Corporate volunteering offers an invaluable opportunity for organizations to contribute to the social, environmental, and economic development of the communities with which they interact, while fostering a sense of belonging and a collaborative spirit among collaborators. Here are eleven key considerations for designing, organizing, and executing successful volunteering:
- Choose corporate volunteering initiatives that are directly related to the organization’s areas and audiences of impact.
- Outline and publicize to the parties involved the protocols for volunteering, including the process for registering hours, requesting permission and the requirements to be met in order to participate.
- Define in advance if the actions can be carried out by any collaborator, or if some or several tasks require specialized technical knowledge.
- Establish and ensure that all participants are clearly aware of the program’s purpose, the expected results and the responsibilities of each party, including organizers, volunteers and beneficiaries.
- Ensure that all volunteers have assigned roles and clearly understand them.
- Facilitate or manage all resources for the execution of activities, from tools to work space.
- Provide clear instructions to volunteers in the days leading up to the activity or task assigned.
- It is ideal to provide the food, hydration and uniforms volunteers will need during the activities.
- It is a good practice to designate one or more volunteer leaders to coordinate the different volunteer tasks or processes.
- Document the activities, if possible with photography, video and testimonies of the participants. The participants’ consent is required to take photographs.
- Conduct evaluations involving both volunteers and beneficiaries to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
FIFCO Volunteer Program in 2023
Environmental and Social Programs
1,043,629 hours donated to the communities
1,500 collaborators involved in activities
7 provinces benefited
