Employee volunteering basics

[Alicia_Schmidt]

Good for the world. Good for business.

At Pledge 1%, we believe businesses have the power to address significant social challenges. As stakeholder expectations evolve, companies are increasingly called to contribute to a more just, inclusive, sustainable, and equitable world.

Pledging time, product, profit, or equity can address social issues while uniting employees, customers, shareholders, and partners around shared values. Over the past decade, we’ve seen that creating a culture of giving back is not only beneficial for the world but also advantageous for business.

Committing to social impact enhances brand reputation, attracts and retains talent, mitigates risks, and supports long-term sustainability. It also aligns with stakeholder demands and appeals to socially responsible investors. Supporting social impact is both a moral responsibility and a strategic business move for growth in today’s evolving world.

But don’t take our word for it.

 

Why It's the Right and Smart Thing to Do

Employee Expectations: 86% of people expect CEOs to lead on societal issues (2023 Edelman Trust Barometer). Businesses are increasingly trusted to solve social challenges, sometimes even more than governments.

Employee Engagement & Productivity: 88% of millennials feel more fulfilled when they have opportunities to contribute to social causes (2016 Cone Communications Study). Volunteering also supports mental well-being, boosting employee satisfaction and productivity.

Recruitment & Retention: Companies with strong social impact programs experience a 57% reduction in turnover among engaged employees (2018 Benevity Engagement Study). Many employees now view societal impact as a strong dealbreaker when choosing employers (69% in the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer).

Economic Success: 98% of investors agree that companies must address societal issues to remain competitive (Edelman). Engaged employees drive innovation and creative solutions, pushing companies forward.
In essence, employee engagement is not just about satisfaction at work; it's about creating an environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and connected to the company's purpose, which significantly impacts organizational success and growth.

At New Relic we want to be good community stewards and give back to the communities where we live and work. At the same time, volunteering is a great team and morale building tool for our company at large. It’s been an incredible benefit that potential employees look for in their job applications."

Lauren Keeler Manager, Social Impact

 

Types of Volunteer Pledges

A "time pledge" is a commitment to allocate 1% of working hours to volunteering or supporting social causes. This typically translates to 3-5 days per year and can be implemented in various ways, such as:

Flexible VTO Policy

Structured Volunteer Time

1% of employee time equates roughly to 3-5 days a year (about 1% of employee billable hours). Companies with a flexible VTO policy enable employees to request time off to volunteer for causes they care about, much in the way employees would request paid time off (PTO). This can be a good option for companies with staff scattered across many locations or organizations who lack the resources to organize company-wide events.

Other companies leverage volunteer time in a more structured way to encourage team bonding and connection to core values. This could mean all-staff volunteer excursions or virtual engagements, global volunteer days or weeks, team events/meetings, new hire onboarding, and so forth. For example: bringing your team together for a half-day of packing backpacks for children in under-resourced schools, or hosting a virtual skills-based opportunity for employees to engage with a short term nonprofit project, like building a webpage. These activities often help meet internal goals, while also addressing identified community needs.

Many Pledge 1% members choose to do a hybrid approach, providing employees with a clear allocation of time (# of days) for whatever they want to do, as well as organizing opportunities to take action together.

Photo credit: Twilio.

Employee Volunteering and Employee Engagement

You will often hear the terms “employee engagement” and “employee volunteering” used together but keep in mind that they are related but distinct concepts.

Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and dedication employees have toward their work, their organization's goals, and its values. It involves their enthusiasm, motivation, and satisfaction within their roles. On the other hand, employee volunteering involves employees dedicating their time, skills, or resources to participate in activities that benefit the community or support charitable causes. It's about their involvement in external initiatives beyond their regular job responsibilities. While engagement focuses on the internal relationship between employees and the organization, volunteering extends that engagement externally, emphasizing contributions to society or specific causes. Both are important for fostering a positive workplace culture, but they differ in their areas of focus and impact. We often talk about how a time pledge can deepen employee engagement and it is often an important part of a greater employee engagement program.
 

“It’s important to acknowledge the many purposes your volunteer program is serving. You want to have a mix of opportunities that allow you to be strategic and intentional in meeting community needs and achieving real outcomes. Ideally, this includes some skills-based volunteering and direct service opportunities, while also ensuring employees feel empowered to pursue causes that matter to them. In the process, a great outcome is the relationships that are built and the camaraderie created. Volunteering brings employees together that might not otherwise meet, strengthens workplace culture, and studies show it can boost employee morale among other benefits.”

Lauren CoberlyDirector & Head of Social Impact

 

Types of Volunteer Opportunities

As you think about how you might structure your volunteering programs, you want to be sure to think about the types of volunteer opportunities you might support.

 

Type	Definition
individual	Activities for employees to do on their own; this can often be more flexible in terms of scheduling
family	Activities inclusive of children, spouses, partners, or multiple generations; work with nonprofit partners to determine the appropriate ages based on the nature of the activity and sensitivity of the client population.
team	Activities designed for groups of employees to do together.
company wide	Opportunities to leverage incentives or gamification across departments and/or regions to help employees feel part of something bigger.
virtual	In a post-pandemic world, more and more nonprofits are offering virtual volunteering experiences. Online engagements break down geographic, social, and other barriers between beneficiaries and/or program participants. For more information on virtual volunteering, please visit our Pledge 1% Virtual Volunteering Playbook.
in-person direct service	Face-to-face, hands-on engagements take place at a set time and location.
learning sessions	Opportunities like Lunch & Learns couple information (50-70% learning time) with action related to that issue (20-50% active time).
one-time engagements	Discrete engagements respond to immediate needs.
recurring engagements	Recurring commitments or campaigns create depth of relationship and impact.
pro-bono or skills based	Projects where job or trade-specific skills apply to a community or individual need

Many of the most established employee volunteering programs view employee time as an untapped asset that can help nonprofits on three levels:

• "Extra hands" volunteering - a continuous effort for many people (ex. a food kitchen)
• Skilled volunteering - a one-off or ongoing activity that relates to your profession (ex. Mentorship or Board membership)
• Pro bono work - donating the specific service that your company pays you for (ex. an ad agency marketing a nonprofit or software development or configuration) 

Each type can expand the capacity of how your organization can serve a greater good. Each type can expand the capacity of how your organization can serve a greater good. 

Expanding the Definition of Volunteering

In recent years, companies are broadening volunteer opportunities to include civic engagement such as:

• Participating in local elections, protests, and community initiatives.
• Mentorship, tutoring, or workforce development programs
• Assisting at election polls and calling constituents to help ‘get out the vote’
• Participation in local demonstrations and peaceful protests
• Mentorship, tutoring, and workforce development education opportunities
• Assisting in local neighborhood initiatives (i.e. helping an elderly neighbor safely get groceries).

This shift reflects growing awareness of issues like systemic racism, income inequality, and the climate crisis.

“New Relic employees can take 16 hours of volunteer time off (VTO) each calendar year. VTO is meant to be used to serve the greater community and to support causes Relics are passionate about. In 2020 we updated our policy to allow VTO in support of activities affiliated with nonprofit organizations or to support unaffiliated community-building activities (e.g., engaging in voter registration drives, helping unrelated house-bound seniors with errands, dropping supplies off to medical staff, participating in peaceful protests, etc).”

Lauren Keeler Manager Social Impact

Common Misconceptions About Time Pledges

1. "I need the perfect strategy before starting."
    It's better to start with basic principles and refine your program over time.
   
   

2. "We’ve failed if we don’t hit 1%."
   The 1% goal is aspirational; progress is more important.
   
   

3. "Time pledges are only for employees."
   Engage customers, partners, and vendors in your program as well.
   
   

4. "Unlimited time off makes a VTO policy unnecessary."
   Even with unlimited time off, a clear policy motivates participation and tracks impact.
   
   

5. "We can figure it out alone.": Involve your community, employees, and resources like Pledge 1% to create the most effective program.

Many companies have also experienced shifts in values related to growing awareness of systemic racism, income inequality and the climate crisis. 

Conclusion

Businesses are uniquely positioned to make a significant social impact, and pledging time is an effective way to unite stakeholders, foster employee engagement, and drive long-term success. By committing to social good, companies not only fulfill their moral responsibility but also position themselves for sustainable growth.

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Next: Define your volunteer program goals >