Workplace volunteering is common in well-funded companies with large staffs, while startups with limited budgets and headcounts can face challenges in giving back as a group.
But there can be benefits to the office doing the giving, too.
“For companies, there are benefits to doing pro bono programming,” said Alex George, a Chicago-based program manager at pro bono service network Taproot Foundation. “You’re more likely to retain top talent, it’s a way to train people via outside projects and it also increases retention rates because people are more likely to stay with a company that allows them to do social good through their work.”
Smaller companies can still find ways to volunteer through smart planning and using their unique skills to help nonprofits. Here are some specific ways startups can manage their give-back initiatives.
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Find your internal cheerleader
The first step is deciding which cause or causes your company will support. An “internal cheerleader” can lead that effort, speaking to employees and identifying opportunities that make sense for the company, said Jenne Myers, CEO of Chicago Cares, which connects corporate volunteers to service opportunities.
“Who’s going to rally the troops? … Who’s going to be the one to communicate to them what we’re doing and why?” Myers said. “That person also needs to be the lead person to work with that community-based organization to make sure that this project is organized, completed and all the details are thought of.”
Myers said planning a company’s volunteer efforts can require a lot of coordination, so she recommended assigning the responsibility to one employee who can help keep things on track.
Don’t create more work for the groups you’re helping
Companies sometimes gather employees for a day of working in the community, painting walls or raking leaves. Myers said they should be aware that they are on the hook for supplies for such projects — nonprofits usually cannot supply the paint, brushes and rakes for volunteers. Also, employers may need to cover transportation and food for their staff.
Startups must recognize that organizing volunteers is not the main responsibility of a nonprofit, and must take care not to engage in projects that can cost those organizations they’re trying to help, she said.
Myers said volunteers need to be respectful and remember that they are trying to help the organization, not create more work for it.
Only take on what’s feasible
Can your company afford to close business for a day while employees are out volunteering? While Myers thinks that’s the best way to approach service days, there are other ways to get everyone involved for companies that can’t make that happen.
“It is 100 percent a challenge for small companies, and what I’d like to say is there’s opportunities to give back without it being a company-wide day,” Myers said.
She recommended signing up for quarterly activities that allow smaller groups of employees to take turns, rather than a large, annual service day. That way, everyone can participate without the business having to shut down.
An easier way to get everyone involved could be a simple in-house project, like packing backpacks for students or supply kits for homeless shelters — though buying supplies can get pricey.
Apply your skills
George, of the Taproot Foundation, said startups are in a position to provide services nonprofits desperately need. Nonprofit staffs tend to lack expertise in marketing, IT and design, he said.
Startups can apply their expertise remotely, which saves time, while at the same time helping improve the way a nonprofit functions. For example, a web designer could create a sophisticated site for a non-profit and help it collect more donations. People with technical skills may do more good helping organizations directly, rather than trying to work with their clients, George said.
As with other projects, a point person and advance coordination are important, especially since pro bono work can take months.
“Often times, nonprofits are not versed in these kinds of projects,” George said. “You have to be willing and ready to take them through that process, and that’s why planning is so particularly important for these types of projects.”
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