Employee volunteer programs are starting to become important parts of companies’ business plans instead of just an afterthought in corporate planning.

Starting an employee volunteer program shouldn’t happen on whim. While it may seem easy enough to get a group of employees together for a volunteer event, some planning needs to go into your employee volunteer program or it won’t be as successful as it could be.

Try building a relationship with a local nonprofit and partner with them on planning your employee volunteer events. Work together with them to plan volunteer events where employees can have fun and can see that they’ve had an impact.

Make sure that resources are in place to support an employee volunteer program. Having a staff member whose responsibility it is to work with a nonprofit partner to ensure successful volunteer events is essential to the program’s acceptance and growth.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when planning an employee volunteer event.

Planning

• Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
• Be sure to choose a task that doesn’t require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
• Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

• Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
• Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
• Don’t simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

• Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
• Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
• Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

• Assess the project site before the event for safety
• Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
• Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report