READY TO CREATE YOUR OWN EVP/VTO PROGRAM?
Want to start an Employee Volunteer Program (EVP) for your business? If so, Katherine Smith, executive director of the Center for Corporate Citizenship, recommends “beginning with the end in mind.” Decide what you most want out of your Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program. Then, design it to fit that ideal. Whether the goal is to strengthen ties with nonprofits or increase community visibility, companies can create a program for it.
Every new program comes with learning curves and takes time to launch. For that reason, the Points of Light Foundation recommends creating an Employee Volunteer Program that:
- Plans to achieve specific volunteer goals (funds raised, hours volunteered, etc.).
- Measures the outcomes of their programs (in hours, dollars, or projects completed, as well as any quantifiable changes within the business).
- Is designed to promote and cultivate skills that benefit the company and community.
- Has strong leadership within the business to encourage and maintain engagement and partnerships.
- Collaborates with government, private, and nonprofit groups.
- Increases employee engagement, morale, productivity, and retention.
- Celebrates employees’ volunteer work.
Having the support of the highest levels of management is crucial. In addition, establishing a budget, setting program outlines, and anticipating future needs are important. Keeping the end in mind, as Smith said, should help your company create a volunteer program that thrives.
THE TROUBLE WITH TRACKING EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER HOURS
Measuring the success of your program is crucial, but can be time consuming. Therefore, an online solution is the easiest option. NobleHour‘s online platform enhances your community engagement with innovative tools for finding, tracking, and measuring volunteer hours.
NobleHour offers great features at a reasonable price that track and approve employee volunteer hours.
TIME TRACKING- With the Hour Tracking feature, members can track and approve volunteer, service-learning, internship, and paying job hours. Collecting paper forms and spreadsheets is a thing of the past.
IMPACT MEASUREMENT– Our up-to-the-minute Impact Measurement tool shows you the economic impact individuals, groups, and businesses are making in their communities as volunteers.
MOBILE APP– Find volunteer opportunities and log your hours with our new mobile app for IOS and Android. Click here to learn more!
REPORT- Our reports feature highlights the impact your employees are making in the community. Compile and export your data with just a few clicks! Show reports to staff and shareholders, and make sure to include them in your annual report. Review your employees approved hours and economic impact over time. See how your organization is performing on average compared to other communities, and MUCH more!
IT’S NOT ALL BUSINESS
Companies and their employees are discovering how much they’re impacting the world around them.
However, odds are these programs are the only occasion employees can take time to give back to the community. What if a few paid hours allowed your employees to help people in need? What if, by giving them those few hours a year, you help them generate fundraising that affects hundreds or even thousands of people? Not only will your team be happier when they return to the office, but they’ll have a greater sense of satisfaction knowing their contributions made a difference.
Volunteer programs do more than just benefit those who are engaged in volunteering. They also create an environment that encourages volunteerism in both communities and corporations. We’re in the middle of a massive overhaul of the way we do business. Today’s workforce understands the importance of life outside of work.
With planning and commitment, businesses can change how we view time off. More and more companies will undoubtedly start providing VTO programs. Next, it will have ripple effects on our culture. Soon, we might not remember a time when we “didn’t have the time” to volunteer!
DO YOU WANT TO START AN EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM? WE CAN HELP!
Since 2007, NobleHour has proven to be the volunteer management solution for organizations across the nation. With its robust online platform, NobleHour enhances community engagement with a variety of innovative and transformative tools for finding, tracking, and measuring volunteer, service‐learning, and community service initiatives. With offices in Lakeland, FL, and Portland, OR, the NobleHour team is dedicated to empowering good in communities across the country.
By NobleHour Special Contributor:
Latasha Doyle
Consultant, NobleHour
Contributing Writer
Denver, Colorado
Latasha Doyle is a writer and long term care volunteer living outside of Denver, Colorado. When she’s not writing or volunteering, she enjoys crocheting, Netflix marathons, and planning her next trip.
