next time, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your employer’s social impact efforts and why your company should join top corporate social impact leaders and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council. Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!

Ask a CSR Friend: The Value of Signature Volunteer Programs

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

For years my employer has offered volunteer opportunities that connect to our focus area – financial literacy. We reward employees for supporting and participating in these activities and ask that the company match they receive, either for financial donations or for volunteer time, are donated to nonprofits working in this space. We’re proud of the deep impact we’ve created by closely aligning corporate and employee support for this specific cause. However, in the results from our most recent employee survey, I noted that there is waning interest in signing up for financial literacy projects. Why do you think this is happening and do signature volunteer programs continue to provide value?

Signed,

Impact Impasse in Irvine

Dear Impact Impasse, Without knowing your exact short and long-term goals, I’ll give you a fairly general response – yes, they absolutely provide value and continue to be a strategic way to positively affect a particular cause or community. Before answering your question, let me first describe for our readers how I define a signature volunteer program. I like to think of it as a standout or flagship, strategic initiative that reflects a company’s unique values and purpose, concentrating resources on a specific cause or community need to create significant, long-term impact. This intense focus can be referred to as being “a mile deep, rather than a mile wide.” Signature initiatives are hopefully integrated across different functions so that each department plays a role in marrying their objectives with advancing the cause. They are often branded and provide a cohesive goal for employees, investors, and customers to rally behind. A signature program becomes a defining element of a company’s social impact efforts, reinforcing brand identity while engaging participants in a unified and meaningful way. Okay, now that we’re all on the same page… let’s tackle the first part of your question – why interest in your employer’s signature volunteer program may be declining. I think the fading interest can be attributed to several workplace dynamics:

• Desire for Greater Flexibility and Inclusivity: A signature program may be perceived as too restrictive, limiting employees’ ability to support diverse issues that matter to them personally. They may also expect their employer’s CSR efforts to reflect a broader range of social issues. A narrowly focused signature program may not resonate with the diverse interests of employees who are passionate about multiple causes.
• Shift Toward Immediate Action: Employees can be motivated by opportunities that offer immediate, tangible impact. Signature programs, which often require long-term commitment, may be seen as less appealing in a world where employees want to address urgent and varied needs as they arise.
• Perception of Brand Overreach: There can be a perception that a tightly aligned signature program is more about promoting the company’s brand than about genuine social impact. This perception can lead to skepticism among employees, particularly if the cause doesn’t resonate deeply with them or if the program feels more like a marketing effort than a sincere commitment to social change.
• Potential for Volunteer Fatigue: Over time, employees may experience fatigue or burnout from being continually engaged in the same cause, particularly if they feel their efforts aren’t producing impact.

The evolving expectations and interests of employees can lead to decreased engagement, especially if you’re repeating similar messaging year-over-year and not taking the time to communicate the positive impact that employee volunteers generate for that particular organization or cause area. But the value of signature programs remains, and I implore you to stay the course, while also contemplating how you might better meet the interests of your colleagues and support other community needs through a multi-faceted approach. In fact, companies that support both company-created and employee-created volunteering opportunities have participation rates that are, on average, 

12x the level

 of those companies employing neither feature. Let’s look at the benefits of a signature volunteer program:

• Positive Community Impact: A signature program allows the company to make a significant, long-term impact on a chosen social issue or community—full-stop. This deep, focused involvement leads to measurable outcomes and lasting change. Employees get to know your strategic partners and build a deep understanding of the issue or community need, which drives greater awareness in and outside the workplace.
• Strengthened Brand Identity and Increased Recognition: A signature volunteer program can become synonymous with your brand, reinforcing your company’s commitment to social responsibility. It creates a unique identity that differentiates your company from competitors and enhances your brand’s reputation. These programs can also gain media attention and recognition from industry groups, which can further enhance your company’s public image.
• Improved Accessibility: A signature program can be a way to provide greater access to volunteer opportunities. Because it can be seen as an important, enterprise-wide initiative it can have increased support and buy-in from all levels of management and it can be harder to deny participation. Read our learning brief, Making Social Impact Accessible for All Employee Roles and Settings, to explore additional ways to improve access.
• Reinforced Corporate Culture: Signature volunteer programs foster a sense of unity and shared purpose among employees. As you know, employees who participate in meaningful volunteer activities are more engaged, feel a stronger connection to the company, and have higher job satisfaction. This can lead to improved employee retention and a more positive workplace culture.
• Attraction of Top Talent: A well-publicized volunteer program can attract prospective employees, especially millennials and Gen Z, who often prioritize working for socially responsible companies. It can be a key differentiator in talent acquisition. According to the 2023 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report, 71% of American workers aged 18 to 29 say they would leave their job to work for an employer that has a greater positive impact, and 29% say they would take a 10% pay cut to do so.
• Deeper Relationships with Stakeholders: A signature program can deepen relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, investors, and community leaders, by demonstrating your company’s long-term commitment to social issues.

By investing in a signature volunteer program, companies can create a legacy that benefits employees, communities, and the business itself. My unsolicited advice to you is to two-fold.

1. Find time to critically evaluate your current signature program to ensure that it is still meeting both community and business goals, enhancing workplace culture, and building bonds with partners and stakeholders. Are there small tweaks in messaging or structure that can breathe new life into the program? If you’re not sure, ask your partners and fellow employees what they might suggest. A Fidelity Charitable study states that nearly half of Millennials want their voice heard about how their workplace giving programs are structured and managed.
2. Contemplate how you might begin to infuse new tactics that support the personal interests of your coworkers. A growing number of employees are showing a clear preference for programs that allow for personal or open choice. Recent research from Ares Management tells us employee ownership matters: 79% of survey respondents want variety in activities, 72% say that they would like variety in causes, 72% say they want to provide input on the types of volunteer activities that are made available, and 73% desire a voice in deciding the types of charitable organizations and causes that their organization supports.

Of course, balancing a signature volunteer program with an open choice model has its own set of pros and cons – just as sunsetting a signature program does whenever that time comes. But I’ll save those lists for future posts! Until next time, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your employer’s social impact efforts and why your company should join top corporate social impact leaders and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council. Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!

Ask a CSR Friend: When it Comes to Volunteering, What Counts?

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

I lead a well-loved and, I think, well-used employee volunteer program. However, every year we struggle to confirm how many employees are participating because we can’t seem to convince all employees to report what they’ve been up to. I know it’s only one way to measure the output of our employees’ efforts but it’s disheartening to not be able to move the needle on the annual participation goal we set because so many aren’t reporting their activities. Do you have any new ideas to incentivize or reward employees who track their volunteer time?

Signed,

Underreporting in Union City

Dear Underreporting, Don’t you wish every CSR role came with a 101 session on behavior change and organizational psychology? Alas, it doesn’t, and corporate social impact leaders like yourself have been grappling with this question since the dawn of time! There are some straightforward ideas to motivate employees to track their volunteer activities, but first, let’s highlight one crucial element—defining your company’s view on volunteering. At Points of Light, we have a formal definition of an employee volunteer program: a structured effort to motivate and enable employees to volunteer under the guidance of their employer. However, the true definition is shaped by each company’s unique culture, values, goals, priorities, employee interests, and the needs of the communities they serve. Let’s first address the elephant in the room. Should we be tracking activities and participation in the first place? Inputs and outputs are great to have on hand when goal setting, benchmarking, and applying for external recognition. For instance, I can tell you that, on average,

this year’s honorees of The Civic 50 engaged 40% of their workforce in external volunteering

. But that number doesn’t paint a clear picture of the impact that these volunteers had on communities and causes. It does tell us that these honorees are going above and beyond the average participation rate provided each year by

CECP in their Giving in Numbers report

. And it tells us that there is still room to grow when it comes to widening the pool of potential participants, ensuring equitable access across all employee roles and work settings. A pro tip from me to you: tracking activities and participation help you understand employee interests and engagement but consider what else you may want to report on related to your volunteer activities to demonstrate the impact of your employer’s social impact strategy. Check out this resource from

ACCP and True Impact

to get started on measuring outcomes. Explicit, written guidelines – especially as they relate to what counts as volunteering – ensure consistency and provide a clear understanding of eligible activities and partners. Surprisingly, many companies don’t write out guidelines, leaving employees unsure of what’s expected and what they should be reporting. With a global workforce where many cultures view volunteerism as simply being neighborly and some companies introducing “acts of kindness” that aren’t associated with a nonprofit, an agreed upon definition of what counts as volunteering will help all employees better understand what they need to track.

Why written guidelines matter:

• They serve as a go-to source for program details.
• They prevent misinterpretations and ensure uniformity.
• They help manage future requests and align with company interests.
• They solidify the program’s principles and expectations.

Accessible, up-to-date guidelines, regularly communicated to all employees, reduce daily inquiries and boost engagement. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—each company should define what counts as volunteering based on its goals, culture, and reporting needs. A word to the wise: don’t get caught up in semantics. Call them “guidelines” or a “policy” or a “program manual,” whatever will indicate to colleagues that this is a resource that will explain what they should be reporting. To start, consider your response to the activities listed below and whether they would count as volunteering at your company. There’s no right or wrong answer to whether or not these activities should count as volunteering and be tracked; it’s up to your program’s goals, your company culture and values, and most importantly, what your company wants to report at the end of the year.

• Coaching a Little League team each spring
• Running in or training for a charity race
• Attending a bowl-a-thon or charity golf tournament
• A gala dinner for a prominent nonprofit partner
• Chaperoning a child’s field trip to a nonprofit arts museum
• Volunteering for the PTA at your child’s school
• Donating to a collection drive or shopping for holiday gifts for under resourced families
• Giving blood at a company-organized blood drive
• Participating in a career fair sponsored by your Veterans’ employee resource network
• Fostering animals for a local pet rescue
• Shopping for essentials for a home-bound neighbor
• Marching with a well-known environmental nonprofit to drive awareness of climate change

Keep in mind some of the activities listed may come with stipulations, spell them out so no one is surprised when they go to track hours or when you pull a report! Consider specific parameters like:

• What is the maximum number of hours that can be claimed for fostering an animal?
• How much time can you track for donating a pint of blood and does that amount differ if you donated platelets?
• Do the PTA volunteer hours count if there is a minimum required number of hours of service by my child’s school?
• What if the organization is not a 501c3 – how do I track that?

Clear, thoughtful guidelines build a more cohesive and impactful volunteer program that aligns with company values and maximizes social impact. As promised, here are some tried-and-true methods that many companies employ to encourage employees to report their volunteer activities:

• Make it easy! Use technology to your advantage and automatically track the hours of volunteers who show up for their shift. Ask employees to share a story or photo on social media or on internal channels after their volunteer experience. Use a special hashtag and track the use of that hashtag as a proxy.
• Ask volunteer champions to remind colleagues of the significance of reporting activities. Sometimes a personal request works better than another company-branded email arriving in inboxes.
• Add achieving certain thresholds to your current volunteer recognition strategy.
• Offer donations to the employee’s charity of choice for every hour they volunteer.
• Consider non-cash incentives such as reserved parking spots, more vacation time, or access to key company leaders.
• Create a points system where employees earn points for every hour volunteered or activity reported, redeemable for company or program-branded swag.
• Offer professional development opportunities on social impact topics or volunteer leadership as a reward for committed volunteers.
• Feature dedicated volunteers in company newsletters or on social media.
• Provide letters of appreciation signed by senior leaders or schedule virtual lunches with senior executives for top volunteers.
• Create digital badges for volunteers to add to their email signatures as they hit designated milestones.

These strategies not only reward employees but also foster a culture of giving back, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. Tailor the incentives to align with your company’s values and the interests of your employees for maximum impact. Until next time, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your employer’s social impact efforts and why your company should join top corporate social impact leaders and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council. Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!

Ask a CSR Friend: Gaining Senior Leader Support for Employee Volunteering

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

I work for a small business, and we’ve done a few group volunteer projects from time to time over the years. I sit in HR and this has become a passion of mine after witnessing the benefits it can provide for our staff. I recently asked my supervisor for resources to turn our sporadic efforts into something strategic and sustainable. She’s set up a meeting with senior leadership so that I can present my ideas. I want to be fully prepared for what they might ask me. Do you have any guidance?

Signed,

Anxious in Annandale

Dear Anxious, In today’s world, making a positive social impact is more important for businesses than ever before. If you’re about to pitch a workplace volunteer strategy to senior leadership, you’ve got a golden opportunity to turn those occasional volunteer events into a solid, ongoing strategy. Anticipating potential questions can help ensure you are well-prepared, so here are resources to respond to the top three questions senior leadership are likely to ask you.

Why should we invest in employee volunteering? What are the benefits and projected outcomes?

First, identify the business challenges that are top of mind for your senior leaders and then tailor your pitch accordingly. A strong and strategic employee volunteer program will benefit the communities where the company operates, employee well-being, and several other key business factors that will be incredibly relevant to your audience like:

• Talent attraction and recruitment. Company support for employee volunteering provides an additional incentive for strong candidates to accept job offers.
• Employee morale. This can lead to improved retention, greater satisfaction and productivity, along with increased company pride and loyalty.
• Skill development. Participation in volunteer activities helps employees develop new skills and leverage current skills in addressing community needs.
• Company image within the community. This can help differentiate a company from its competition while also creating a positive reputation among investors and consumers as a responsible corporate citizen.
• Return on investment. Reduced turnover, increased productivity, potential new marketing and sales relationships, and more.

Honestly, it’s also incredibly risky to NOT engage in some type of corporate responsibility activities due to loss of market share – regardless of whether your company is B2C or B2B. See our learning brief,

Proof Points to Support Investment in Employee Community Engagement

, which will link you to research to help you further illustrate the need to invest in an employee volunteer program.

What resources are needed?

The adage “volunteering isn’t free” is true when it comes to your community partners and is paramount for senior leaders to understand. You’ll need to request financial investment for a multitude of things like salaries, partnership grants for project management and supplies, technology platform implementation and maintenance, communication materials and their production, volunteer t-shirts and branded swag, recognition and other operational items. You might also eventually consider having a budget set aside for supportive programs such as Volunteer Time Off or Dollars-for-Doers in which small grants are issued to nonprofits served by employees. But, you don’t have to ask for a sizeable investment upfront. Start slowly so you can showcase that return on investment after the first few years and then grow your budget. Budgets vary greatly, and companies invest anywhere from less than $20 to more than $1000 per employee.

CECP’s 2023 Giving in Numbers report

tells us that companies with revenue under $5 billion had median management and program costs of around $1.3 million. Traditionally, investments are low compared to employee training, which might be the most cost-comparable business function. The average organization spent $1,220 per employee on workplace learning in 2022, according to the

Association for Talent Development’s 2023 State of the Industry report

. CECP’s 2023 Giving in Numbers also reports that the median number of FTEs for contributions staff (employees who oversee, manage, or directly administer corporate/foundation community investments and/or employee volunteering) was 11 in 2022. For companies with a less than 10k workforce, the median was 8. Having the support of 11 FTEs may seem totally unrealistic for the size of your workforce, so reiterate that, while top executives are increasingly recognizing the importance of having a dedicated team for corporate responsibility activities, we have seen magic happen with one FTE and some

passionate (and well-trained) employees

spread throughout business functions. Having a dedicated team, though, will send a message internally and externally that the company understands their important role as a good corporate citizen.

What might be barriers to success and how can we plan for them at the outset?

A tried-and-true sign of a leader is bringing solutions rather than issues so absolutely be prepared to illustrate the barriers to success and ways you — with help from senior leaders — can overcome them.

• Not being strategic: Identify those business priorities that can be supported through engaging in communities. But also think about the core services and competencies that the company and your fellow employees can offer to nonprofit partners. This will reinforce the notion that your program is a business initiative, not just the warm-and-fuzzy volunteering of yore. Be thoughtful about when and who you partner with and align with company milestones and those important focus areas.
• Lack of buy-in from middle management (and sometimes senior leaders): Middle managers especially may feel that they do not have a stake in the program. Developing policies and practices that institutionalize the program and associated activities will give the workforce a place to reference and better understand what is permitted. You might also develop communication and training materials to provide to your middle management, so they feel confident in administering policies. Reinforce the benefits of serving together and how that can reap dividends for teams and the company at large. Top-down communications will also go a long way to support the idea that this is the direction in which the company is headed.
• Driving internal awareness and participation in year one: Besides developing a strong and consistent internal communication plan using the appropriate channels and vehicles to reach your diverse workforce, use a galvanizing enterprise-wide moment to build excitement and motivation. Or build out an employee champion or committee infrastructure to support markets outside of HQ and ensure they feel empowered and educated. Download this learning brief to find out more about creating effective volunteer champion and council models.

Hopefully the last question you’ll be asked is, “how do we get started?” which indicates that senior leaders are ready to start the company’s formal social impact journey. But remember, you don’t have to go it alone. There are organizations out there that can help you fully design the right strategy for your company, including Points of Light. Check out our

resources

on creating an employee volunteer program that has value for your colleagues, your company, and the communities in which it operates, and

reach out

if we can help. Until next time, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your employer’s social impact efforts and why your company should join top corporate social impact leaders and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council. Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!

Ask a CSR Friend: 5 Ways to Increase Access through Volunteer Ambassadors

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts right here in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

Like most companies, we saw a significant decrease in participation in our employee volunteer program during the pandemic. Now that most employees are back in the office three days a week, we’re still not seeing interest and engagement close to our pre-pandemic levels. Our small but mighty team has tried hosting lunch and learns to build awareness for upcoming projects and offering company-branded swag to those who sign-up first but what are we missing?

Searching for Solutions in St. Louis

Dear Searching for Solutions, Have I got an idea for you! But before I get to it, I encourage you to reframe your interest in increased participation. Sure, it feels great to hit higher participation goals year over year, but (as we like to ask ourselves at Points of Light), “To what end?” Too often corporate social impact leaders get weighed down by the endless pursuit of achieving lofty numbers without realizing that what they’re truly seeking is providing opportunities for every employee, regardless of their role or work setting, to make positive change happen. You’re likely not interested in tracking more volunteer hours from the same employees but, instead, widening your pool of participants. Now back to the idea. Drumroll, please! Although it will take time, resources and relationship building to get started, I promise the value it will bring to your company, your coworkers and the impact it will make on communities is worth the effort. The idea is simple: introducing people-powered infrastructure to not only scale and manage volunteer activities but truly, to ensure that every employee can realize their potential for creating community impact. This isn’t a new idea for the sector, but it is one we continuously advocate for. Many companies employ a champion or ambassador model to help them mobilize in markets outside of HQ and connect to local community issues, those that might have impacts on the business and those that employees are most affected by. While companies may call them by different names, local champions can drive an uptick in participation by leading and communicating social impact throughout your company’s footprint, reaching and advocating for those who often aren’t considered easily eligible. It’s a powerful, cost-effective way to develop leaders, strengthen relationships and, ultimately, ensure equitable access. Let’s unpack the connections between setting up a volunteer ambassador network and accessibility. These local leaders can help social impact teams to:

1. Better understand and advocate for the functional areas or markets they represent. They’ll be able to tell you what barriers employees face for certain roles and work settings, along with the business priorities for their department or market, important timing and guard rails to keep in mind, which leads to less friction with business processes.
2. Foster a culture of inclusivity and support. Volunteer champions create an environment where all employees feel empowered to participate, create local connections, rally their colleagues, and offer new perspectives as the voice of employees.
3. Reinforce the company’s purpose, culture and commitments. Ensuring equitable access to social impact activities demonstrates corporate values and directly ties to fostering a sense of belonging and strengthens relationships across the enterprise. They can gain buy-in and more easily share information and success metrics with middle managers or local leaders who are often the only hurdle to inclusion.
4. Inspire colleagues to get involved. By sharing their own experiences and passion for volunteering, they raise awareness for the company’s social impact strategy. Because they’re situated in that market or function, they can more easily cascade information to their peers and be the “personal ask” that influences a potential volunteer.
5. Serve as relatable and approachable points of contact for their peers. They can offer guidance, address concerns, and provide valuable insights to ensure that volunteer opportunities cater to diverse needs and preferences within the workforce.

To help get you started on developing and implementing an ambassador network, check out our learning brief,

Advancing Social Impact: Are Employee Volunteer Champions and Councils Still Effective Models in this New Hybrid World of Work

. It presents more benefits of implementing people-powered infrastructure along with considerations to think through before finalizing your strategy. You’ll also find a compilation of best practices gathered from leading companies who’ve seen great success with this people-powered model. We’ve also gathered successful practices for incorporating accessibility into social impact programs for your coworkers in

Making Social Impact Accessible for All Employee Roles and Settings

. Both briefs offer guidance, but it’s your leadership that holds the power to ignite more positive change by expanding accessibility to all your colleagues. The world, and your co-workers, will thank you for it. Until next time, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your social impact work and why your company should join top social impact leadership and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council.

Ask a CSR Friend: Launching an Employee Volunteer Recognition Strategy

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts right here in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Hear from our experts right here in our

Ask a CSR Friend

monthly column. Have questions about employee community engagement?

Submit your question

and it may be featured in a future post.

Dear CSR Friend,

I lead my employer’s employee volunteer program and, while we do some great spontaneous recognition of employee volunteers, we’ve never put together something that formally honors their dedication to showing up and going above and beyond. Plus, I’ve heard from a few of my peers that other companies use recognition strategies to accelerate growth and interest in employee volunteering. I think 2024 is the year we start putting plans in place, but I’m not sure where to begin. Can you give me some advice?

Ready to Recognize Volunteers in Rome

Dear Ready to Recognize, There’s no time like the present, and I commend you for seeing the need for improvement in the way you celebrate and lift up employee volunteers and volunteer leaders. I’ve put together some questions to guide your journey in developing a formal recognition strategy. Let me know how it turns out.

Determine Readiness

Is your organization and program prepared to integrate a recognition strategy? Is now the right time to begin formalizing your plan and tactics?

Knowing that it will take time to develop and approve a strategy, begin with an assessment of current capacity and upcoming milestones while surveying your key stakeholders for their thoughts on timing.

Set the Stage

• What are the overall objectives underlying your recognition strategy? Set goals around what’s important to you, the program and your senior staff. Think about setting goals around increased awareness internally or externally, increased participation, increased volunteer satisfaction and retention, increased understanding of volunteer guidelines and so forth. Then, create a plan for data collection.
• Who should be included in the program’s development? Gather feedback from employees (whether they volunteer or not) on how they’d like to be recognized and include them, as well as other key stakeholders, in the process of designing the strategy.
• What kind of budget will you have access to year over year? To sustain momentum and avoid inconsistency, a formal recognition program must be consistently well-funded and administered. Can you take advantage of enterprise-wide recognition tactics already in place to defray your need for a sizeable budget? If you’re working for a small organization or haven’t yet been able to set aside funding for recognition, understand those limitations and focus on what you can accomplish in that environment.
• How can the recognition program help meet the volunteer program’s objectives and overall company or employee development goals? When you are celebrating someone’s actions, you are also lifting them up as a role model. Consider aligning your tactics with certain leadership competencies important to your company.
• Do you have a solid understanding of cultural nuances that may affect localizing a company-wide volunteer recognition strategy across all markets? While corporate culture may override local culture in some instances, ask your in-country teammates for direction. For example, in some countries emphasis is placed on productivity so a celebratory event that takes employees away from their workday may not fit. Employees in China have a deep respect for authority, so engagement with and acknowledgment from senior leaders is key. And your European co-workers may feel uncomfortable being recognized formally for their participation and may balk when asked to report their volunteer time.

Design the Right Approach

• How can recognition for — and from — different types of volunteers be integrated into the strategy (e.g., project leaders, executive sponsors, champions or committee members, etc.)? Evidence shows that when recognition is shared and peers can add their own congratulations, it is more impactful and amplifies your investment.
• Will your strategy be 100% digital and virtual, solely events-based, or a mix of both? Will you give symbolic awards, financial rewards, some or all of these? Many of these decisions will be based on capacity, resources, corporate culture and goals along with how your colleagues want to be recognized.
• What will the reward criteria and eligibility rules include? Who will judge nominations if needed? Are there company assets or resources that can be leveraged as rewards? Ensure rules and criteria are specific and in line with the achievement and the degree of effort they represent. To be impactful, recognition must be specific and call out exactly what was so remarkable. Make sure your strategy is fair and objective and appears that way to participants; every employee volunteer who meets criteria should be eligible.
• How and when will the volunteer award(s) be announced? What communication vehicles currently exist to promote the award internally and externally? Are there corporate milestones to which you can align the planning process and/or announcement(s)? Make sure award presentations are timely. Once a year may not be enough for the volume of your program. Create a steady drumbeat of communications around recognition, even if your budget only allows for an annual company-wide opportunity.

Implement and Administer

• How much staff time can be devoted to administering the recognition program? Will it be administered from the company’s headquarters or local offices? You may decide that everyone has access to informal recognition tactics, while the more formal, enterprise-wide strategy is led by your team with input and support from champions or staff in other markets.
• What resources will you need to develop to reinforce and support the program? Write guidelines and make them readily accessible in different languages so that all employees and especially your volunteers know: eligibility requirements, approval/decision-making processes, types of awards provided, frequency of award presentations, performance goals or behaviors or desired outcomes that will be measured, as well as thresholds for awards. Senior leaders and managers may need communication materials like talking points, templates or training to deliver volunteer rewards.
• Are there core functions of the program that should be outsourced? Should external counsel and expertise be sought to help develop this volunteer recognition program? There are organizations (including Points of Light!) readily available to help design a strategy or provide technology platforms to manage your recognition activities. U.S. employers should also consult with their legal, employee relations and tax teams to fully understand their tax obligations and how rewards could affect employees.

Evaluate and Evolve

• What plans can be implemented to ensure the recognition strategy is regularly evaluated? As the volunteer program evolves, so should your recognition efforts. Add a disclaimer to your guidelines that reminds employees the company has the right to re-evaluate the recognition program at any time.
• How can the recognition strategy inform future program enhancements or support other business functions? Companies measure what matters. Keep track of who is being rewarded as those trends and data can be useful in the future or when your HR team or senior leaders are looking for high performers to lead a significant business effort.

Until Next Month, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your social impact work and why your company should join top social impact leadership and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council.

Ask a CSR Friend: Building the Case for Volunteer Time Off

Looking for CSR advice?

Hear from our experts right here in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know it takes a village to create vibrant workplaces where employees are empowered to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

Have questions about employee community engagement? Submit your question and it may be featured in a future blog post.

Dear CSR Friend,

I lead my employer’s community engagement strategy and, each year, when my team contemplates improvements, a large portion of our conversation centers on increasing employee participation. While we have plans to double-down on communication and better understanding employee interests, we know we could improve by simply ensuring that every employee, regardless of their role, has an opportunity to take time off to volunteer during the workday. We say that supporting communities is a core value but, honestly, it feels like it’s only for the chosen few—those who have flexible schedules because they’re not on the sales floor all day. How can I appeal to senior leaders that now is the right time to explore an enterprise-wide VTO policy?

Vexed by VTO in Vancouver

Dear Vexed, If I had a nickel for every question we receive around boosting participation, I would be the richest social impact expert on earth! But what you’ve hit upon is actually bigger than hitting participation goals and touches leaders like yourself no matter the industry or size of company they work for. And that’s the issue of volunteer equity and access. I’ve seen many companies in recent years lift up their corporate values around diversity and inclusion, start new programs and reinforce public commitments but, when you look under the hood, it’s easy to see they’re viewing the employee experience through a myopic lens. Good news: it can be done. Senior leaders have bought into implementing a volunteer time off policy for all even where it feels like an impossibility such as in manufacturing and retail environments. They understand that the benefits of having an employee volunteer program aren’t fully realized if only some of the employee population can take advantage. Here’s my advice on how to make the case for developing and implementing a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy:

1. Understand Your Audience: Before presenting your case, understand the business priorities of your senior leaders. They each bring a different perspective to the table depending on what function they lead, so tailor your arguments to align with their goals.
2. Research and Gather Data: Collect data on the positive impacts of volunteerism on business goals like employee engagement, job satisfaction and recruitment. Use statistics to illustrate how a VTO policy can lead to improved employee morale and productivity. You can also use proof points from Edelman that highlight the disconnection that deskless workers feel to bolster your argument.
3. Highlight the Benefits for Employees: Emphasize how VTO can contribute to employees’ well-being along with personal and professional development. It provides them with opportunities to develop new skills, network and engage with the community, which can boost morale and job satisfaction. In fact, some of the unique skills these frontline employees possess are exactly what’s needed by your grantees and community partners.
4. Connect to Company Values: Demonstrate how a VTO policy aligns with the company’s values and commitment to social responsibility and inclusion and belonging. Ensuring all employees – even those in diverse roles and work settings – are eligible to participate sends a values-aligned message.
5. Address Potential Concerns: Anticipate and address any concerns senior leaders might have. Common concerns include potential productivity loss, scheduling conflicts, or abuse of the policy. Come to the table with solutions to mitigate these concerns.
6. Present a Pilot Program: Propose starting with a small-scale pilot program to test the impact of VTO. This tactic allows the organization to measure the benefits and make adjustments based on the initial experience before rolling out the policy company-wide.
7. Provide Details: Clearly outline how the policy could be implemented and maintained, including technology, communication plans and any necessary training for managers.
8. Quantify the Current Impact: Showcase the impact that your existing volunteer efforts and associated policies have on business and community priorities and how they could grow by ensuring every employee has the opportunity to participate. This step could include metrics such as employee engagement scores, positive feedback from consumers and community partners, progress on social issues important to the company, and the correlated cost savings due to decreased turnover. Demonstrate that what you’re doing now is just the tip of the social impact iceberg.

Implementing an enterprise-wide VTO policy that enables equitable access to your company’s social impact initiatives isn’t just good for employees; it’s also a significant way of fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging and deepening the employee experience – all incredibly important priorities to senior leaders as they deal with recruitment and retention challenges. Of course, implementing the policy is just the first step; it must be accompanied by continual education and reinforcement at all levels. But that’s a story for a future column. Until Next Month, Your

CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your social impact work and why your company should join top social impact leadership and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council.