Peter JonesCorporate Engagement Manager

One Westminster

Building relationships with businesses

Types of Employee Volunteers

• Fundraising Volunteers – often cause led, driven by personal need

• Practical team type challenges – often practical led, by those who are not aware of the needs of the sector, require ‘fun’

• Skills based – either team or individual – often employer led, public sector especially, learning and development opportunities for both parties

How can employee volunteers help?

Capacity building Supporting beneficiaries Trustees

Training staff/volunteers Manpower

Using skilled employee volunteers to achieve your strategic objectives

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

A

B

Bite-sized:• Peer Mentoring• SMT Mentoring• Skills Workshops• Festive event

support

Mid-term:• Event Support• Trustees• Marketing

support

Longer term:• Trustees• Mentoring• Skills exchange• Bespoke projects

The Pitch

• Key message – what is it – what do you do?• What are you offering?• What projects need employee volunteers?• Are there any L&D opportunities?• Have you worked with employee volunteers

before?• Who will manage employee volunteers?

Connecting employers with communities

Managing Employee Volunteers

• Employee Volunteers have different needs and expectations from ‘traditional volunteers’

• Employers need opportunities that maximise limited employee time

• Think about what you need, as well as their needs

• Employers need you to explain without jargon what you do, how, when, where

Best Practice

• Develop a range of opportunities from team through to solo opportunities

• Provide employer with JD and brief all employee volunteers before they start with you

• Collect evidence and provide a case study to employer

• Build relationship with employer slowly

Getting started

• Find a broker/volunteer centre to help you get started

• Don’t ask employee volunteers for money for your project

• Provide a range of skills based opportunities that are needs led but also align with key core competencies of the business

• Understand the business better and understand that relationships grow slowly

Case Studies

Westminster Contact:Fatima Busefi | Community Liaison Officer l Time & Talentsfatima@volunteer.co.uk

Kensington & Chelsea Contact:Rashpal Saini | Partnerships Officer | Business & Community TogetherRashpal.saini@voluntarywork.org.uk

Peter JonesCorporate Engagement ManagerOne Westminsterpeter.jones@volunteer.co.uk07501 227793