Volunteer Grant Blurbs-Templates To Boost Revenue

Volunteer Grant Blurbs: Quick Templates To Boost Revenue

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For many nonprofits, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization. They staff events, tutor students, walk dogs, and perform the essential labor that keeps the mission alive. But what if those hours of service could generate more than just labor? What if they could generate cold, hard cash? This is the reality of volunteer grant programs, a form of corporate philanthropy where companies provide monetary grants to organizations where their employees volunteer. Often referred to as “Dollars for Doers,” these grants essentially provide “free money” for nonprofits and schools, allowing organizations to drastically increase the ROI of their volunteer programs.

Despite the incredible potential of these programs, billions of dollars in corporate philanthropy go unclaimed every year. The reason is rarely a lack of eligibility but rather a lack of awareness. Organizations typically have limited information on the companies their volunteers work for, and the volunteers themselves often lack awareness of their companies’ volunteer grant availability and eligibility criteria. If supporters are never made aware of their employers’ giving programs, they won’t know to complete the grant request process, and their employers will be unable to supply the appropriate funding.

To bridge this gap, nonprofits must actively market these opportunities. One of the most effective ways to do this is by incorporating volunteer grant blurbs into your existing communication channels. By using pre-written, persuasive copy across your website, emails, and social media, you can educate your supporters and drive significant revenue without adding a heavy lift to your development team.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

By implementing these communication strategies, you can turn your volunteer program into a dual-threat resource that provides both operational support and financial sustainability.

The Value of Volunteer Grants

Before diving into the templates, it is crucial to understand the landscape you are navigating. Volunteer grants are a specific type of corporate giving program that supplies monetary grants to organizations where employees volunteer. These programs are more common than you might think; approximately 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs to engage their employees and support charitable causes.

The financial impact of these grants can be substantial. Statistics show that 80% of companies with volunteer grant programs offer between $8 and $15 per hour for volunteering with a nonprofit. For example, companies like Microsoft offer $25 per hour an employee volunteers, while ExxonMobil offers $500 for every 20 hours an employee volunteers.

However, the average employee participation level for volunteer grants sits at just 3%. This low participation rate highlights the broad “knowledge gap.” Although it is up to individual volunteers to complete the grant request process and secure funds on your behalf, promoting the opportunity to your volunteer base can go a long way. By increasing awareness of volunteer grants through sharing information on social media, personal outreach, and at volunteer events, you can unlock this unclaimed revenue.

Did You Know? Volunteer grants are widely available across industries. Companies like Verizon, Disney, and Dell all offer generous programs where they provide donations to nonprofits based on the volunteer hours their employees contribute.

Website Blurbs: Your Digital Hub

Your nonprofit’s website is the hub of all things related to your organization, making it the perfect place to promote volunteer grants . Integrating volunteer grant blurbs into key pages ensures that visitors who are looking for ways to support you are immediately informed about this opportunity.

The “Ways to Give” or “Volunteer” Page

This is the most logical place to house detailed information. You want to catch volunteers when they are already in the mindset of giving their time.

Template 1: The Educational Hook

Header: Amplify the Impact of Your Time With Volunteer Grants

Body: Did you know that your time could be worth double to us? Many companies offer volunteer grant programs where they provide monetary grants to nonprofit organizations based on the number of hours their employees volunteer. This means that every hour you spend volunteering with us could generate additional funding for our programs. See if your employer has a volunteer grant program today!

Template 2: The Statistical Appeal

Header: Make Your Hours Count Twice

Body: 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs as a way to engage their employees and give back to charitable causes. These grants essentially provide “free money” for nonprofits, allowing us to drastically increase the ROI of our volunteer programs. Call to Action: Use the database tool below to see if your company has a volunteer grant program to further increase the value of your time.

The Donation Confirmation Page

While typically reserved for matching gifts, this page is also a prime real estate for volunteer grants. If a donor has just given money, they are highly engaged. Reminding them that they can also support you through volunteering—and getting paid for it by their employer—can plant a seed for future engagement.

Template 3: The Cross-Sell Opportunity

Header: Want to do more for [Nonprofit Name]?

Body: Thank you for your donation! If you are also interested in volunteering, check if your employer offers volunteer grants. Companies like Allstate and Microsoft donate up to $25 per hour for every hour you serve. It is a great way to maximize your contribution without opening your wallet again.

Quick Tip: For the best results, we recommend embedding a database widget on your nonprofit website, donation pages, and volunteer forms. This allows supporters to search for their company and immediately access forms and guidelines.

Email Blurbs: Direct to Inbox

According to fundraising research, email has the highest ROI of any marketing platform. As a result, you do not want to leave it out of your volunteer grant promotional strategy. Email allows you to be direct, personal, and timely, especially when following up after an event.

The Newsletter Feature

Include a recurring section in your monthly newsletter. Since your list grows and changes, repeating this message ensures new subscribers see it and reminds long-time supporters who may have changed jobs.

Template 4: The General Awareness Blurb

Subject: Double your impact without spending a dime

Header: Monetize Your Volunteerism with Employee Volunteer Grants Body: Dear [Volunteer Name], Did you know you may be able to unlock additional funding for our cause? Many companies match their employees’ volunteer hours with monetary grants. For example, 80% of companies with these programs offer between $8 and $15 per hour for volunteering. Check with your HR department or visit our corporate giving page to see whether your volunteer hours can qualify for a grant for [Nonprofit Name].

The Post-Event Follow-Up

This is perhaps the most critical communication touchpoint. After a volunteer has completed a shift, they are feeling good about their contribution. Use this momentum to ask for the grant.

Template 5: The “Thank You” Pivot

Subject: Thank you for volunteering! (Plus one more way to help)

Body: Dear [Volunteer Name], We really appreciate your support of our organization. Your time is invaluable to us, and with volunteer grants, its impact can be multiplied. Did you know that thousands of companies have volunteer incentive programs that support employee volunteering?. These programs could offer volunteer grants (which match your volunteer time with donations to our organization) or volunteer PTO. Next Step: Please visit our company-sponsored volunteering page to see if your company offers one of these programs and access the forms, guidelines, and instructions you need to participate.

The “Company Specific” Email

If you have collected employment data during registration, you can send highly targeted emails to volunteers who work for known grant-making companies.

Template 6: The Targeted Ask

Subject: [Volunteer Name], maximize your impact with [Company Name]

Body: Dear [Volunteer Name], It looks like your company, [Company Name], has a volunteer incentive program that supports employee volunteering. Based on your recent volunteer hours, you may be eligible to submit a grant request. Please see the instructions and documentation below to take advantage of your company’s volunteer incentives. [Link to Company Form]

Social Media Blurbs: Broadening the Reach

Social media is perfect for quick, shareable content that raises general awareness. Whenever you post about volunteer opportunities, include a snippet about volunteer grants. Link back to your corporate giving page on your website, encouraging followers to look there for more information.

Facebook & LinkedIn

These platforms allow for slightly longer copy and are great for sharing success stories or detailed infographics.

Template 7: The Informational Post

“Did you know? 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs to engage their employees and support charitable causes. If you volunteer with us, your employer might donate money for every hour you serve! 🕒 = 💵. Check if your company participates here: [Link to Website].”

Template 8: The “Did You Know” Graphic (Pair with an image of volunteers in action)

“Amplify the Impact of Your Time With Volunteer Grants!. Your hard work helps us run our programs, but your volunteer grant could help us fund them. See if you qualify to turn your hours into dollars: [Link to Website].”

Twitter/X & Instagram

Keep it punchy and visual on these platforms. Plus, use hashtags to increase discoverability.

Template 9: The Short & Sweet

“Turn your volunteer hours into cash for [Nonprofit Name]! 💸 Many employers offer volunteer grants of $8-$15 per hour. Check your eligibility today: [Link]. #VolunteerGrants #CorporateGiving #NonprofitTech”

Template 10: The VTO Angle

“Does your company offer Paid Volunteer Time Off? 65% of companies offer paid-release-time volunteer programs. Spend a day with us and get paid by them! Learn more: [Link].”

Registration and Intake Blurbs

The best time to plant the seed for volunteer grants is right when a supporter is signing up. By incorporating volunteer grant blurbs into your registration forms, you can capture employment data and educate volunteers at the same time.

The Registration Form

Include an optional “Employer” field and a brief blurb explaining why you are asking.

Template 11: The Intake Prompt

Header: Volunteer Grants

Body: See if your employer offers a volunteer grant program!. Many companies provide monetary grants to organizations where their employees volunteer. Field: [Search for Company] Result: If eligible, display: “Yes! Your company has a matching gift program. Grant amount: $500 for every 20 hours”.

The Confirmation Screen

After they hit submit, use the confirmation screen to reinforce the message.

Template 12: The Confirmation Nudge

Header: You’re signed up!

Body: Thanks for joining us. Before you arrive, check whether your employer offers Volunteer Time Off (VTO) or Volunteer Grants. You could earn paid time off or secure a donation for us just by showing up! Action: [Link to Search Tool]

Quick Tip: If your organization subscribes to Double the Donation, you can direct recipients to your volunteer grant search tool to make determining eligibility quick, easy, and convenient.

Best Practices for Implementing These Blurbs

Writing the copy is only the first step. To truly maximize the revenue potential of volunteer grants, you need to deploy these blurbs strategically.

1. Create a Multichannel Strategy. Few organizations adequately promote the volunteer grant opportunity to supporters, often resulting in limited program awareness and unclaimed revenue. To close the knowledge gap, implement a multichannel marketing strategy that uses your website, email, and social media in concert.

2. Leverage Automation. Managing volunteer grants on your own can quickly become complex and tiresome. Investing in workplace giving software can streamline these processes. Tools like Double the Donation’s corporate volunteer software make it easy to identify volunteer grant opportunities and guide supporters through the process. Automated email streams can drive supporters to claim volunteer grants without your team lifting a finger.

3. Highlight the “Free Money” Aspect. Always emphasize that volunteer grants essentially provide “free money” for nonprofits and schools. This language is powerful because it frames the action as a low-effort, high-reward activity for the volunteer. They have already done the hard work of volunteering; the grant is just the cherry on top.

4. Track Your Results. You cannot improve what you do not measure. Monitor key metrics, including the number of volunteer grant submissions, total revenue generated, and open rates for your volunteer grant emails. Tracking performance data will help you refine your approach and ensure that your strategy continues to grow.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Integrating volunteer grant blurbs into your communications is a low-risk, high-reward strategy. By simply educating your existing volunteers about the programs their employers already offer, you can unlock a sustainable stream of unrestricted revenue. Whether it is a dedicated page on your website, a recurring segment in your newsletter, or a prompt during registration, every mention brings you one step closer to capturing the billions of dollars in corporate philanthropy currently left on the table.

Start by auditing your current volunteer communications. Where can you insert a blurb? Which emails are your volunteers engaging with most? Once you identify these touchpoints, copy and paste the templates above to start the conversation. You won’t regret it!

Ready to take your corporate fundraising to the next level? Request a demo with Double the Donation to see how our automation tools can identify eligible volunteers and send blurbs like these on your behalf, maximizing your revenue with minimal effort.