High-performing organizations who encourage their staff to partner with nonprofit organizations experience significantly lower turnover, according to a report by social responsibility firm Benevity.
A study of over 2 million employees found turnover decreased by 57 percent when they donated to a charitable organization and volunteered their time. This trend bodes well for nonprofit organizations who rely on volunteerism and giving to sustain and reach their mission.
Volunteerism and charitable giving are becoming more vital components to organization’s corporate social responsibility plans. Businesses who aren’t already investing in nonprofits in their communities are beginning to start programs to encourage their staff to do so.
Here are two ways nonprofits can leverage this trend to nurture their volunteer numbers and fundraising, with a hidden benefit at the end.
Grow your relationships with local organizations
Nonprofits who have strong ties in their communities already have the foundation to build and mobilize additional volunteers and donations.
A good starting point is your organization’s board of directors. Are there companies they have connections to who offer donation matching or volunteer time off?
Your organization should leverage the connections of your staff. Employees and their families may have ties to companies you’re targeting, too. Making an introduction can feel awkward for some staff, so the more comfortable your leadership can make the introduction process, the more opportunities you will have.
LinkedIn is a great place for nonprofit leaders to connect with community leaders. The social network can be perceived by some as an environment designed solely for the business community, but high-performing nonprofits can use it to further their mission.
If your nonprofit has enough staff on LinkedIn, the social network will automatically generate a company page where you can post videos, photos and statuses to individuals who follow your organization.
Make it magically simple to volunteer and give
The easier a nonprofit makes the process of donating time and money, the more likely they are to organically grow their organization.
If your nonprofit regularly receives donations from individuals whose companies will match a percentage of their gift, find ways to make the process simpler. Consider ways to help the individual notify their organization to secure to matching donation. It’s as simple as adding language on your donation page about company matching or sending a follow-up email in the days after the gift.
Companies who partner with nonprofits likely will ask their staff after volunteering to report back on the number of hours worked and even the tasks completed. Nonprofits should regularly ask their volunteers if there are ways your organization can make their reporting process quicker.
When nonprofits create simple, easy-to-use ways to volunteer and give, your supporters will be more willing to rally behind your cause, spread your message and help you achieve your mission faster.
The hidden benefit: Your own staff’s job satisfaction
Up until now, we’ve focused on the relationship between your nonprofit and local businesses. However, the hidden benefit from investing in these partnerships is how it can drastically improve the morale and job satisfaction of your own staff.
Partnering with companies that can help increase your donations can help your income development and fundraising teams focus on more strategic relationships. Providing a steady stream of new volunteers will free up time for your program managers to spend fulfilling your organization’s mission.
There’s no question a major part of an employee’s job satisfaction is tied to how they’re compensated and their benefits, but nonprofits must also strive to make their employees’ time at work productive.
It’s not just the nonprofits’ employees who will experience greater satisfaction at work – consider tech giant Microsoft’s employee giving program.
Microsoft matches donations of time and money to nonprofit organizations up to $15,000 a year for each employee. Nonprofits have benefitted from nearly 700,000 hours of volunteer hours from Microsoft employees in 2017 – the equivalent of 336 full-time jobs.
Just how does the software giant encourage their staff to leverage this generous benefit?
- Volunteer hours are easily logged through an online portal.
- Donations can be withdrawn automatically from employees’ paychecks.
- Employees can browse a database of over 55,000 eligible nonprofits to support, and can nominate new organizations.
By 2020, Microsoft believes they will surpass over $2 billion in total dollars given since 1983. The program has evolved over time, but its current iteration is one of the major reasons why top talent in a competitive market choose to work for Microsoft.
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