Did you know that one volunteer hour equates to about $23 for your organization? Of course, this may vary by state or location, but volunteer hours have a significant impact on the nonprofits they serve.
Did you also know that those volunteer hours can have a large financial benefit to your organization if they come from corporate volunteers?
Corporations can give donations based on the number of hours their organization contributes. Think about how this could impact your cause!
It’s no surprise that corporate grants and donations elevate your mission. Developing relationships and partnerships with corporations can have unlimited benefits for your cause. However, there are a few things that you may not know about corporate giving.
Corporate Giving is on the Rise
Corporations donated $18.45 billion for an increase of 3.9% in 2015. The revolution of corporate responsibility is steadily growing. Clearly, corporations want to make a difference in their communities.
Millennials want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, too. The Millennial Impact Report states that millennials want to work for a corporation that is making a difference in their community and the world.
By 2020, millennials will make up about 50% of the workforce. By incorporating philanthropy into corporate culture, businesses become more attractive to this generation.
Corporations must make philanthropy a priority in order to stay competitive in today’s market, which will only increase the popularity of volunteer grants and programs.
It is also important that your nonprofit stays at the forefront of this trend. Making sure your supporters are aware of these opportunities could be extremely beneficial for the growth of your organization.
In order to continue the growth of corporate giving and volunteer grants your nonprofit needs to have an open stream of communication with your supporters.
Here are a few ways your nonprofit can spread the word about volunteer grants:
Communicate all benefits of volunteer grants to supporters. By communicating the benefits of corporate grant programs, you can rest assured that your volunteers are aware of the opportunities. This will encourage them to reach out to their employers to see if they can participate in one as well.
Be available for questions. Your volunteers are bound to have questions. You need to clearly communicate contact information on your website and via social media. If volunteers cannot get their questions answered, they will likely go somewhere else to volunteer.
Reach out to local businesses and corporations for partnership opportunities. You won’t know if a business would be interested in a partnership if you don’t reach out to them. You never know what relationships will come from being persistent!
Promote volunteer grants on social media, emails, newsletters, and marketing efforts. Educating your supporters about grant programs will also encourage them to reach out to their employers. They want to help your organization in any way they can, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so!
Celebrate your current corporate sponsors and volunteers. Showing appreciation for your current volunteers and corporate sponsors will encourage them to continue to give to your organization. Everyone likes to feel appreciated.
2015 Was America’s Most Generous Year Yet
When there is an increase in charitable donations, it is a direct reflection of the state of the economy. More donations equate to better economic conditions. If the state of the economy is doing well, then corporations are likely to be doing well too.
In order to capitalize on the opportunities created by a strong economy, you must make your nonprofit visible to your community.
When corporate volunteers are aware of your brand, they’re more likely to come to your organization when they’re ready to donate their time.
Here are a few ways to make your nonprofit stand out to corporations and encourage volunteer grant programs:
Cultivate brand ambassadors. By having your current volunteers promote your cause, you will attract more volunteers and corporate supporters. The more people you have talking about your mission and wearing your logo, the greater buzz your organization will create.
Strengthen your leadership team. Encouraging strong leadership within your organization can also encourage more corporate grants and volunteers. Corporations want to be involved and support an organization that has structure. There are many ways to show your supporters how strong your leadership team is.
Engage supporters. Engaging supporters is key to cultivating corporate volunteers. You can do this via social media, emails, newsletters, and your overall marketing efforts.
Encourage corporate volunteers. By building relationships with your corporate volunteers, they will be inspired to continue to volunteer for your organization. The stronger relationships you build, the more loyalty and trust you will develop.
Research team volunteer grants. Group volunteer grants provide an opportunity for your nonprofit to reach out to corporations that have known grant programs. Corporations want to be involved in the community, and this is the perfect way for your nonprofit to create that partnership.
Corporate Giving Consists of 5% of Total Charitable Donations
What does this mean for the nonprofit community? There is a lot of room for growth with volunteer grants!
5% is a small amount in comparison to the amount individuals donate, so now is a great time for your nonprofit and the community to reach out to corporations and build partnerships.
Research companies that provide volunteer programs and grants. You can start by reviewing the top matching gift companies. These companies will give you a great starting point. Consider reaching out to begin building relationships with them.
Your organization can also promote the value to corporate responsibility. The more corporations are open to giving to nonprofits, the more social good nonprofits can do. Corporations have a lot of power and financial resources that can be extremely beneficial to your nonprofit.
In order for your nonprofit to grow and be sustainable, you need resources. Spreading the word about social responsibility will benefit everyone in the long run. These partnerships can truly make a difference in every community.
Communicating the impact social responsibility and volunteer grants can have on nonprofits can contribute to the social good movement.
Make it a priority for your nonprofit to market and communicate the benefits of corporate grants. This will help continue the growth of corporate donations and grants. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
Ashley Chorpenning is VolunteerHub’s Marketing Communications Specialist.
The post 3 Things You Didn’t Know About Volunteer Grants appeared first on Double the Donation.