Collecting employer information in volunteer registrations is a crucial strategy for nonprofits seeking to maximize their outreach, fundraising, and engagement potential. By understanding where their volunteers work, organizations can identify opportunities for corporate volunteer incentives and more.

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of gathering employer details in volunteer registrations. Plus, we’ll provide practical tips for nonprofits to effectively integrate this step into their volunteer sign-up process. Specifically, we’re going to cover:

• The Importance of Employer Information for Nonprofits & Schools
• Benefits of Collecting Employer Information in Volunteer Registrations
• How to Collect Employer Information During the Registration Process
• Leveraging Employer Information for Volunteer Programs
• Common Challenges and Solutions for Collecting Employer Information
• See it in Action: Organizations Collecting Employer Info in Volunteer Forms

Equipping your team with accurate and up-to-date employer data not only strengthens relationships with individual volunteers but also opens doors to additional resources that can significantly enhance the impact of a nonprofit’s programming. The rewards are endless⁠—and the best place to access this information is directly within your volunteer registrations.

Let’s begin!

The Importance of Employer Information for Nonprofits & Schools

Collecting employer information from volunteers, donors, and other supporters is a strategic practice that can significantly benefit both nonprofits and schools. After all, understanding where constituents work provides invaluable insights that can open doors to a range of opportunities.

Here’s why employer information is crucial:

• Uncovering workplace giving programs. Thousands of companies offer workplace giving programs where they support the organizations their employees give to or volunteer with. Knowing where your donors and volunteers work can help your team identify opportunities for matching gifts, volunteer incentives, and more.
• Establishing more well-rounded supporter profiles. The more you know about your supporters, the better you can engage them with your organization. Use employer data to customize your outreach and add a personal touch to your communications once your supporter profiles are filled in!
• Accessing wealth and giving insights. Prospect research can play a significant role in understanding an individual’s likelihood of giving. If you know where they work, you can estimate wealth indicators and determine approximately how much they may be able to contribute to your cause.
• Identifying potential partnerships. Companies want to support the organizations their employees are involved with. If a number of your donors or volunteers come from a single company, try reaching out to them to pitch a one-off giving program or volunteer opportunity.

In summary, employer information is a powerful asset that fundraising organizations can leverage to do more for their missions. Collecting and utilizing this data helps organizations unlock the full potential of corporate support, ultimately advancing their missions more effectively than ever before.

Benefits of Collecting Employer Information in Volunteer Registrations

With any number of opportunities to collect employer information from your supporters, what makes your volunteer registration forms an ideal location?

Let’s take a look at the benefits of this particular method:

Volunteers are likely highly engaged with your cause while actively registering for an event. When volunteers are in the process of signing up for an event, they are actively showing interest and commitment to your cause. This moment of heightened engagement makes it an ideal time to gather additional information, such as employer details.

Volunteers are already expected to provide personal information in the registration process. During the volunteer registration process, participants are usually asked to provide basic personal details, such as their name, contact information, and emergency contact details. Because they are already sharing personal information, including an additional field for employer details is a natural extension of the form⁠—rather than an extra burden.

Volunteers love having the chance to amplify their impact through workplace giving. Many volunteers are motivated by the opportunity to make a bigger difference, and workplace giving programs, such as volunteer grants, offer a simple way to do so. When volunteers know that their employer offers opportunities to double or triple the impact of their support, they are often eager to participate.

Volunteers are often required to complete the request process ahead of engaging in their activities. When an individual wishes to use their corporate volunteer incentives (e.g., VTO), they typically need to request the time off from their employer beforehand. Promoting the opportunity from the start⁠—i.e., in registrations⁠—ensures that each volunteer has the time they need to get proper approval before the event arrives.

How to Collect Employer Information During the Registration Process

Now that you understand why you should incorporate employer information into your volunteer registration forms, we’ll take a look at some actionable strategies that your team can adopt in order to do so.

Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process you’ll want to follow:

1. Design an optimized volunteer registration form. Start by creating a registration form that is user-friendly and visually appealing, with a clear layout and minimal clutter. Make the form concise to encourage completion while ensuring it collects the necessary information.
2. Implement an optional field or employer search tool. Add an optional field for “Employer Name” to encourage volunteers to provide this information. For the best results, consider implementing an employer search tool with auto-suggest. This way, as volunteers type, the tool can suggest company names, reducing the chances of typos or incomplete entries.
3. Mention why you’re collecting the information. Provide a brief explanation about why you’re collecting this data. Explain how employer details help identify volunteer incentives that could amplify the impact of their contributions.
4. Direct volunteer traffic to your registration forms. Begin promoting your volunteer registration forms to ensure they reach your audience. Make the registration process easy to find and complete by providing direct links and clear calls to action, encouraging potential volunteers to sign up and provide their information.
5. Send employer data to your 360MatchPro platform. If you use a platform like 360MatchPro, integrate it with your registration form to automatically transfer employer information to your donor database. This streamlines the process, allowing you to identify volunteer grants, VTO, and other opportunities as efficiently as possible.

Following these steps ensures that employer information is collected efficiently during the volunteer registration process. And doing this enables your organization to leverage corporate giving programs, build partnerships, and maximize the impact of volunteer contributions.

Leveraging Employer Information for Volunteer Programs

Once you’ve collected employer data (whether in your volunteer registrations or otherwise), it’s time to put it to good use. One of the most valuable purposes of this information is locating available corporate volunteer programs.

While these programs vary from one company to the next, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the types of programs you might see. Generally, these include:

• Volunteer grants ⁠— Corporate programs where companies provide monetary donations to nonprofits based on their employees’ volunteer hours. This incentivizes employees to engage in volunteer work and helps nonprofits receive additional funding.
• Volunteer time off (or VTO) ⁠— Programs that allow employees to take paid time off from work to volunteer for charitable organizations. This encourages employees to give back to their communities without sacrificing their personal time or pay.
• Skills-based volunteerism ⁠— Opportunities that involve employees using their professional skills and expertise to support nonprofit organizations. This type of volunteerism provides access to high-quality professional services like marketing, legal, or IT that may otherwise not fit in the organization’s budget.
• Corporate volunteer days ⁠— Organized events where a company’s employees participate in volunteer activities as a group. These events may be held during work hours and are often planned around specific causes or projects, such as environmental cleanups or community service projects.

Each of these programs encourages employee involvement in the community and helps companies support charitable causes in meaningful ways. When you know where your volunteers (or donors!) work, you can identify individuals who may qualify for workplace volunteer programs like these.

Not to mention, when you utilize Double the Donation’s volunteer incentive database tool, you can even provide company-specific information on available volunteer programs directly from your registration confirmation page!

Common Challenges and Solutions for Collecting Employer Information

If you don’t currently have a strategy for collecting employer information in volunteer registrations, don’t fret. Many organizations face challenges when it comes to gathering this information, but we’ve got the solutions ready for you.

Challenge: Not collecting the information at all.

Organizations often overlook the value of employer information and may miss the opportunity to collect it during volunteer registrations. This can limit their ability to identify corporate philanthropy opportunities, such as matching gifts or volunteer grants, and hinder their efforts to maximize volunteer contributions.

Solution: Start asking for employer information in volunteer registration forms.

To overcome this challenge, organizations should add an employer information field to their volunteer registration forms. Even if it’s optional, including this field increases the chances of gathering valuable data that can help unlock corporate giving opportunities.

Challenge: Collecting the information too late.

When employer information is requested after volunteers have already signed up or participated in an event, it can be challenging to gather accurate data. This delay may reduce response rates or lead to missed opportunities for volunteer grants or volunteer time off associated with recent activities. Not to mention, VTO requests generally need to be submitted before the event takes place.

Solution: Request employer information from your initial volunteer sign-ups.

To avoid this issue, organizations should ask for employer information at the very start of the volunteer registration process. This ensures that relevant details are collected upfront, allowing the organization to identify corporate giving opportunities and engage volunteers with workplace giving programs right from the beginning. Plus, early collection sets the stage for more effective follow-up and donor engagement.

Challenge: Leveraging outdated information.

Just because you’ve accessed an individual’s employer information at one point in time doesn’t mean it will be the same for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, relying on outdated employer information can be problematic, as supporters may change jobs or employers over time. This can result in inaccurate data and missed opportunities if the organization continues to base its outreach on outdated records.

Solution: Regularly refresh supporters’ profiles with up-to-date details.

To keep employer information current, organizations should periodically prompt volunteers and donors to update their profiles. And the best way to do so is to ask them for the information each time they register for an event or complete a donation!

Regularly refreshing supporter data ensures that organizations have accurate information for pursuing volunteer incentives and broader corporate partnerships alike.

Challenge: Employer information going unused.

Even when employer data is collected, it may not be effectively leveraged by the organization. This lack of data utilization often results in missed opportunities to engage volunteers and corporate partnerships going unrealized.

Solution: Utilize the information for workplace giving incentives.

Train your staff on the importance of leveraging employer information for fundraising and corporate engagement. Teams can use this data to identify volunteer incentives, target companies with multiple supporters, or reach out about establishing new programs.

See it in Action: Organizations Collecting Employer Info in Volunteer Forms

Maybe you’re considering the addition of an employer information field⁠—or search tool⁠—to your volunteer registration forms. But first, you want to see what other organizations are doing.

You’re in luck! Check out the following examples of leading fundraising organizations collecting employment information directly as individuals register for volunteer activities.

Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to advocating for and protecting animals through rescue, advocacy, policy change, and more. In order to work toward its mission effectively, this national nonprofit engages volunteers across the country in a number of virtual, in-person, and hybrid roles.

Plus, when an individual registers to become a volunteer for the organization, they’re prompted to provide information regarding their current employment status. This includes an entire section dedicated to fields such as employer name, job title, and even matching gift eligibility.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

As a renowned pediatric treatment and research facility, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is focused on finding cures and treating children with catastrophic diseases. To elevate its impact, the organization is continuously seeking volunteers to help out in roles related to event support, fundraising, office and administration, and more.

When an individual registers to become a volunteer with St. Jude, they’re asked to complete a number of form fields⁠—including personal information, contact information, and employment details.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a prominent breast cancer organization committed to funding research, community health programs, and advocacy efforts to combat breast cancer.

When an individual is interested in volunteering, they’re prompted to fill out a brief online registration form. In addition to fields relating to volunteer interests, motivations, and more, the organization also asks volunteers to provide the name of their current employer⁠—allowing the team to uncover available corporate giving opportunities and more.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a major health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke by funding research, promoting healthy lifestyles, and supporting patient care. The leading nonprofit benefits from generous volunteer support through a number of individual and corporate volunteer opportunities alike.

In fact, the AHA even supplies a dedicated inquiry form for companies interested in organizing corporate volunteer events. This resource collects information about the business, its employees, and any current volunteer incentives⁠—including Dollars for Doers!

It even links out to the organization’s dedicated Matching Gifts Page, which includes a company search tool for users to access their employers’ program information.

Next Steps for More Impactful Volunteer Registrations

Including employer information in volunteer registrations offers a valuable opportunity for nonprofits to expand their networks and increase fundraising potential. By connecting with volunteers’ workplaces, organizations can unlock opportunities such as volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and even corporate partnerships.

For nonprofits looking to elevate their impact, taking the time to collect and leverage this information can make a significant difference. It’s a simple step that not only enhances the volunteer experience but also fosters stronger ties between nonprofits, volunteers, and their employers.

Interested in securing additional support for your cause? Check out these additional resources to learn more:

• How Donor Employer Information Boosts Fundraising + Workplace Giving. Dive deeper into the power of employer data with this complete guide. Uncover even more ways that this information can benefit your organization.
• 20 Top Volunteer Management Tools for Nonprofits & Schools. In order to collect employer information in volunteer registrations, it’s important to equip your team with the right VMS. Browse our top recommendations here!
• Standout Strategies for Leveraging Corporate Volunteer Incentives. Get the free guide to learn the ins and outs of corporate volunteer incentives like volunteer grants, VTO, and more.

In today’s developing corporate landscape, businesses are constantly on the lookout for new ways to engage their employees, differentiate their brands, and increase their overall revenue. One powerful tool that’s emerged as a way for companies to reach these objectives is corporate volunteerism⁠—and, specifically, offering paid volunteer time off (or VTO) for their employees.

As a nonprofit professional, these types of programs present a lucrative opportunity to incentivize volunteerism, foster meaningful supporter relationships, and expand your mission reach. However, understanding how to make the most of these endeavors and navigate the intricacies of the programs can seem daunting. That’s why we’ve crafted this comprehensive resource.

Designed to illuminate the path toward leveraging volunteer time off to its fullest potential, this guide will cover the following:

• What is Paid Volunteer Time Off?
• What to Know About VTO Program Guidelines
• How Do Nonprofits Benefit From Volunteer Time Off?
• Top 5 Employers With Paid Volunteer Time Off Programs
• Promoting VTO Opportunities to Supporters

Ready to learn more about corporate volunteer incentives like VTO? Let’s get started with the basics.

What is Paid Volunteer Time Off?

Also known as employer-sponsored volunteerism or paid-release time volunteer programs, paid volunteer time off is a strategic mechanism through which companies empower employees to partake in philanthropy during standard work hours.

Companies that offer these programs generally establish a certain number of VTO hours team members accrue each year⁠ for designated volunteer projects—above and beyond any existing paid leave or sick time. This approach not only encourages employee engagement but also strengthens corporate citizenship and fosters social responsibility within the workforce.

By providing paid time for volunteering, companies involve their teams in giving back to their communities. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the portion of companies offering VTO as part of their benefits package increased by more than 2 in 3 over the last decade. Today, an estimated 66% of surveyed employers provide some sort of paid time off in their benefits packages for employees to engage in volunteer events.

Why? Research shows that 96% of employees who participate in corporate volunteerism report having a positive company culture. And one of the best ways for businesses to encourage participation among staff is to turn it into a paid day out of the office!

Types of VTO Programs

Like volunteerism itself, there’s no single way to participate in a VTO program. While the specifics tend to vary from one company to the next, many initiatives fall into one of the following categories:

• Individual VTO — Paid time off designed to encourage a company’s employees to spend time volunteering on the clock. Businesses offering VTO empower staff to give back independently, contributing unique skills and expertise without missing a day of pay. Plus, the programs allow individuals to choose organizations or causes that align with their interests and skill sets (like yours!).
• Group volunteer events ⁠— Business or team-wide volunteer events that involve a company’s employees participating in organized activities or projects collectively. These types of events promote teamwork, morale, and camaraderie among employees. At the same time, it allows volunteers to make a collective impact on larger-scale projects or initiatives.
• Skills-based volunteerism ⁠— Also referred to as pro bono services, employees use professional skills to volunteer for a cause or organization beyond traditional volunteer activities. For example, a marketing specialist could assist in developing a promotional strategy, or a CPA may donate time to facilitate an organization’s accounting efforts.
• Disaster response volunteering ⁠— Employees assisting with relevant and timely relief efforts in the event of a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. This may include supply distribution, shelter assistance, search and rescue, first aid, and more to provide aid to communities affected.
• Civic time off ⁠— Paid time off designated for employees to participate in civic activities such as voting or serving on a jury. Companies offering this benefit demonstrate their commitment to responsible citizenship and engagement.

Once you’ve established which of your supporters qualify for volunteer time off, take a look at the program guidelines to determine⁠—and communicate⁠—the types of activities included in the programming.

Paid VTO vs. Volunteer Grants

Corporate volunteer grants and paid volunteer time off each represent a powerful way for companies to incentivize volunteerism among their staff. However, the two programs differ in key ways, and it’s important to understand the distinctions as you craft your organization’s engagement strategy.

First, VTO refers to a company policy where employees are granted paid time off work to participate in qualifying volunteer activities. Through these programs, employees can donate time to their favorite nonprofits and engage in community service without sacrificing their regular pay.

Conversely, volunteer grants are donations made by companies to nonprofit causes in recognition of their employees’ volunteer efforts. The biggest difference between the two is that funding is contributed to the organizations with which employees volunteer rather than to employees’ own paychecks.

What to Know About VTO Program Guidelines

Each company that offers volunteer time off first establishes a set of criteria or guidelines that dictate qualifying employees, nonprofits, activities, and more. For a nonprofit team, understanding common program guidelines enables fundraisers to identify VTO opportunities within their network.

Fortunately, most companies provide their employees with helpful documentation regarding eligibility and instructions for the program. These policies generally include the following:

• Eligible employees ⁠— Companies may implement regulations regarding full-time versus part-time team members or establish a minimum duration of employment prior to employees becoming eligible.
• VTO hours accrued ⁠— Some companies provide a set number of hours employees receive each year, while others allow it to accrue in smaller increments. Regardless, a recent study found that participating companies provide an average of 20 VTO hours per year per employee.
• Qualifying organizations and activities ⁠— The mission or cause of the organization an employee volunteers with can play a role in an individual’s eligibility for time off, too. For example, most 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify, though strictly political or religious organizations often do not. Similarly, there may be limits placed on the scope of activities covered under VTO.
• Pre-approval or request processes ⁠— Most companies require some sort of request process for their VTO programs. Make sure eligible supporters are aware of the opportunity, and take steps to guide volunteers through their submissions as much as possible.

Take a look at this sample VTO template to get a feel for the types of programs you’ll likely encounter. This policy provides a number of exclusions to the program, too⁠—including coaching a child’s sports team, attending a PTA meeting, or participating in a religious conference.

By familiarizing yourself with corporate VTO guidelines, your organization can effectively engage corporate volunteers and maximize the impact of their volunteer efforts.

How Do Nonprofits Benefit From Volunteer Time Off?

Many organizations⁠ rely on dedicated volunteers to ensure smooth operations. Volunteers generously contribute their time, energy, and skills to benefit communities. As a result, volunteerism provides essential support without added financial costs. This expands capacity, fosters engagement, enhances programming, and more.

Paid volunteer time off (or VTO) programs go a few steps further to drive an even greater impact. These benefits include:

Low-cost labor ⁠— Empower your team to get more done for your organization while reducing the need to invest in additional hiring, recruitment, or labor efforts. According to volunteerism research, the value of a single volunteer hour is currently estimated to be $31.80.

Expanded volunteer pool ⁠— By removing financial and logistical barriers, VTO produces a larger pool of potential volunteers to engage with. That means more volunteers signing up to participate!

Diverse skillsets and expertise ⁠— When it comes to volunteerism, employees often bring their professional expertise to the table (think: copywriting, graphic design, accounting, legal services, etc.). This ultimately provides increased access to specialized skills and knowledge.

Heightened retention ⁠— Volunteers are more likely to continue their support when their time is compensated. Highlight the availability of VTO to keep supporters coming back time and time again.

New fundraising opportunities ⁠— According to Volunteer Hub, 79% of people who volunteer donate to the organization as well. VTO programs help engage volunteers with your cause, and your team can begin stewarding them as donors, too!

Growing corporate partnerships ⁠— Targeting VTO companies can heighten visibility and open doors for partnerships. Consider whether participating employers also supply matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other types of programs.

Increased community impact ⁠— With expanded resources and a growing supporter base thanks to corporate volunteer programming like VTO, your team can benefit its community and mission even more.

Top 5 Employers With Paid Volunteer Time Off Programs

Tons of businesses offer paid volunteer time for their employees. Becoming familiar with top VTO programs allows your team to identify engagement opportunities, access valuable resources, and establish strategic partnerships.

Check out these five examples of generous employers⁠—and see if your volunteers (or donors!) work for these companies.

1. Patagonia

Up to 18 paid volunteer hours each year
Additional two-month paid internship opportunities
Focus: Environmental activism

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ❌

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and recreation gear retailer based in Ventura, California. With a focus on environmental activism, the company engages employees by offering up to 18 paid volunteer hours annually.

Not to mention, Patagonia also encourages employees to participate in an additional two-month Environmental Internship Program with the environmental group of their choice (while maintaining full benefits!). Additionally, Patagonia matches employees’ monetary donations to a wide range of nonprofits as well⁠—with each team member qualifying for up to $10,000 in matching gift funds per year.

2. Thomson Reuters

Two paid days (16 hours) each year
Inclusive of company-sponsored volunteer activities
Focus: Local community investment

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️

Thomson Reuters is a Canadian-based multinational information and media conglomerate. With more than 25,000 employees across hundreds of locations worldwide, the company offers a number of corporate-sponsored ways for team members to give back to their communities.

While full-time team members receive two paid days off for volunteer activities each year, the program policy dictates that part-time staff (specifically those regularly scheduled for more than 20 hours per week) qualify for a prorated number of VTO hours as well.

3. GM Financial

8 hours VTO per quarter for full-time staff
4 hours VTO per quarter for part-time staff
Focus: Strengthening communities

Also offers matching gifts: ❌
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️
Also offers P2P fundraising matches: ✔️

GM Financial is a financial services provider and subsidiary of General Motors with extensive operations based in North and Latin America, Europe, and China. As a way of giving back to society, GM Financial incentivizes volunteerism among employees in a few ways⁠—including both volunteer grants and paid time off to volunteer.

The good news? Full-time and part-time employees can participate! Each quarter, full-time GM Financial staff receive 8 hours of volunteer time off, while part-time workers receive 4.

Meanwhile, through its volunteer grant program, employees can earn $10 for every hour they donate to a nonprofit. However, the program policy does specify that dollars for doers (or volunteer grants) may only be requested for volunteer activities that take place outside of working hours.

4. Microsoft

30 hours pro bono services each year
Hack for Good tech innovation event
Focus: Accessible legal knowledge, resources, and services

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️
Also offers volunteer grants: ✔️

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation with a focus on leading operating systems, productivity applications, and web browsers. The company is also known for its standout philanthropy⁠—and, specifically, its widespread employee involvement.

In a single year, nearly 50,000 Microsoft employees volunteered more than 1 million hours of their time with charitable organizations worldwide. Through its paid volunteer time off program, each team member receives 30 hours to dedicate to pro bono work annually.

5. Sentinel Group

Two paid days of service (16 hours) each year
Focus: Education, community, and health and wellness

Also offers matching gifts: ✔️ (With auto-submission!)
Also offers volunteer grants: ❌

Sentinel Group, formerly known as Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group, is a Massachusetts-based business management consulting firm. In order to engage their employees and incentivize community service, Sentinel Group launched a volunteer time off program. Through the initiative, each team member receives 16 hours (or two full days) worth of PTO to devote to volunteer activities.

Promoting VTO Opportunities to Supporters

The rate at which a company’s staff are involved in corporate volunteer initiatives can vary drastically from one employer to the next. As a nonprofit, one of the best things your team can do to increase participation is to begin driving awareness of the programs with smart marketing and promotional efforts.

Here’s what we recommend!

1. Share about volunteer time off programs on social media.

Your organization’s social media profiles are going to be some of your greatest assets when it comes to driving awareness of VTO opportunities on a mass scale. Sharing information about paid volunteer time off programs online can be just what you need to inspire action among your followers.

As usual, remember to use engaging visuals and compelling storytelling strategies to capture and retain your audience’s attention. You might also choose to share success stories of team members who have previously participated in VTO activities and highlight the tangible impact they’ve made for your cause. Then, be sure to link out to additional resources (such as a dedicated page on your website) for interested supporters to learn more.

2. Create or optimize a dedicated Volunteers page on your website.

Speaking of, creating a dedicated web page for all things volunteerism (and volunteer incentives) allows you to establish a centralized hub for volunteer-related resources. If you already have a volunteers page on your site, you’ll want to incorporate information about paid volunteer time off programs to best market the opportunity to your audience.

Be sure to illustrate the positive impact of corporate volunteerism on your mission and provide additional resources and information on how supporters can get involved. In doing so, you can reinforce your organization’s commitment to collaboration and volunteerism, too!

3. Leverage employer data to identify VTO opportunities.

Your supporters’ employment data contains a wealth of information about available engagement opportunities⁠—from matching donations to supplying paid time for volunteering. Use the information to uncover contacts in your database who work for companies with VTO. Then, adjust your strategy accordingly.

If you already know where a volunteer works, take a moment to look into the company’s volunteer incentive programs. If you don’t have an individual’s employer on file, consider a corporate giving database tool or explore an employer append service to help fill in any gaps.

4. Implement personalized outreach for eligible supporters.

Once you’ve determined which supporters work for companies with VTO programs, initiating tailored communications can go a long way. But you don’t just want to reach out to existing volunteers! In fact, identifying and engaging with donors working for VTO companies can be a surefire way to tap into new opportunities for support.

Be sure to focus your outreach while highlighting the benefits of paid volunteerism (i.e., a meaningful experience and a fun day off work!). Then, encourage recipients to take advantage of the programming. Provide information on upcoming volunteer activities and clearly communicate how supporters can get involved.

Our top recommendation? Embed a volunteer grant database (such as Double the Donation Volunteering) on your website so supporters can easily access program guidelines and instructions.

5. Familiarize yourself with local businesses offering volunteer time off.

Local businesses can become some of your most valuable corporate partners. Research companies in your area and note those offering VTO programs for their employees. (Not sure where to start? Reach out to professional services firms in your area⁠—such as advertising, law, or accounting.)

From there, you’ll want to establish connections within the human resources department or corporate social responsibility team. Start your conversation by learning more about their volunteerism initiatives and identify opportunities for collaboration. Then, pitch a volunteer event or activity with which to engage the business’s staff through VTO.

6. Encourage volunteers at VTO companies to organize group activities.

Let’s say you have an existing volunteer who works for a large company with a paid VTO policy. One of the best ways to attract eligible volunteers is to empower supporters to rally their colleagues.

Sometimes, all you have to do is encourage a single volunteer to organize a group activity and get their teammates on board.

Be sure to provide resources to assist in coordinating volunteer projects, like team-building exercises, community service days, or fundraising events. By setting up your volunteers to mobilize their coworkers, you can maximize the impact of available VTO programs and foster a culture of collaborative volunteerism.

Final Thoughts & Additional Resources

When nonprofits and companies work together, the opportunities for social impact are endless. Paid volunteer time off programs are one example of a way businesses are meeting the increased demand for corporate responsibility. Matching gifts and volunteer grants are a few others.

Now, it’s time to tap into the VTO programs in your organization’s network. Your team can establish solid corporate partnerships, better engage with volunteers, and achieve your mission with greater efficiency.

Good luck!

There’s more to corporate engagement than paid volunteer time off. Dive into these other generous programs and initiatives to uncover new opportunities for your organization:

• FREE DOWNLOAD: The Ultimate Guide to Matching Gifts. This must-read resource provides comprehensive insights into matching gifts, empowering organizations to make the most of these programs. Explore practical tips and strategies to navigate donation matching here!
• Maximizing Impact With Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs. Did you know you can collect corporate funds when a company’s employees volunteer with your cause? Dive into this in-depth exploration of volunteer grant programs and discover the power of volunteerism to drive positive change.
• Navigating Corporate Philanthropy | A Nonprofit Playbook. Forging successful corporate partnerships is a must. This complete guide supplies actionable guidance for navigating corporate philanthropy⁠. Learn to identify prospects, craft proposals, make your pitch, and foster mutually beneficial relationships.