5 Best Practices to Promote Your Volunteer Time Off Program

Did you know that 65% of employees want their company to help them identify ways to get more involved in their communities? And that 75% of employees think it is important their employer shares goals, progress, and achievements related to CSR efforts (Cone Communications Employee Engagement Study)? As organizations increasingly recognize the value of volunteer time off (VTO), promoting these programs effectively becomes crucial to unlocking their full potential.

Volunteer time off (VTO) is an impactful strategy to enhance employee engagement, bolster your company's reputation, and contribute positively to the community. However, the success of your VTO program hinges on effective promotion and support within the organization. In this guide, we’ll explore five best practices for promoting VTO in your company, coupled with insights on how Percent Pledge can empower your VTO initiatives for maximum impact.

1. Communicate the value of VTO

Communication is the cornerstone of a successful VTO program. It’s essential to clearly convey the benefits of VTO to both the organization and its employees and to align these benefits with your company’s mission and values.

• Create a comprehensive communication plan: Develop a plan to introduce and continually promote the VTO program through various channels like emails, newsletters, intranet posts, and company-wide meetings.
• Utilize multiple communication channels: Ensure that you reach all employees by leveraging a mix of digital platforms, printed materials, and face-to-face interactions.
• Showcase success stories: Highlight stories and testimonials from employees who have participated in VTO, emphasizing the positive impact on the community and personal growth.

For example, our customer BioMarin successfully increased VTO participation by nearly 200% after implementing our Volunteering Platform that provided employees with a central hub to learn about their VTO benefit, find opportunities to volunteer globally, automated communications, employee feedback surveys, and employee volunteer testimonials.

Percent Pledge advantage: We offer tailored communication templates and strategies to help you effectively promote your VTO program and emphasize its value to your workforce.

Remember: According to the Fogg Behavior Model, engagement occurs when motivation is high, ability is high, and prompts are present. Often, companies overlook the importance of prompts (communication), assuming employees are aware and will engage, but without being informed or invited, they may never know the opportunities exist.

2. Engage leadership and managers

Leadership buy-in is critical for the success of your VTO program. When leaders and managers actively support and participate in the program, it sets a powerful example for the rest of the organization.

• Lead by example: Encourage executives and managers to participate in volunteer activities and share their experiences with the team.
• Provide leadership training: Offer training sessions to help managers understand the benefits of VTO and how to support their team members’ participation.
• Recognize leadership contributions: Publicly celebrate the involvement of leaders in VTO activities to inspire others.

Tip: Encourage executives to publicly endorse the VTO program through internal communications or during company-wide meetings. And do the same with managers.

Percent Pledge advantage: Our Social Impact Managers provide training and support to ensure your leadership team is well-equipped to champion the VTO program.

3. Diversify volunteer opportunities

To drive participation, offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities that cater to various interests, skills, and schedules.

• Partner with diverse organizations: Establish relationships with multiple nonprofit organizations to offer a variety of volunteer activities.
• Include virtual and in-person options: Offer both virtual and in-person volunteering opportunities to accommodate different employee preferences.
• Tailor opportunities to interests: Align volunteer activities with employees' interests and your company’s core values.

Percent Pledge advantage: With our extensive database of volunteer opportunities, we ensure there’s something for everyone, from environmental projects to educational programs.

4. Recognize and reward participation

Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their volunteer efforts can significantly increase participation and boost morale.

• Implement a recognition program: Develop a formal recognition program that includes awards, certificates, and public acknowledgments for VTO participants.
• Celebrate milestones: Highlight key milestones, such as total volunteer hours or significant achievements, through company-wide announcements or special events.
• Provide incentives: Offer incentives like additional time off, gift cards, or professional development opportunities to encourage ongoing participation.

Percent Pledge advantage: Our platform includes features for tracking and recognizing employee contributions, making it easy to implement a recognition program that celebrates and incentivizes volunteerism. This includes our Impact Badges, which are awarded to employees who achieve specific volunteer milestones. These badges can be displayed on their profiles, fostering a sense of accomplishment and encouraging others to participate.

5. Track and share the impact

Regularly tracking and sharing the impact of your VTO program is essential to maintaining enthusiasm and demonstrating the tangible benefits of volunteerism.

• Use data to measure success: Implement a system to track volunteer hours, activities, and outcomes. Use this data to assess the effectiveness of the program and identify areas for improvement.
• Create impact reports: Develop regular reports that highlight the impact of the VTO program on both the community and the organization. Share these reports with employees and stakeholders.
• Promote achievements: Publicize the successes of the VTO program through internal newsletters, social media, and company meetings to keep the momentum going.

Percent Pledge advantage: Our comprehensive reporting tools track volunteer hours and provide detailed impact reports, helping you measure and communicate the success of your VTO program. We also offer the Grow Your Impact feature, which allows you to include impact data in employee communications, encouraging more employees to log their volunteer hours and stay engaged.