With the growing popularity of remote work, employees across the different locations may not be able to participate in your corporate volunteering program. Because of this, virtual volunteering is a unique opportunity to adapt your volunteering approach.
Virtual volunteering is creating opportunities for companies to be a force for good not just to society, but also to their employees. Today, there is no shortage of virtual and remote opportunities to engage with and empower your employees around the world, while still fostering a sense of belonging in the organization.
Here’s why you should consider providing virtual volunteering opportunities to your team:
- Virtual volunteering increases participation
A lot of volunteering opportunities require collaboration among your team members, which is a good way to drive employee engagement. Teammates can work together and collaborate with each other on projects, and share success stories or good volunteering experiences with other employees to boost morale. - Virtual Volunteering can improve employee wellbeing
In recent years, many workers have faced challenges with their mental and physical health, in addition to rising inflation and cost fo living. With many employees working remotely and being located in different locations around the world, virtual volunteering gives them an opportunity to participate without sacrificing their routine. By avoidiing a commute or other stressors, employees feel better, perform better, and are more likely to stay with your organization. - Virtual volunteering helps develop professional skills
Volunteering increases technical and leadership skills among employees. Creating opportunities for your employees to volunteer in different ways, especially virtually, can significantly improve their specialization and knowledge in their respective fields, while also sharing their skills with the wider community.
You don’t need to completely shift all volunteer activities online at once. If you’re looking to create your company’s virtual volunteer program, here are some steps you can follow:
1. Find focus areas or causes that align with your company goals
Think about what virtual volunteering means in the context of your company, and align your volunteering program with organizational goals. Think in terms of the positive impact you want to achieve, exploring a wide spectrum of opportunities with the relevant communities.
2. Define your program’s goals and limitations
Defining your volunteering goals can help you gain clarity on the specific issue areas that align with your organization. Start by thinking about the total number of volunteering hours you want to achieve, the desired percentage of employee participation, and the kind of cultural change are you looking for in the organization.
3. Get buy-in from employees
Your employee volunteering program will be successful if it is based on or driven by employee preferences. Survey your employees to understand their preferences, and allow them to suggest causes or volunteer opportunities they care about. Find out what they enjoy doing and the incentives they value.
4. Curate virtual volunteering opportunities
Give your employees a variety of virtual volunteering opportunities to choose from. Combine your focus areas with your employee preferences and skill sets to curate the right opportunities for your program.
5. Share stories
Sharing individual progress or good volunteer experiences with other employees tends to inspire more participation from your team. Make sure you regularly feature such employee stories internally and externally for maximum effect.
Work with the right volunteer management solution
Managing a virtual volunteering program is much easier if you use a tool specially designed for the purpose. A platform like Optimy will help you reduce your administrative burden and streamline your processes, but will also offer features like stories to improve participation and ensure the success of your program. Contact us today and learn more about how Optimy can enable the success of your virtual volunteering program!
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