Strategies for Medium-Sized Orgs to Grow Volunteer Grants

Volunteer grants represent a significant opportunity for medium-sized organizations seeking to expand their funding sources without overextending their existing resources. These grants, offered by corporations to reward their employees’ volunteer efforts, can provide a steady stream of unrestricted revenue that supports operational needs and program growth. For mid-sized nonprofits, which often balance growing community engagement with the need for operational efficiency, volunteer grants serve as a strategic bridge between grassroots volunteerism and corporate philanthropy.

By leveraging volunteer grants effectively, medium-sized organizations can monetize their volunteer programs, deepen relationships with corporate partners, and enhance their overall fundraising portfolio. This approach not only increases financial support but also fosters a culture of engagement among volunteers, encouraging sustained involvement and advocacy. Understanding how to navigate and optimize volunteer grant programs is essential for medium-sized nonprofits aiming to scale their impact while maintaining manageable workloads. In this guide, we’ll cover:

Why Do Volunteer Grants Matter for Medium-Sized Organizations?

Volunteer grants hold particular importance for medium-sized organizations because they align closely with the dual priorities of operational efficiency and community engagement. Unlike smaller nonprofits that may struggle with limited resources or larger organizations that focus on complex infrastructure, medium-sized groups are uniquely positioned to capitalize on volunteer grants as a way to enhance both funding and volunteer involvement.

Enhancing Operational Efficiency Through Volunteer Grants

Medium-sized nonprofits often face the challenge of scaling their operations without proportionally increasing staff or overhead. Volunteer grants offer a solution by generating additional revenue that can be reinvested into improving systems, training, and volunteer management. This funding enables organizations to streamline their processes and provide better support to their expanding volunteer base.

By integrating volunteer grant programs into their fundraising strategy, medium-sized organizations can reduce reliance on traditional fundraising events or campaigns, which may require significant staff time and resources. Instead, they can leverage existing volunteer activities to unlock new funding streams, making their operations more sustainable and efficient.

Building Stronger Corporate Partnerships

Volunteer grants also provide a platform for medium-sized nonprofits to cultivate and deepen relationships with corporate partners. These grants demonstrate a company’s commitment to social responsibility and employee engagement, which can lead to broader sponsorships, in-kind donations, and collaborative initiatives.

For medium-sized organizations, establishing these partnerships is crucial for long-term growth. Volunteer grants serve as an entry point for corporations to see the impact of their employees’ volunteerism, encouraging ongoing support and investment. This symbiotic relationship benefits both parties and enhances the nonprofit’s visibility within the corporate community.

Best Practices for Medium-Sized Nonprofits to Grow Volunteer Grants

Turning volunteer time into funding requires intentional strategies and consistent effort. For medium-sized organizations, adopting best practices tailored to their capacity can maximize the benefits of volunteer grants and ensure sustainable growth.

One of the first steps is to implement tools that facilitate volunteer grant applications and tracking. Using a volunteer grant database widget on the organization’s website can simplify the process for volunteers, making it easy for them to identify their eligibility and submit requests. Automated follow-up emails help maintain engagement and remind volunteers to complete necessary steps, increasing the likelihood of successful grant submissions.

Leveraging Technology for Scalable Volunteer Grant Programs

Medium-sized nonprofits should consider basic segmentation of their volunteer database to target communications effectively. Segmenting volunteers by employer or engagement level allows for personalized outreach that resonates with different groups. This targeted approach improves response rates and encourages more volunteers to participate in grant programs.

Additionally, integrating volunteer grant tracking with existing volunteer management systems or CRMs can streamline data collection and reporting. This integration reduces manual work and provides real-time insights into grant revenue, enabling organizations to adjust their strategies proactively.

Educating and Empowering Volunteers

Education is key to growing volunteer grant revenue. Medium-sized organizations should provide clear, accessible information about volunteer grants during orientation sessions, newsletters, volunteer meetings, and more. Empowering volunteers with knowledge about how their hours translate into financial support motivates them to log their time accurately and advocate for the organization within their workplaces.

Providing step-by-step guides, FAQs, and direct support for grant applications can remove barriers and increase participation. When volunteers feel confident and supported, they are more likely to complete the grant process, resulting in higher revenue for the nonprofit.

Overcoming Common Volunteer Grant Challenges for Medium-Sized Orgs

Many nonprofits leave volunteer grant dollars unclaimed due to a lack of awareness, limited capacity, or unclear processes. Medium-sized organizations face unique challenges as they scale their volunteer programs and seek to optimize grant revenue without overwhelming their teams.

One common barrier is the difficulty of scaling volunteer grant efforts efficiently. As the number of volunteers grows, manually tracking hours and managing grant applications becomes increasingly complex.

Standardizing Hour-Tracking and Data Collection

Implementing standardized hour-tracking methods ensures accurate and consistent data, which is critical for successful grant submissions. Medium-sized nonprofits should adopt simple yet effective tools that allow volunteers to log their hours easily, whether through online portals or mobile apps.

Integrating these tools with a volunteer management system (VMS) can automate data collection and reporting, freeing staff to focus on engagement and outreach rather than administrative tasks. This approach also minimizes errors and improves the overall efficiency of the volunteer grant process.

Streamlining Communication and Follow-Up

Effective communication is essential to overcoming capacity constraints. Automated follow-up emails and reminders can prompt volunteers to complete grant applications and provide necessary documentation. This reduces the need for manual outreach and ensures that fewer grant opportunities are missed.

Utilizing templates and standardized messaging helps maintain consistency and professionalism in communications, further enhancing volunteer experience and increasing the likelihood of successful grant submissions. Plus, tools like Double the Donation Volunteering can be instrumental in addressing these challenges. By integrating volunteer grant management into existing systems, organizations can eliminate data silos, automate workflows, and gain valuable insights to refine their strategies. Even small improvements in process efficiency can lead to significant increases in volunteer grant revenue for medium-sized nonprofits.

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Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Volunteer grants represent a high-impact, underutilized revenue stream that can significantly benefit nonprofits of all sizes. For medium-sized organizations, these grants offer a unique opportunity to monetize volunteer efforts, enhance operational efficiency, and build meaningful corporate partnerships. By adopting strategies tailored to their capacity, medium-sized nonprofits can unlock substantial corporate funding tied to volunteerism.

Taking the next step involves evaluating current volunteer engagement practices and tools to identify opportunities for improvement. Whether it is implementing new technology, refining communication strategies, or educating volunteers more effectively, mid-sized organizations can position themselves to maximize the benefits of volunteer grants and accelerate their mission impact.

See How Double the Donation Volunteering Can Help Your Mid-Sized Nonprofit

Double the Donation helps nonprofits and educational institutions tap into corporate volunteer incentives to grow engagement and revenue. With Double the Donation’s volunteer grant software, fundraisers can seamlessly integrate a volunteer incentive tool into their existing tech stack. The tool identifies volunteers eligible for corporate volunteer grants, then educates and empowers them to log their hours and request funding from their employer, resulting in increased revenue with no additional donation ask.

Today, Double the Donation supports thousands of nonprofits and schools (including many medium-sized institutions) with solutions that unlock workplace giving opportunities beyond just matching gifts. Organizations that utilize Double the Donation’s tools for volunteer grants see measurable increases in both funding and supporter engagement. Learn how to grow revenue with volunteer grants; request a demo of Double the Donation today.