Why Create A Corporate Volunteer and Community Engagement Program?

By “paying it forward,” volunteerism can lead to improved health, happiness, and even employability for individuals.  For businesses, volunteerism is tantamount to recruiting and retaining mission-driven talent, creating a positive corporate culture, and building community good will and stewardship. 

By the Numbers

  • 61% of millennial hires consider a company’s commitment to the community when deciding on a potential job. 

  • 70% of volunteers believe companies should make an effort to match their employees’ work-related skills or talents with the needs of non-profit organizations for volunteering purposes, but less than one-third (29%) of those who are employed say their company does so.

  • Employees who engage in company volunteer programs are twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive.

  • 74% of volunteers believe companies should use volunteering as a professional development tool, 28% of those who are employed believe their company doesn’t have a mechanism for them to actually volunteer.

  • 50% of HR executives see volunteerism as important to company culture.

  • Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents say they would prefer to work for companies that offer them opportunities to contribute their professional skills to charitable organizations.

  • Employees who participate in corporate volunteer programs are more inclined to be proud to work for their company and to recommend the company to friends and colleagues.

Minding the Gap

  • Only one out of six companies (16%) make it a regular practice to intentionally offer skills-based volunteer opportunities for employee development

  • The vast majority of volunteer programs are structured to management level and above, limiting the professional development of junior and mid-level employees

  • 97% of non-profits do not know who within a company to appeal to for pro bono work, and 95% for general requests

  • Gen Y disproportionately believes that they have substantive technical skills to offer non-profits, that leadership is better developed by so doing, but that most companies don’t offer opportunities to offer these skills.

Leveraging Community Engagement

Vermont Connector can help your business create a community engagement program that aligns with your mission and values. Through targeted volunteer opportunities, VT Connector can also help your employees develop their technical skills and leadership potential.

* Statistics compiled by Deloitte and Touche in volunteer impact surveys