April News

Private enterprises and employers have always engaged with their communities and supported charitable activity, doing much more than just donating funds. Indeed many charities have been founded by business people and the experience and skills of professionals who choose to volunteer is often at the heart of charity governance and operations. What's newer is companies and employers explicitly developing volunteering strategies and policies. More corporates are explicitly including 'employer-supported volunteering' as part of their HR strategy and ESG/corporate citizenship, adopting a volunteering policy and designating a period of paid time for employee volunteering. Their motivation is often to show commitment to causes of importance to employees and other stakeholders, to boost local relationships, be part of creating positive impact in the community and to attract and retain purpose-driven employees (especially younger people). This relationship between private companies and not-for-profit organisations can be a wonderful experience all round and create fantastic partnerships and impact: charities and community groups gain from the engagement of skilled and experienced employees individuals enjoy their volunteering experience, broaden their experiences, feel happier, healthier and more connected to their community companies gain through motivated employees who have new experiences and enjoy being part of a company which is supporting positive change in its community. Some statistics illustrate this: the economic value of employer-supported volunteering was placed at £800-1300 per volunteer/year (ProBono Economics based on HM Treasury Guidance) with it leading to nearly a full day per year reduction in sickness/absence per employee, according to our friends at Go Volunteer Glos. They have prepared a very useful guide to employer-supported volunteering , with guidance for both employers and non-profit organisations. It highlights what to consider and provides lots of useful tips for preparing your strategy and designing your approach to make the most of this opportunity for fruitful partnerships. Remember that where they refer to 'Go Volunteer Glos', you have the same possibilities through us at GoVolHerts! Volunteering is a personal choice and can provide great personal meaning and satisfaction. By signposting employeers to the huge variety of roles available through GoVolHerts, employers can encourage their staff to find a volunteering opportunity in line with their own passion and in which they can gain maximum benefit. You can also search GoVolHerts for group opportunities by refining your search of opportunities suitable for groups/teams . Another advantage of volunteering via GoVolHerts is individuals can keep a record of volunteering activity hours on their profile, which is endorsed by the organisation they volunteer for. This can help employers to track the overall activities of employees (with their consent!) and to see the bigger picture of how they are having an impact in the community. Many local companies and charities are already partnering to make the most of corporate volunteering and we hope you'll consider joining them very soon.

In this episode of our Volunteering Spotlight Series, we're talking to Hertfordshire Health Walks. They operate a free, volunteer led, countywide initiative which aims to encourage people of all ages and abilities to get outdoors, get more active and reap the benefits. You can apply for their roles here . Watch the full episode below!

So, you’ve successfully recruited volunteers for your organisation – great! Just as important is volunteer retention – making sure they are happy and motivated and want to continue volunteering with you for as long as possible. Here are some tips and suggestions to help with volunteer retention. People volunteer for different reasons – and these don’t always remain the same. A young person might start volunteering for something to add to their CV or to gain experience in a sector where they are looking to make a career. They might stay on as they enjoy the social aspect. Understanding the motivations of your volunteers can help you help them stay happy! As motivations change, so might interests and competencies. It’s a great idea to have regular check-ins with your volunteers and ask how they feel they are getting on. Maybe there’s a new area that you think would be a good fit for their skills? Maybe they feel they are ready to take on more responsibility? Volunteering roles don’t have to be static, and while change might not be for everyone, it could be exciting and motivational for others! Ensure that there are clear channels of support – do your volunteers know who they can go to if they need some extra support or have questions? Ensure that volunteers are included in decision making. They can sometimes offer a different perspective, so this is not only useful but also can make them feel more a part of your organisation. While you can’t pay your volunteers – they could then be considered employees – you can, and you should, ensure that reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are covered. This should be easy for them to claim, and everyone should be encouraged to claim! Be sensitive to the individual circumstances of your volunteers too – you may have volunteers on lower incomes where having parking or transport costs reimbursed on the day will be enormously helpful, whereas others may be happy to submit a monthly claim. There are other ways that you can reward your volunteers other than financially. This could be as simple as a Certificate of Recognition. Some volunteers may be shy and not want to be specifically highlighted for their contribution, but you can always consider celebratory ‘thank you’ events to include all your volunteers. You might also want to look at volunteer recognition schemes, such Room to Reward – click here to read about how we used this to say a big thank you to Opal, our GoVolHerts admin volunteer! Finally bear in mind that real life happens, and for whatever reason, your volunteer may need at some point to cease volunteering for you. Make sure you accept their decision gracefully and keep the relationship positive – they may come back to volunteer with you again when circumstances change, or could be a great ambassador, telling others about their fantastic experience with you and the great work that you do! Want more? Try the following: This article from NCVO talks about how you can support your volunteers: Supporting volunteers | NCVO This is a comprehensive article on Volunteer Retention from Deedmob, the company who provide the software for GoVolHerts: Volunteer Retention | Deedmob