How to make your Corporate Volunteering project a success

Ideally, you have a contact person (volunteer coordinator) in your organization for activities related to the involvement of volunteers who can accompany the project. Even before the discussions with the company, you should get an internal overview of which projects have an increased need for volunteers and what the job profile is. You should also clarify what preparations are necessary on the part of the volunteers from the companies and whether an induction phase is advisable.

In preparation

• Clarify what expectations you and your organization have of this cooperation and what goals you are pursuing.
• Determine in advance what kind of help you need (manpower or expertise) and whether the commitment should be a one-off or over a longer period of time.
• Also clarify what your corporate partner’s motives are with the Corporate Volunteering project, what they expect from such a project and what concrete goals are being pursued.
• Define which resources can be brought into a cooperation. (employees, infrastructure, communication, etc.)
• Clarify which formal requirements the volunteers have to meet in order to participate in the project.
• If necessary, create a job description in which you describe the volunteers’ activities and distinguish them from the tasks of your own staff.
• Orient your project as close as possible to the core business of your business partner. In this way, you will show appreciation for the company’s expertise, encourage the volunteers’ commitment and ensure a long-term commitment of the company.

In the planning stage

• Develop a clear picture of what will happen in corporate volunteering and define measurable goals and resources.
• Establish a time and project plan and involve the involved project managers and employees of your organization.
• Set milestones together and define how you will communicate with your corporate partner.
• Clarify the distribution of tasks and responsibilities with your partner company.
• Think long-term! – How does the cooperation today affect future activities of your organization?
• Create mutual trust by inviting the Corporate Volunteering Manager in advance to get to know the processes in your organization.
• When planning, concentrate on the common goals of the Corporate Volunteering assignment and not on possible follow-up projects.

In the implementation phase

• Maintain a regular open dialogue with your partner company, at all levels.
• Ensure a trusting cooperation by making decisions jointly with your partners.
• Involve the board of directors or management actively and secure their support and cooperation.
• Integrate and accompany the volunteers together with the Corporate Volunteering Manager of the company in the preparation and implementation and evaluate the volunteer assignment together with you.
• Ensure consistent and regular communication of “success stories”, both internally and externally.