Employer-supported volunteering

What is it?

Employer-supported volunteering (ESV) or corporate volunteering is a scheme by which an employer gives employees the opportunity to volunteer with its support. This may be in the form of time off for individual volunteering, or in a programme developed by the employer, such as an on-going arrangement with a community partner. ESV benefits both the employer and employees at the same time as supporting the wider community.

How will your business benefit?

• you will increase public awareness of you and your people
• you will demonstrate commitment to your local community, building up both your reputation and profile
• your staff will develop skills and a real sense of accomplishment thus improving their morale, loyalty and ultimately staff retention
• you can motivate and support your employees by offering resources to help them get involved in causes they care about.

How can the community benefit?

• by bringing employers closer to the community with opportunities for employers/employees to find out about local issues
• by maximising the impact of voluntary activity through access to more volunteers and skills
• by providing an opportunity to widen networks
• by creating ways to harness skills, knowledge and energy for the benefit of the community
• by creating ways to find common solutions between the voluntary and business sectors
• by increasing the opportunities for people from different backgrounds to work together.

How will ESV help the voluntary sector?

• by bringing new and valuable skills, as well as a wealth of knowledge
• by bringing a fresh perspective and by providing access to teams of volunteers who can plan and carry out major tasks
• by improving understanding between the voluntary and business sectors
• by fostering long term relationships
• by helping raise the profile and increase public awareness of community organisations
• by increasing understanding between people from different backgrounds and cultures
• through partnering with a key voluntary organisation, such as ourselves, it can ensure voluntary support is going where it’s needed.

From the employee’s perspective

• you will have the opportunity to try volunteering in a fun and friendly way
• you will be offered training and your skills will be developed
• you will have the opportunity to meet new people and serve the community
• you will get a managed volunteering experience with briefing, advice and support from us
• your needs will be taken into account by careful structuring of the volunteering opportunities offered to you.

What an Employee Volunteer might do

• deliver a Social Networking workshop to local groups
• help local groups with designing and setting up a website
• give help with computer systems and with networking computers etc
• help develop a project and a business plan
• give advice on marketing and publicity
• help a group develop a fundraising strategy
• become a charity trustee
• provide HR support to a small charity by helping them review and update their general HR policies
• give inspiring talks to groups of young people about careers and business or act as a mentor.

Your next step

If you are interested in obtaining more information about how we can help your employees volunteer locally, you can contact us to arrange an initial discussion.

You can also download a leaflet (PDF) that summarises the points we’ve made and includes contact information. You may freely print and distribute this to interested staff or contact us for printed copies.