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6 Tips for Working With Nonprofit Partners on Employee Activation

Companies know business, inside and out. But delving into employee activation can be tricky territory. Having a

CSR Partner

 can take your success to the next level. One of the major factors of success for your company’s employee volunteer program is identifying and working with knowledgeable and experienced community partners. This includes those with

local, national or global reach

, the ability to scale as needed, and the ones that best know the community’s needs and are already working to solve society’s greatest challenges. 

 

Here are some tips to ensure success when it comes to employee activation.  

1. Prioritize Social Change Above All Else

It’s important to anchor volunteer programs in the needs of nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders. As important as company priorities are, start with knowing that you are doing this work to drive positive social change

first

. Do not decide for the nonprofit what their needs are. Instead, listen to them and decide how to best support those needs together. In this way, you can create shared value.

 

2. Work With Nonprofits That Have Ample Experience in Corporate Civic Engagement

Select a nonprofit partner that has experience working with organizations of your size and structure. This is also an opportune time for current employee volunteer leaders to step up, or for you to select one or more of your internal leaders to help with project planning, working with the partner and recruiting volunteers. 

 

3. Pick a Partner and Build a Strong Relationship

As you vet nonprofit partners you might like to work with, look for organizations that you can have a transformational, rather than transactional, relationship with. While one-time or episodic volunteer projects have their time and place, focusing on long-term or recurring opportunities and deep engagement can result in feeling a sense of belonging and ownership of the shared work.

 

4. Communication is Key 

As you work with your nonprofit partner, keep each other informed after you agree on the project specifics. Have regular check-ins (or ensure that your volunteer leaders are taking this step) so that you all know if the plan goes off course and can right the ship. This measure also prevents any surprises. Make sure you agree upon timing, tasks and policies to uphold, like taking photos or having any beneficiaries present to sign a waiver, enforcing safety precautions, determining who is purchasing supplies or what will be donated, scheduling supply arrival, and even simple things like keeping track of who will be there to open the door on the day of the project.

 

5. Evaluate and Reevaluate the Success of the Partnership

Don’t forget to stop and evaluate the partnership from time to time. Just like any relationship, you will want to know what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. With regular reviews of performance and overall success of the relationship, you can be clear on whether the relationship is working for both parties or whether it’s time to break up.

 

6. Invest in Your Program and Partnership Wisely

Keep in mind the time and effort it takes to plan a volunteer project. Think about your budget, not just for supplies and refreshments for volunteers, but also the work that goes into planning and leading a project if you’re leaning on the partner for that work. Think also about using budget dollars to invest in your partner’s readiness, especially as it relates to future skills-based or pro bono collaborations and measuring impact. 

Need a nonprofit partner that knows its way around employee activation? Points of Light offers a suite of

Corporate Services Solutions

for strong community impact and a strong employee volunteer program.

4 Ways Corporate Volunteerism Will Change Your Business

As a business owner or team leader, you know how crucial it is to appreciate your employees, keep them engaged and offer them greater job satisfaction. You know that competitive pay, an extensive benefits package and the opportunity for upward mobility can help your employees feel valued. But how can corporate volunteerism help keep your employees engaged in their work, connected to the team and eager to remain with your company? Here are a few things Points of Light has found from working with our

corporate partners

.

 

1. Corporate Volunteerism Increases Job Satisfaction 

Points of Light’s

research on civic engagement

shows that up to 40% applied for a job specifically because of the employer’s social responsibility stance. In particular, Gen Z employees overwhelmingly want to work for a company that takes a stand on social impact.

 

When you demonstrate to your workforce that the company cares about doing good just as much as the bottom line, you instill these values in your employees and attract new employees who also share them.

 

2. Corporate Volunteerism Increases Retention 

According to a study from

Galaxy Digital

, “…employees are five times more engaged in companies with employee volunteer programs.” Your organization can benefit from employees being more hands-on, not just in their day-to-day, work-related tasks, but also in company-wide efforts to drive change in the world.

 

“Even during the trying times of a recession, volunteering is important. Nonprofits may have to lay off employees, limiting their capacity. This is where skills-based volunteers can be not only be important but vital to the nonprofit’s bottom line. Plus, being civically engaged has been proven to reduce stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings, which is helpful during a stressful time like a recession. Having an intentional CSR strategy will help the community and your employees.” – Holly McCaleb, Senior Director, CSR Consulting 

3. Corporate Volunteerism Bolsters Employees’ Skills  

Building your team’s skillset is valuable to both you and your employees. When it comes to corporate volunteering, many skills can be honed through hands-on work with teams and communities. Your employees can practice the things they’re already adept at and can continue to expand their knowledge and expertise by trying new things.

 

Working within communities and engaging in volunteerism can also help increase your employees’ empathy and make for a more tolerant, inclusive and compassionate workplace.

 

4. Corporate Volunteerism Increases Organizational Success 

With all of these things in mind, you can safely assume that employee satisfaction, retention and skill-building will absolutely lead to greater success of your business. When you have employees who are eager to be engaged with your company in and out of the workplace, who grow their expertise and practice leadership and teamwork, and who remain with the company longer term, you will see these reflections in your profitability.

 

If you’re just getting started with corporate volunteerism, check out the

resources we have available on our website

. If you’re ready to start to building or refining your corporate social responsibility program and need a trusted, knowledgeable partner to help, Points of Light can provide best-in-class tools, frameworks and customizable support through our suite of

Corporate Services Solutions.

4 Company Benefits of CSR Programs

A well-built

corporate social responsibility program

includes developing a strategy that reaches your entire organization, engaging employees in volunteerism, tracking hours, developing a volunteer time off policy, reporting on outcomes and impact, and creating connections to employees and community. And the benefits of CSR that stem from these efforts are good for your company, your employees and your community. 

 

Companies are constantly striving for ways to set themselves apart and employees are consistently looking for ways to

become civically engaged

through their work. Did you know that

55% of employees

choose socially-conscious companies over profit-focused brands? When these two ideas come together, along with finding innovative ways recruit new talent and retain employees, you have the perfect rationale for launching a CSR at your company.

 

When making the case for the importance of starting a formal CSR program, here are a few ways it can add value. Share this reasoning and data points in your presentation to senior leadership about the positive outcomes of doing well by doing good.

 

1. CSR Programs Save Money and Grow Employee Engagement 

Creating a thoughtful and structured CSR program can actually offer cost savings. Companies can improve revenue by more than $2 million and reduce costs by almost $400,000 for every 1,000 employees because happy staffers are more productive staffers.

 

Plus, when companies drive social impact, they see an increase in the number of

employees who go above and beyond at work

. Sixty percent of employees reported improved engagement among peers after companies implemented an enterprise-wide social impact strategy. And employees who participate in employer-sponsored volunteering are

five times more engaged

at work.

 

2. CSR Programs Boost Retention 

Companies with

highly engaged workforces

have 24% less staff turnover, 17% higher productivity rates and 21% higher profitability. Obviously, companies have a fiscal responsibility to operate in the black, but there’s more to that practice than meets the eye. Employees want to see that companies are having a

positive social impact

. Building a team solely focused on social impact through a formalized CSR program creates an environment that supports employee engagement, which is good for the bottom line. Plus, companies that take a stand on social issues retain employees when they drive social impact.

 

“Know your company’s philanthropic priorities, the causes around which you hope to make the biggest impact, and the types of resources — human, financial, product, expertise, networks, visibility — you can bring to the table.” — Katie Stearns, Chief Global Corporate Solutions Officer 

3. CSR Programs Drive Recruitment 

Having a clear and demonstrated impact sets you up to attract top talent. A company’s social impact track record can not only influence a candidate’s decision to choose to work there, it can also influence future candidates’ perception of that company. 

 

Research

shows that Gen Z employees overwhelmingly want to work for a company that takes a stand on social impact. Mentioning CSR activities in job postings

increases the number of applicants

by 25 percent. And

64% won’t take a job

if a company doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility values.

 

“Gen Z and millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck – they want to work for an employer that provides ways for them to use their voice and strengthen communities.” — Katy Elder, Vice President, Business Innovation 

4. CSR Programs Create Favorable Brand Awareness 

It’s common to see a company doing positive things in their community on social media. These posts typically highlight the work done through a CSR program. Setting your company apart with a well-organized CSR program can offer positive brand awareness your company will benefit from. Take

Lowe’s 100 Hometowns

, for example, a major initiative to complete 100 community impact projects across the United States each year, or

Raytheon Technologies

and their work to inspire and prepare high school students for careers in tech and engineering. Seeing employees volunteering within their community demonstrates a more organic way of promoting your company versus paying for ad space on social.

 

 

Consider using these points as you think about how best to reach your senior leadership audience and speak to what’s important to them. If you are approaching the Human Resource Vice President, for example, do your research on specific ways the CSR program can influence and even reduce costs for recruitment and retention. If you are speaking to the Chief of External Affairs, consider explaining all the built-in story opportunities their team will have with the addition of employees giving back—anywhere from organic campaigns, to the increase use of employee-generated content, to plentiful heartfelt stories to use for the annual report. If you’re speaking to the Chief Financial Officer, it’s great to connect the performance metrics of engaged employees to the bottom line. It’s a wise investment. No matter your audience, the benefits of CSR are clear: they save money, grow employee engagement, boost retention, drive recruitment and reflect well on your brand.

 

3 Ways to Prep for Global Volunteer Month

Global Volunteer Month

is an annual event to encourage volunteerism and civic action. Learn how to recognize volunteers who are actively participating in bettering their communities for this monthlong event, including National Volunteer Week and year-round. Nonprofits get the opportunity to raise awareness for their organization’s current needs and funding opportunities, businesses have a way to engage every employee in spring volunteer initiatives, and individuals are able to give back to their local communities.

The celebration happens in April of 2023, but now is the time to begin to mobilize your community, employees, family and friends, or your volunteers to participate. Here are three ways to get the ball rolling on your Global Volunteer Month efforts early, so you can maximize turnout.

Plan Your Participation in Global Volunteer Month Starting Now

Contribute your time and talents personally:

So you want to volunteer, but you’re not sure where to get started. Find local nonprofits in your area by searching online, and reach out to them directly to see what their needs are. Maybe there’s a donations drive you can support by donating gently used clothing or canned goods. You can also search for in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities on

Points of Light Engage

, the world’s largest digital volunteer network featuring hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world. You can even check out these

DIY projects

that are easy to do from home.

Motivate your volunteers or employees

: 

Nonprofit organizations will want to consider which programs to elevate during Global Volunteer Month. Invite supporters to make a difference by participating. 

Companies looking to engage employees in volunteerism and civic action in the spring might consider partnering with a

Corporate Services & Solutions

partner. Working with a knowledgeable partner in the nonprofit space can help connect you with valuable volunteer opportunities, create strategic plans for employee engagement, increase volunteer turnout across your organization, measure your success and celebrate your employees accordingly.

Share Your Message

Get your stakeholders on board. Points of Light’s

Global Volunteer Month toolkits

include logos, social media graphics and sample messages to easily share your participation with your audiences. It’s critical for nonprofit organizations to communicate consistently throughout April through donor and volunteer outreach. It’s not unusual for people to need to hear about events up to ten times before the message “sticks,” so don’t hesitate to promote your programs, needs and fundraising opportunities for this month early and often.

Companies seeking optimal turnout among employee volunteers will need to do the same. Promote the employee volunteering activities your company is offering, and be clear about how employees can participate. Send out information in your employee newsletters, email blasts or other internal communications, and promote events on social media as well. 

Tell Amazing Stories

Finally, you’ll want to make a plan to recognize and celebrate all of the ways your volunteers are contributing to their communities! For individual volunteers, this could mean posting on social media to share the civic actions you took during the month. For nonprofits and companies, you might consider collecting and sharing volunteer stories, videos and photos for publishing throughout the remainder of the year. You might throw a month-end luncheon or other event to celebrate your work.

Recognition and celebration takes careful planning and preparation, so as you’re laying out your plan for the month, make this the final phase and figure out how you will reward your volunteers throughout the month and year round. Two ongoing opportunities for volunteer recognition include

The Daily Point of Light Award

program, which rewards and lifts up individual stories every day, as well as the

President’s Volunteer Service Award

, which recognizes the important role of exceptional volunteers in America’s strength and national identity.  Your nonprofit can even

become a certifying organization

so you’re able to offer this prestigious award to your own volunteers.

Download the

Global Volunteer Month toolkit

that’s tailored specifically to you, whether you’re an individual, nonprofit, company or government official. However you choose to get involved in Global Volunteer Month, we can’t wait to hear about the social impact you make in 2023.

5 Tips for Selecting a CSR Consulting Partner

A successful

employee engagement program

can reach the next level by building a meaningful, sustainable partnership with the right nonprofit organization. Choosing a partner

to work with

may require some research and shopping around to find the best fit. Outcomes can vary from organization to organization.

Finding the right CSR consulting partner can make all the difference.

Here are five things to look for when selecting CSR and nonprofit partners to help you build a thoughtful social impact strategy and strong employee volunteer program.

1. One-stop Shopping for Engagement

Some

CSR consulting

partners, including

Points of Light

, bring a well-rounded set of offerings to the table. Through one partnership, you can access tailored

employee engagement programs

built specifically for your culture, from

thought leadership convenings

with your peers to consumer engagement campaigns to storytelling moments, meaningful employee recognition opportunities and more. Instead of having to identify a partner for each need and ensure cohesive strategies, developing a partnership with an organization that can deliver on multiple goals with excellence will ensure a smooth and effective experience.

2. Strong Track Record With Employee Engagement Programs 

Has your potential

CSR consulting

partner worked with companies like yours on projects or programs like the one you envision? Understanding the partnership approach and results from previous partnerships with other companies can give you a sense of what’s possible and how familiar a potential nonprofit partner might be with a particular need. Consider their experience with the type of initiative, such as a

Global Volunteer Month

, a

day of service

or a refreshed volunteer time off policy. Also take a look at their experience with companies of your size, in your sector, and in the same phase of program maturity. If the prospective partner’s website or social media doesn’t readily offer up

examples of previous partnerships

, ask – a good partner will be eager to share what they’ve accomplished.

“Know your company’s philanthropic priorities, the causes around which you hope to make the biggest impact, and the types of resources — human, financial, product, expertise, networks, visibility — you can bring to the table. Have a sense of your ideal “what” but don’t go so far as to define the full “how” – the best social impact partners define the how together.”  – Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

3. Find a CSR Consulting Partner with Expertise Match

Start simple. Look for a social impact partner with the expertise you need. For example, if you’re looking to build a dollars-for-doers program, you’d choose an organization that deeply understands employee

volunteer

programs and policies. But you may get even stronger results from a partner that understands that work and also has deep fluency in the funding needs of the nonprofit organizations that might receive those dollars and can bring that additional context to the work.

4. Alignment With Your Values

Geographic location matters less and less in this virtual world while values and mission alignment increasingly matter more. As you select a social impact partner, it’s easy to do the online research about their structure. For example, are they a for-profit or nonprofit organization, and what might that mean for a potential partnership? Consider their leadership, both staff and board, and mission. Do the prospective nonprofit partner’s values align with your company’s position? Is the change your company hopes to create in communities similar to the change the potential partner is driving?

5. Insight & Adaptability

Sometimes you need end-to-end support, from strategy all the way through ongoing implementation. Other times, you need fresh strategic insight or expert implementation for a particular initiative or moment in time. The most effective

CSRconsulting

partners have defined models built on best practices, and they can adapt those models to support your work no matter the phase you’re in. This approach gives you the flexibility to engage in the development of a new internal strategy, policy or program but not be forever dependent on the social impact partner to implement it.

“The best partnerships are built on an aligned vision and values. You’ll want to be confident a prospective social impact partner shares your company’s values on racial and social justice and civic engagement and that their programs reflect that. And you should expect them to dig into the same, wanting to see policies, activity, and funding that aligns with the public statements your company might be making on issues like equity, climate, workers’ rights, and more.” – Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

When considering strategic partners to leverage your employee engagement efforts, do your homework to determine the best fit.

Points of Light

has decades of knowledge and expertise, a strong portfolio of corporate partners and successful projects, and a variety of resources to support your vision and make it a reality. Contact our team today.

Use Your Voice During Elections: Tips for Employees and Organizations

Pr

eviously in this series centered around voting as a way to engage in your community, we covered how employers can support their employees to

vote

, as well as to

listen and learn

ab

out the candidates and issues during election season. 

As Election Day approaches on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, we’re diving into ways that you can use your corporation’s voice during elections, as well as encourage employees to use their voices, throughout the election season.

According to Points of Light’s research on

the state of Civic Engagement in the United States

, 40% of respondents said they posted or shared content on a social media platform, making their voices heard. There’s no doubt that your employees will likely be posting their individual opinions on the issues and candidates this year.

But as companies are often limited in what they can publicly support, what are some other ways – outside of social media – that you can make your corporate voice heard, and encourage your workforce to make theirs heard, too?

Appoint Democracy Champions

One way to ensure that messaging is consistent across the organization is to appoint a “democracy champion” – or a task force of multiple team members, depending on the size of your organization – to spread the word about the upcoming election.  Provide them with tools and goals and connect them to your Government Affairs team for training and counsel. 

Not only will this model provide a leadership development opportunity, it will help you plan for local and state elections, and stay abreast of legislative proposals that might impact the communities in which your company operates. Make sure these champions understand this is a nonpartisan role meant to lift up the power of the vote, educate and inform fellow colleagues. Be consistent with messaging, and be clear on when these champions can make commitments on behalf of the company.

Voice Perspectives on Crucial Legislation

Encourage employees to engage individually in civic action by voicing perspectives on hot topics, especially legislation that could impact your workforce. Not only can you use your corporate voice to thoughtfully voice the company stance on these issues, but you can encourage your employees to contact their representatives to advocate for the causes they care about.

“Gen Z and millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck – they want to work for an employer that provides ways for them to use their voice and strengthen communities through the democratic process. ” – Katy Elder, vice president, Business Innovation, Points of Light

Partner With Voter Advocacy Organizations

One of the most powerful ways for your employees to use their voices, especially if you’re being mindful of maintaining a nonpartisan stance at your company, is to advocate for election turnout. Partner with voter advocacy organizations like

Vote Forward

to write letters or make phone calls to registered voters. Vote Forward has seen over 245,000 volunteers write 27.4 million letters since 2018, educating people on how to show up to the polls on Election Day, how to vote by mail and where to check their voter registration status.

A great place to start learning about the power of voice is in our

Civic Life Today issue on Voice

. This digital magazine shares first-hand accounts from contributors who are using their own voices to change conversations, and provides tools and resources for you to learn more and take action.

 

Don’t miss our first two posts in this four-part series that cover ways to activate around

voting

and

listening and learning

. Our

fourth and final piece

covers how you can encourage employees to volunteer this election season, from helping with transportation in the community to staffing the polls.

4 Themes from the 2022 Points of Light Conference That Shine a Light on CSR Trends for Business

Points of Light knows that when the world’s largest companies get it right, the world gets it right, which is a theme at the heart of the 2022 Points of Light Conference. As a part of this year’s conference experience, we welcomed leaders from the corporate citizenship community to our stages and workshop spaces to meet like-minded peers and share insights from the challenging work that faces the business community as leaders in social impact. Several themes were explored, shining a light on the direction where business needs to lead:

  1. The “to do” list of the business community has become longer. For the business community, it can feel like we are being outpaced by the problems of the world that we seek to solve. In addition to economic and societal responsibilities, global communications firm Edelman shared with Points of Light’s Corporate Service Council that almost six out of 10 people in the U.S. believe it is a responsibility of business to take action on the world stage, engaging in geopolitical issues such as the war in Ukraine. Navigating how to respond to or engage in these issues has introduced new and unique challenges for corporate citizenship professionals.
  2. Our brains are wired for stories. As companies seek to capture the measurable impact of their efforts, they should leverage the power of stories. Disney Institute shared with conference attendees that stories are one of the strongest forms of communication, evoking a sense of connectedness in those who hear them. At Points of Light, we say that “Data + Stories = Proof.” The relentless pursuit of data must be coupled with an equal desire to share more about the people and places at the heart of that data. Additionally, leaders within companies must be equipped to tell these stories, communicating the company’s and their own passions and values through the story.
  3. Volunteer engagement must adapt to the hybrid world. As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to grapple with variant surges, return-to-office starts and stops and disruptions to in-person events. It has become clear that the current hybrid work environment will not be a temporary condition of the pandemic, but a lasting model of collaboration that must extend to deepen employee engagement. In one workshop, Common Impact shared how companies can look to skills-based volunteering as a partial or fully virtual strategy to deliver on employee engagement goals.
  4. There is a CSR and ESG identity crisis. The corporate citizenship community is caught between two acronyms. Several workshops sought to answer the question: What is the difference between CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)? The role of business in society has been discussed and expanded upon over 50 years. The growing influence of ESG is rooted in CSR, which marked the starting point of businesses taking ownership of their impact on society. Without CSR, there would be no ESG, but the two are far from interchangeable. CSR helps companies give context to their corporate responsibility strategy and culture, while ESG is the action and measurable outcomes of that agenda.

Whether or not you joined us this year at the 2022 Points of Light Conference, we invite you to continue learning with us year-round by accessing our body of

civic engagement research

. These studies shed light on global trends that are central to maximizing the impact of corporate social responsibility. We look forward to the 2023 Points of Light Conference in Chicago on June 14-16.

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