Advocating for a Volunteer Grant Program-Supporter’s Guide

Advocating for a Volunteer Grant Program: Supporter’s Guide

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Your volunteers are the heartbeat of your organization. They show up early to set up events, they stay late to clean up, and they dedicate their unique skills to furthering your mission. But what if their impact could go even further? What if every hour they donated also resulted in a monetary contribution to your cause? This is the power of a volunteer grant program. While many major corporations already offer these “Dollars for Doers” initiatives, thousands of companies have yet to formalize their corporate philanthropy. This presents a unique opportunity for your nonprofit: empowering your supporters to champion the cause from the inside out.

Advocating for a volunteer grant program is a strategic move that transforms your volunteers from supporters into partners in revenue generation. When an employee approaches their leadership with a well-structured proposal for a corporate giving program, they are not just asking for money. They are offering a solution to employee engagement, retention, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenges. As a nonprofit professional, your role is to equip these volunteers with the data, the narrative, and the confidence to make that pitch successfully.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

By the end of this article, you will have a roadmap for turning your most passionate volunteers into corporate ambassadors who can unlock new, sustainable revenue streams for your mission.

Understanding the Value of Volunteer Grants

Before asking a volunteer to approach their boss, it is essential to understand exactly what is being requested. Volunteer grant programs are corporate giving initiatives where companies provide monetary donations to eligible nonprofits as a recognition of the time their employees volunteer. For example, a company might donate $500 for every 20 hours an employee serves, or they might offer a set rate of $25 per volunteer hour.

These programs effectively bridge the gap between time and money. For the nonprofit, it means unrestricted revenue. For the volunteer, it validates their personal sacrifice of time. And for the company, it provides a tangible way to support the community while boosting employee morale.

Despite these clear benefits, many small to mid-sized businesses simply have not considered implementing a program because they lack the framework or assume it is too administratively burdensome. This is where your advocacy (and the advocacy of your existing supporters) comes in.

Preparing for Advocacy: Research and Alignment

The first step in advocating for a volunteer grant program is not the pitch itself, but the preparation. You need to help your volunteer understand their company’s current landscape. Sending a volunteer into a meeting with the CEO without background knowledge is a recipe for failure. Instead, encourage them to act as a consultant analyzing the company’s culture.

Analyze the Current Culture

Does the company already participate in community events? Do they sponsor a local Little League team or host an annual food drive? If a company already demonstrates a propensity for giving, formalizing a volunteer grant program is a natural evolution rather than a radical shift.

Review Competitor Offerings

Nothing motivates corporate leadership quite like competition. If a direct competitor or a similar-sized company in the same region offers a volunteer grant program, that is a powerful leverage point. Help your volunteer research industry standards. For instance, 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs. If their employer wants to compete for top talent, they need to match the benefits packages of industry leaders.

Quick Tip: Use resources like Double the Donation’s corporate giving database or public CSR reports to find examples of companies in the same industry that already have successful volunteer grant programs. Concrete examples make the concept feel less risky to hesitant executives.

Building the Business Case: The “Why” for the Company

When a volunteer walks into their HR director’s office, they should not lead with how much the nonprofit needs money. They must lead with how the company will benefit from the program. Corporate philanthropy is an investment, and like any investment, leadership wants to see a Return on Investment (ROI).

Employee Engagement and Retention

The strongest argument for advocating for a volunteer grant program is talent management. Modern employees, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, demand more from their employers than just a paycheck. They want to work for organizations that share their values. Studies consistently show that companies with robust CSR programs have lower turnover rates and higher employee satisfaction scores.

Skill Development

Volunteering is often an unofficial training ground. An employee who serves on a nonprofit board learns governance and strategic planning. An employee who organizes a fundraising walk learns project management and logistics. By supporting these activities through grants, the company is effectively subsidizing professional development that benefits their own workforce.

Brand Reputation and Community Relations

Consumers vote with their wallets, and they increasingly favor companies with a strong social conscience. A volunteer grant program provides excellent fodder for marketing and public relations. It allows the company to say, “We don’t just write checks; our people show up, and we back them up.”

Did You Know? Companies with engaged employees see 81% lower absenteeism and 43% lower turnover. When you pitch a volunteer grant program, you are actually pitching a strategy to improve the company’s bottom line through a happier, more stable workforce.

Identifying the Decision Maker

Knowing who to pitch is just as important as knowing what to pitch. In a massive corporation, the decision might lie with a CSR department or a foundation director. However, in the small to mid-sized businesses where advocacy is most needed, the decision-maker is likely different.

Human Resources (HR)

For many companies, volunteer grants fall under “Employee Benefits.” HR directors are often the best entry point because they are directly responsible for employee engagement and retention strategies. They are the ones feeling the pain of turnover and looking for cost-effective ways to boost morale.

Marketing and Public Relations

If the company is focused on brand image, the Marketing Director might be the champion you need. They will see the value in the “good news stories” generated by the grants.

The C-Suite

In smaller companies, the CEO or owner makes every financial decision. If the volunteer has a direct line to leadership, a casual conversation expressing their passion for the nonprofit can plant the seed.

Drafting the Proposal: What to Say

Once the research is done and the target is identified, it is time to construct the pitch. Your nonprofit can support the volunteer by providing a template or talking points, but the request needs to come authentically from the employee.

The Introduction

The volunteer should start by expressing their gratitude for working at the company and their passion for their community service. Example: “I’ve been volunteering with [Nonprofit Name] for two years, and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience that helps me stay energized in my work here.”

The Problem

Identify the gap. Example: “I’ve noticed that while many of our competitors offer volunteer grant programs to support employee passions, we don’t currently have a formal way to recognize this service.”

The Solution

Propose the volunteer grant program. Example: “I would love to see us implement a volunteer grant program. It’s a simple system where the company donates a set amount for every hour an employee volunteers. It would show the team that the company values our time and our community.”

The Ask

Don’t ask for a massive budget immediately. Ask for a conversation or a pilot. Example: “Could we set up a brief meeting to discuss what a pilot program might look like? I have some data on how this could boost our employee engagement scores.”

Overcoming Common Objections

When advocating for a volunteer grant program, resistance is normal. Companies are protective of their budgets and wary of administrative bloat. Prepare your volunteers to answer these common concerns.

  • Objection: “We can’t afford it.”
    • Response: Volunteer grants are scalable. You can cap the total donation per employee (e.g., $500 per year) and the total program budget. Unlike a blank check, the company controls the maximum exposure. Furthermore, the cost of the grants is often tax-deductible, and it is significantly cheaper than the cost of recruiting new employees to replace those who leave due to disengagement.
  • Objection: “It’s too much paperwork to manage.”
    • Response: Technology has solved this. There are numerous third-party platforms (CSR software) that verify hours and process payments automatically. For smaller programs, a simple form signed by the nonprofit is all that is needed. The administrative burden is minimal compared to the cultural payout.
  • Objection: “How do we know the charities are legitimate?”
    • Response: The policy can restrict grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing. This ensures the funds are going to verified charitable causes and not political or controversial groups.

Quick Tip: Suggest a “Dollars for Doers” pilot program for a single quarter or for a specific department. This allows the company to test the waters, see the employee response, and measure the budget impact before rolling it out company-wide.

Free Template: Advocating for a Volunteer Grant Program

Empower your supporters to advocate effectively. Your team can make it easy by providing helpful resources such as this pre-written template!

Subject: Proposal: Enhancing Employee Engagement through Corporate Volunteer Grants

Dear [Name of HR Director or Manager],

I am writing to you today because I am proud to work for a company that values [mention a specific company value, e.g., community, leadership, or integrity]. My experience working here has been incredibly rewarding, and I wanted to share an idea that could help us further strengthen our culture and employee engagement.

As you may know, outside of my role at [Company Name], I actively volunteer with [Nonprofit]. Dedicating my time to this cause helps me build leadership skills and stay energized, which I strive to bring back to my work every day.

I have noticed that many companies in our industry are implementing Volunteer Grant programs (often called “Dollars for Doers”) to recognize this kind of service. Currently, we do not have a formal way to recognize or match the time employees dedicate to the community.

The Proposal I would love to see [Company] consider launching a pilot volunteer grant program. This is a simple initiative where the company provides a modest monetary donation (e.g., $250 or $500) to a nonprofit once an employee has volunteered a specific number of hours (e.g., 20 hours) with them.

Why It Matters for [Company]

  • Employee Retention: It shows the team that the company values our passions and our time, which is a key driver for satisfaction.
  • Professional Development: It effectively subsidizes the soft skills (like project management and teamwork) that employees learn while volunteering.
  • Brand Reputation: It creates powerful stories about our team’s community impact that we can share with clients and customers.

I am not asking for a large budget commitment today. I would simply like to request a brief 15-minute meeting to share some research I’ve found on how a “pilot program” could work and the potential return on investment for our team.

Thank you for your time and for continuing to make [Company] a great place to work.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Your Job Title]

The Nonprofit’s Role: Supporting the Advocate

While the volunteer makes the pitch, the nonprofit provides the ammunition. You cannot be passive in this process. You must actively resource your supporters to be effective advocates.

Create an Advocacy Toolkit

Don’t make your volunteers reinvent the wheel. Instead, create a digital toolkit that includes:

  • A one-page summary of the benefits of corporate philanthropy.
  • Sample letters or emails they can send to HR (such as the one above).
  • A graphic showing the impact of a potential grant (e.g., “$500 buys school supplies for 20 kids”).
  • Your nonprofit’s Tax ID and proof of 501(c)(3) status.

Verify Hours Promptly

If a company agrees to a pilot, your responsiveness is critical. When a volunteer logs hours, verify them immediately. If the administrative side is slow or difficult on your end, the company may decide the program is too much hassle to continue with.

Showcase the Impact

When a volunteer successfully advocates for a grant, celebrate it! Feature the volunteer and their company in your newsletter. Send a personalized thank-you note to the company leadership. Showing the company the public recognition they receive reinforces the decision and encourages them to renew or expand the program.

Establishing Program Parameters

If the company is interested but unsure how to structure the program, your volunteer can offer suggestions based on industry standards. This positions them as a helpful partner rather than just a requester.

Standard Thresholds

Most companies require a minimum number of hours to trigger a grant. A common threshold is 10 to 20 hours per year. This ensures the employee is committed before funds are disbursed.

Grant Amounts

Suggest a starting rate of $10 to $15 per hour, or a flat tier system (e.g., $250 for 20 hours, $500 for 50 hours).

Eligible Organizations

Advise the company to keep the eligibility broad (any 501c3) to be most inclusive of employee passions, rather than restricting it to a single cause.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Advocating for a volunteer grant program is a long-term play. It might take months of conversations, budget reviews, and policy drafting. However, the payoff is substantial. A single new corporate program can generate revenue for your nonprofit for decades to come.

By empowering your volunteers to take this step, you are doing more than asking for money. You are helping them build a better workplace and fostering a deeper connection between their professional lives and their philanthropic passions.

Ready to get started?

  • Audit your volunteer list: Identify volunteers who work for mid-sized local companies that may not have programs yet.
  • Reach out: Send a personal email to your most dedicated volunteers asking if they would be willing to be an advocate.
  • Equip: Send them the toolkit and offer to do a role-play call to practice the pitch.

Your volunteers are already giving you their time. With a little support, they can give you the key to unlocking corporate treasury. Start the conversation today; request a personalized demo of Double the Donation Volunteering to see how our tools can help.