Corporate Giving Programs – What are they, and how can nonprofits get involved?

Brandy Strand, Nonprofit Partnerships Account Executive at POINT, recently was a guest speaker for the Double the Donation’s webinar on “Engaging Volunteers in Your Workplace Giving Campaigns.” Corporate giving programs can be a valuable source of funding for nonprofits.

During this webinar, we shared ways to identify workplace-giving opportunities and best practices for communicating them to volunteers.

Participants also discovered strategies for engaging and exciting supporters and how their partnership can help maximize corporate giving for nonprofits. Don’t worry, though; we’ve got the CliffNotes for you below 🧡

What should nonprofits know about corporate giving programs?

Did ya know, volunteers play an important role in promoting corporate giving? By educating and engaging volunteers about corporate giving programs and opportunities, you can tap into a new source of funding and support for your mission. Participating in these programs helps volunteers support their favorite nonprofits even more.

A corporate giving program is a type of charitable donation that is organized and sponsored by an employer. Corporate giving programs are convenient for employees and can increase the impact of their charitable contributions. They also provide a way for nonprofits to reach a new audience and secure steady funding through regular donations.

Overall, corporate giving programs are a win-win for both employees (your volunteers) and nonprofits.

What are Volunteer Grants?

A volunteer grant is a type of funding provided by an employer to a nonprofit organization in recognition of volunteer hours worked by its employees. This type of grant is often provided as a matching gift, where the employer matches the value of the volunteer hours with a monetary contribution to the nonprofit. Volunteer grants are a way for companies to support the nonprofits their employees care about aannnnnd encourage employee volunteerism.

These grants are typically awarded based on the number of volunteer hours worked by employees, the type of volunteer work performed, and the impact of the volunteer effort on the nonprofit organization, so make sure you’re tracking volunteer hours!

☝️ Need an easy way to track volunteer hours? POINT is the leading, freeeeee volunteer management system.

Why is Corporate Volunteerism important?

Well, as a volunteering platform, we’re pretty biased, but it’s true! Volunteering makes employees happy. 94% of employees who volunteer say it improves their mood, and 81% say it strengthened their workplace relationships. Happy employees stay longer, so bring on the workaversies!

Corporate volunteerism can take many forms:

• Employees participating in volunteer projects during work hours,
• Employers offering VTO (volunteer time off),
• Employer-sponsored volunteer events,
• Funding or resource contributions to nonprofits

The goal of corporate volunteerism is to promote social responsibility and community engagement, while also fostering a positive work culture and team-building among employees. Corporate volunteerism can benefit both the community and the business, as it provides an opportunity for employees to develop new skills, network with others, and build a sense of purpose and fulfillment while also making a positive impact on local organizations and causes.

Companies can also use volunteerism as a way to build their brand, improve employee morale, and foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration among employees.

Matching Gifts

Employer matching gifts are a type of corporate philanthropy program where a company matches its employees’ charitable contributions, typically dollar for dollar, to eligible nonprofit organizations.

This type of program is often used by companies to encourage employees to give back to their communities and support the causes they care about. It is also a way for companies to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.

The matching gift process typically goes like this:

1. The employee makes a donation to a nonprofit.
2. The employee submits a request to their employer to match the donation.
3. The employer will then verify the eligibility of the nonprofit and the donation amount
4. The employer will match the donation to the nonprofit, usually by sending a check in the mail.

Employer matching gifts can significantly increase the impact of an employee’s donation and provide additional funding for the nonprofit.

PS. Have a corporate partner that wants to start a matching gift program? Here’s our best advice for getting started. Bonus – POINT offers Matching Gift Tools as part of our Corporate Subscription. 👀

Benefits of Nonprofit Corporate Partnerships

Corporate partnerships are relationships established between a business or corporation and a nonprofit organization with the goal of mutual benefit. These partnerships can take many forms, including financial support, volunteerism, in-kind donations, and joint marketing and advocacy efforts.

Corporate partnerships can help nonprofits secure additional funding and resources to further their mission and impact, while also providing businesses with opportunities to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.

But, why are they helpful for businesses? 🤔 They can help businesses build their brand, foster positive relationships with customers and stakeholders, and improve employee morale and engagement.

Corporate partnerships can be mutually beneficial, as they provide nonprofits with much-needed resources and support while also offering businesses the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community and demonstrate their values. The specifics of a corporate partnership will vary depending on the goals and priorities of both the business and the nonprofit.

Payroll Deductions for Charitable Giving

Payroll deductions are a method of automatically deducting a portion of an employee’s salary for a specific purpose, such as taxes, insurance premiums, or charitable donations. In the context of charitable giving, payroll deductions allow employees to make regular, recurring donations to eligible nonprofits through their employer’s payroll system.

Payroll deductions are a convenient way for employees to donate to the causes they care about, and of course, provide a reliable source of funding for nonprofits. Employers may offer payroll deduction options as part of a workplace giving program, where employees can choose to make regular contributions to eligible nonprofits through their paychecks.

Our best tips for nonprofits to get started taking advantage of corporate giving programs:

• Find out where your volunteers work. This can be as easy as asking them when they arrive to volunteer or sending out a quick survey to all your volunteers.
• Research corporate giving programs. Identifying which companies in your community offer these programs and the specifics of each program. Including the types of gifts eligible for matching and the application process.
• Educate volunteers. Share information about corporate giving programs with your volunteers and encourage them to participate. Provide resources and materials that explain the benefits of corporate giving and how it can impact your mission, programs, and services. If possible, outline how the program will directly impact areas that the volunteers regularly support.
• Make it easy for volunteers. Provide volunteers with clear instructions on how to participate in corporate giving programs or how to find out if their employer offers any programs.
• Recognize and thank volunteers. Show appreciation for volunteers who participate in workplace giving programs by recognizing their contributions and sending thank-you notes.
• Build relationships with companies that offer corporate giving programs, and educate them about your nonprofit’s mission and impact. This can help establish your organization as a preferred charity and increase the likelihood of future support. 

Here at POINT, we know how important these programs and partnerships are to your work! That’s why we offer easy-to-use and innovative, collaborative features… for free.

• Make learning about your work easy with a Volunteer Hub of information about your mission and ways to get involved through volunteering. 
• Provide easy sign-up links with POINT by creating private event invites for your corporate volunteers.
• POINT’s cloud-based social impact dashboard is one simple tool that companies can use to engage employees in corporate volunteering, giving, and community partnerships. Picture Eventbrite + Salesforce for corporate volunteering and philanthropy management.
• Ensure volunteers know the impact they are making. With POINT’s volunteer app, they can see their hours and economic impact.
• Have a consistent form of communication so volunteers know how to get involved (and stay involved!). With POINT, they will be notified when you post new volunteer opportunities!

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