Examples of Companies with Employee Volunteer Programs

You found our list of employee volunteer program examples.

Employee volunteer programs are a form of corporate philanthropy initiatives where firms get their workers involved in community service projects. The company sponsors these programs so employees can commit company time to volunteer work. Employee volunteer programs’ benefits include more productivity, increased employee engagement, and a better retention rate.

These programs are similar to charity team building and group volunteering and can incorporate aspects of virtual fundraising and online volunteering.

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List of companies with employee volunteer programs

The following section highlights how some of the largest companies give back to their communities with their employee volunteer programs.

1. Gap Inc.

Gap is a global apparel and accessories retailer. The firm owns popular brands like Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta. Committed to making a meaningful social impact, Gap operates the Gap Foundation to support underserved communities. This foundation invests in education and workforce development to improve the lives of individuals and communities.

Gap goes beyond traditional corporate social responsibility by running the Gap Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement program. This initiative focuses on educating and empowering women in the global garment industry. This initiative aims to provide life skills and career training to female factory workers worldwide. Gap strives to uplift women and promote positive change in the fashion industry.

Learn more about Gap Inc.’s EVP.

2. Adobe

Adobe is a software company known for its creative and document management software. Adobe takes corporate social responsibility seriously, placing a strong emphasis on employee volunteerism. The company encourages its employees to engage in volunteer work and community service. The firm goes the extra mile by offering paid time off for these activities.

Adobe commits to multiple causes, including education, environmental sustainability, and the arts. The firm aligns its corporate mission with causes that create a positive impact. Overall, Adobe uses its resources and expertise to improve communities and society.

Learn more about Adobe’s EVP.

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3. Accenture

Accenture is a leading consulting firm specializing in technology and strategy consulting. The company’s Skills to Succeed program gives folks the skills to gain employment or start their own businesses, particularly in underserved communities. What makes Accenture’s approach unique is the active involvement of its employees.

The team members serve as mentors and trainers for program participants. Accenture uses its expertise to make a significant social impact. The firm’s dedication extends to various areas, such as education, workforce development, and support for disadvantaged populations. This approach reflects a holistic understanding of corporate responsibility.

Learn more about Accenture’s EVP.

4. Home Depot

As a leading home improvement retailer, Home Depot places a strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility. The company’s Team Depot program showcases this commitment, encouraging employees to volunteer for various community projects. Team Depot’s focus is largely on home improvement and disaster relief efforts. Volunteers participate in initiatives like building and repairing homes for veterans, supporting local schools, and responding to disaster-stricken areas.

Home Depot values employee engagement in giving back to its communities. The firm aligns this belief with its core mission of creating a positive impact beyond its retail operations. By utilizing its workforce for community service, Home Depot actively contributes to the well-being of neighborhoods and disaster-affected regions.

Learn more about Home Depot’s EVP.

5. Verizon

Verizon offers a gift of $750 for every 50 hours of volunteer work completed under Verizon’s volunteer grant program. Verizon aims to create value around the world through communication technologies. The volunteer program is in three phases:

Verizon’s Digital Inclusion Program tries to bridge the digital gap by making its technologies accessible. The volunteer program assists rural areas, low-income families, and schools with limited resources. Verizon also teams up with the government to provide more economical options and aid individuals who cannot afford high-speed internet.
Verizon’s Climate Protection Initiative aims to ensure that the company’s products and services are environmentally friendly. Investments in renewable energy and improvements to its network and facilities are helping the company achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.
Verizon’s Human Prosperity Commitment helps vulnerable people improve their present skill set so that the community as a whole may prosper. The company believes in the power of volunteering to improve the lives of others.

The contribution of the company’s workers, both on the job and in their own time, allows the brand to strengthen bonds with the local communities and clients.

Learn more about Verizon’s EVP.

6. Microsoft

Employees at Microsoft are committed to making a difference in the world by donating their time, money, and expertise. These workers think that huge corporations can have a tremendous impact on the world, and are committed to working together as a team to achieve this goal.

For every hour of volunteer service, Microsoft donates $25 to employees as part of the company’s grant program.

Microsoft’s employee gift program allows employees to support the causes they believe in. One major feature of the program is the “dollar-for-dollar match” of up to $15,000 per employee each year.

Microsoft’s Employee Pro Bono Services give free legal assistance to people in need. The organization’s legal department makes it a major priority to facilitate and provide these services.

Learn more about Microsoft’s EVP.

7. EHL

EHL Group sought to solve several issues with its employee volunteering solution. They aspired to:

Streamline and manage all volunteer activities in one location.
Simplify the process of sourcing and accessing a broad range of volunteer activities for employees
Access and participate in projects from any location
Track and report contributions to public health

EHL was able to resolve all of these challenges by implementing a CSR-focused strategy throughout the whole firm. The company’s charitable efforts have tripled and its volunteer hours have grown 2.5 times. EHL’s concerted effort to strengthen its approach to corporate social responsibility improves the company’s employee engagement and supports local communities.

Learn more about EHL group’s EVP.

8. Nexthink

Nexthink has excellent employee volunteering program ideas that harness its workers’ talents for the greater good. For the company, it was important to break down traditional boundaries in the IT business and reach out to share available opportunities with a younger demographic. Although the task is quite large, their well-thought-out corporate volunteerism program makes these goals feasible.

To build a systematic volunteer policy, the firm has implemented an all-in-one platform that offers workers a wide range of volunteering possibilities. Therefore, Nexthink can streamline its EVP efforts and better manage foreign volunteer opportunities and projects easily.

Nexthink team was able to plan 38 volunteer events in the first year alone and saw 33 percent of its workers using the platform within only seven months of operation. This increase in employee involvement benefits the company’s culture and helps the company’s social responsibility initiatives.

9. Aetna

Aetna aims to improve the health and well-being of its members through different initiatives. The company’s mission is to promote people’s health in the United States by providing access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.

The following are Aetna’s initiatives at promoting a healthy way of life:

Charity for health and wellness: This program aims to help communities by providing cash assistance, in-kind gifts, and other forms of community investment, and by encouraging staff donations and other forms of fundraising. Aetna offers funding to help nonprofits in the community provide access to high-quality health care.
Promoting healthy communities: Aetna commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to the human acts that contribute to climate change. The company tries to accomplish this goal by developing environmental responsibility. These companies are working to reduce their carbon footprints and therefore conduct regular monitoring and evaluations of any problems that may arise regarding environmental compliance and climate change.
Lending helping hands to the community: As health care leaders, the company makes it their business duty to help people live longer, healthier lives. This initiative includes utilizing resources to improve local communities and the world around them.

Aetna tries to address many public health concerns and works hard to make health tests and services available to everyone. Volunteers who put in 20 hours of service are eligible for a $300 stipend.

Learn more about Aetna’s corporate responsibility program.

10. Scor

Scor launched an employee volunteer program as part of its effort to unify its staff. The firm wanted a framework for assessing employee engagement and the success of these activities.

With the help of over 3,000 workers in 39 countries, Scor launched the “Scor for Good” campaign.

Employees from all over the globe now have access to and can develop a broad range of volunteer activities thanks to the implementation of employee volunteering software. Scor successfully implemented the solution in 67 percent of its sites in the first seven months of utilizing the platform and recorded a 41 percent active user rate for the platform.

Learn more about Scor’s EVP.

11. PwC

Every year, PwC’s interns participate in a team-building exercise that involves coming up with ideas for five different nonprofits. There are 14 PwC offices where interns are divided into groups to brainstorm ideas. Participants return to the organization to present their results to colleagues.

Due to the program, the nonprofits get new insights and the interns get to know each other better and had a lively debate about the problem. PwC also gets to forge a relationship with a network of nonprofit organizations that appreciated the fresh perspectives they provide for their issues.

Learn more about PwC’s EVP.

12. Frontier

Workers at Frontier had previously organized their teams to volunteer on a whim before the company launched an official program. The company realized that it needed the means to capitalize on this enthusiasm and motivate its personnel to continue making great improvements.

The three most important components include:

To simplify the process of identifying local volunteer opportunities
To allow employees to stay informed about the amazing things their coworkers are doing as well as support one another
To track the positive contributions to the community

The firm used its employee volunteering platform to meet these objectives. The platform served as a central location where workers could look for volunteer activities and interact.

After three months, Frontiers witnessed an incredible 300 percent rise in contributions, and 59 percent of their staff were already using the platform within the first seven months.

Learn more about Frontier’s EVP.

13. Colgate-Palmolive

Volunteering activities of Colgate-Palmolive include a day called Colgate Cares Day, when teams throughout the world give back to their local communities and work to improve health around the world. When it comes to connecting their employee volunteer programs with their main company, oral healthcare is a common focus for these efforts.

Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program provides free dental checkups and information to children worldwide. Additionally, the brand provides free education to guarantee that children who are unable to afford dental care are still able to obtain the treatment and assistance they need.

In addition, the organization provides volunteer opportunities for employees to participate in sports programs, after-school tutoring, and animal welfare activities. The company’s employee volunteering program is a well-rounded strategy that focuses on community service and employee engagement and satisfaction.

Learn more about Colgate-Palmolive’s EVP.

14. 3M

3M integrates science, technology, creativity, and innovation to make a genuine difference. 3Mgives, the company’s social responsibility arm, gives employees volunteer options to promote interest in STEM and business.

3M employees serve their community by contributing to establishing an expanded network of future leaders with physical demonstrations and practical experimentation. The firm also invests in programs that support sustainable communities, such as extensive recycling programs.

15. McKesson

McKesson encourages employee volunteering programs in many ways, including:

Donation matching: The company will match up to $2,500 a year in charitable contributions for each employee.
Community days: To support community partners.
In-house contributions: The company also has a ‘Taking Care of Our Own’ fund that provides workers with donations in cases of financial difficulty, severe sickness, or other unforeseen circumstances.

These volunteer opportunities and assistance for employees increase employee engagement, which, in turn, increases employee morale and retention.

16. AppDynamics

Every year, AppDynamics provides its workers with five paid volunteer time off days to encourage them to become involved in community service and make a difference. By allowing workers to take time off to participate in volunteer activities, the firm fosters a culture of giving across the board.

There is also a program called “AppD Cares” that encourages the company’s workers to collaborate and give back in different ways. There is a range of volunteer opportunities available to employees, allowing them to engage in personally meaningful causes.

17. NVIDIA

NVIDIA Foundation aims to assist communities worldwide by donating money and volunteering time. The tech company committed over 9,000 volunteer hours and gave over $4.4 million in donations in 2018. For example, the company provided funding for cancer research and a new youth education project centered on artificial intelligence.

Learn more about Nvidia’s EVP.

The benefits of employee volunteer programs for companies

Businesses may gain a lot from implementing corporate volunteer programs. As a company, you may give your employees a fulfilling, engaging and meaningful work experience by setting up volunteering ideas for work.

The following are some of the advantages of starting an employee volunteer program for your company:

1. Boost employee satisfaction and engagement

According to Deloitte’s Volunteer Impact Survey, many workers consider company-sponsored volunteer activities vital for their well-being. Workers who are motivated by a sense of purpose would likely be more content with their work and more engaged when they know that what they do directly impacts the lives of others.

Check out job satisfaction statistics.

2. Boost the company’s reputation

According to an America’s Charities survey, 72 percent of customers would rather suggest a company that supports an excellent cause than one that does not. Many consumers and clients favor businesses that place a greater emphasis on making a beneficial contribution to society than on maximizing profits. A company can improve its reputation and public image by building strong ties with its local community.

3. Help workers learn more skills

Providing volunteer opportunities that are in line with the products and services of your company may assist workers in furthering their professional development. As an example, you might have your staff participate in a volunteer baking sale to put their talents to use.

Tips for implementing a successful employee volunteering programs

From defining goals to securing executive permission to onboarding your staff, establishing a successful volunteer program involves many aspects, including:

1. Determine the program’s objectives

You should identify your desired outcomes to easily gauge the effectiveness of your employee volunteering program before informing your workers. You should know why you want to implement an EVP, how many employees you need, and the number of volunteer hours.

2. Create or find local volunteer opportunities

Local nonprofits and internet resources like VolunteerMatch may help you find new possibilities for your workers that match their interests and skillsets.

You can encourage employees to participate in charitable endeavors by providing donation possibilities to assist nonprofit groups. This effort might involve expanding your list of corporate philanthropy activities to include a corporate matching donation program or a volunteer grant program.

3. Inform employees of the initiatives

It would help if your volunteers knew exactly what they would be doing when signing up for a volunteer opportunity. A meeting, your lunchroom, or your social media and email platforms are all good places to spread the word about these opportunities.

4. Appreciate volunteers

Rewarding your volunteers for their hard work and devotion will positively impact their engagement and performance. Showing appreciation and respect will encourage participants to continue participating in your program. Some ways to thank employees include planning an appreciation event, providing a free t-shirt to your staff as a thank-you, or even writing individual letters to thank them for their hard work.

Here are more staff recognition ideas.

In conclusion

The sustainability and longevity of your employee volunteer program are dependent on having a well-thought-out strategy in place. If you want to keep your employees happy and reduce turnover rates, you should start an employee volunteer program. Your workers will love your program if you give them ongoing encouragement and support. You should show your staff how much you appreciate them and the positive difference they are making in the community.

Next, check out these lists of nonprofit books and employee engagement activities.

We also have a list of the best ideas for international volunteer day.