How to keep employer supported volunteers coming back for more!
We all like to receive positive feedback and recognition for things we have done well and for having made an effort – and of course, volunteering is no exception. Research shows that community participation by employees rises dramatically when their employer supports their activity, and a key way for any employer to do this is through supporting external awards schemes or running internal recognition schemes.
Once your programme is up and running, keeping the momentum is vital if you are to develop your services, retain your customers and add value to your local communities. As the broker your role is to continue to develop your own services in line with your customer’s needs, and to provide them with ideas for how they can keep the momentum going in their own companies and organisations. It is important to keep things fresh, exciting and build on success and best practice, and demonstrate effectively that everyone’s contribution is making a difference.
ESV programmes provide some great opportunities for profile – ways to address community need, great volunteering stories, commitment for support from employers etc. The following checklist
Top tips
- Publish a glossy annual review (could be sponsored) – highlighting employers who got involved, photographs of activities, case studies, quotes, impact data endorsements, award winners, acknowledgements to partners, corporate supporters, all volunteers, before and after photos, case studies.
- Organise a yearly review/event - invite key stakeholders, volunteers, supporters, communicate successes and future plans, develop further endorsement for your ESV Programme.
- Identify a local celebrity to act as your local ambassador.
- Always acknowledge the support you get and encourage as much media exposure as possible.
- Align funding for merchandise i.e. T-shirts, badges, pens, mugs, post-it notes, mouse mats, activity banners etc.
- Say thank you often and warmly!
- Get to know volunteers - send birthday or Christmas cards
- Pay for an advert in the local paper – thanking all your volunteers for their contribution over the last year.
- Annual supplement in local paper highlighting successes over the year.
- Desktop calendar of activities throughout the year, highlighting contributions from all supporters
- Collection of thank you letters – bound and published
Here are a few ideas for ways an employer can recognise their employees’ involvement in the community
- Chief Executive (senior management) visiting a volunteering activity whilst it is taking place, and a photo shoot.
- Personal thank you letters
- Publish a souvenir with quotes, snapshots, testimonials etc.
- Encourage display stands in key areas such as receptions, canteens etc.
- Highlight stories in internal newsletters, magazines or intranet communications i.e. volunteer of the month
- Chief Executive (senior management) hosting a lunchtime or evening reception to congratulate all the volunteers, with an opportunity to thank them personally.
- Volunteers’ thank-you party (extend invites to organisations and line managers) – as they helped make it happen too.
- Make a corporate video of the volunteering programme and employees in action – and send a copy to all departments
- A donation made to the volunteer’s group or organisation supported (the amount could be a one-off payment, or scaled to the length of time spent with the organisation), and may be applied for yearly or six-monthly.
- Nominate for external awards schemes
Many volunteering activities lend themselves to opportunity for accreditation and/or personal/professional development. Providing opportunity for employer supported volunteers to select opportunities that meet their individual or team professional development needs is very often a key role for the broker, and is a great way to gain commitment to your programme, and build recognition for employer supported volunteering.
The 2005 Citizenship Survey indicates barriers and incentives to participation, and these can be considered when thinking about the messages and communication of any employer supported volunteering scheme.
Common barriers cited were:
- Doing other things in spare time (31%)
- Looking after children/home (29%)
- Lack of awareness of opportunities (15%)
- Don’t know who to help (11%)
Common incentives cited were:
- 42% said they would be more likely to get involved if someone asked them directly
- 35% said they would be more likely to get involved if friends and family do so as well
- 23% said that having someone already involved in the group would encourage them to participate.
- 20% said they would be more likely to participate if they knew it would help them improve their skills or gain qualifications
- 18% said they would be more likely to participate if it benefited their career or job prospects
For further findings from the survey visit our page on the 2005 Citizenship Survey or go the government website www.communities.gov.uk to read the full report.
Want to know more about keeping the momentum, including more tips, ideas, templates and checklists?
Find out how you can purchase our publication Employer Supported Volunteering: a toolkit for Volunteer Centres
Volunteer Centres can download the toolkit free of charge from the members section of the VE website.
