Supporting the voluntary and community sector; how your business can have a meaningful impact in the local community.

Many businesses want to make a positive difference in their local community. Whether through volunteering, fundraising, sharing expertise or providing resources, there are many ways to support local charities, community groups and not-for-profit organisations.

However, successful partnerships are about more than finding and organising a team volunteering day or one-off activity. The most valuable contributions are those that genuinely meet the needs of local organisations while also creating benefits for your business and employees.

Why do businesses get involved?

Many businesses may already have programmes that encourage community involvement, such as:

• Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV)
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives
• Social value commitments
• Employee wellbeing and engagement programmes

These often allow employees to volunteer individually or as a team during paid working hours.

Done well, these programmes can create a positive impact for local communities while also supporting staff development, wellbeing and engagement. However, it is important to recognise that community organisations are not always able to accommodate every offer of support, particularly if it does not align with their current priorities or capacity.

More than a team day out

Volunteering opportunities should never be viewed simply as a team-building activity or a fun day out for the business.

The voluntary and community sector often operates within limited resources, time and staffing. Organising a volunteering activity takes planning and coordination, so any opportunity needs to provide real value to the organisation as well as a positive experience for participants.

For volunteering to be successful:

• It should be mutually beneficial for the charity or group, those who use its services, the volunteers and the business.
• The support offered should align with the organisations mission, values and current needs.
• Activities should provide meaningful additional capacity, skills, knowledge or resources for the charity or group.
• Businesses should be open to listening to what organisations need and not assume what support would be helpful.

The most effective offer of help is built on understanding, communication and shared goals.

What is the impact on a business?

Supporting the voluntary and community sector can deliver significant benefits for businesses and employees.

Employees can:

• Share professional skills and expertise that charities or groups may otherwise struggle to access.
• Build new skills, experience and confidence.
• Meet people from different backgrounds and communities.
• Gain a greater understanding of local needs and challenges.

Businesses can:

• Strengthen relationships and connections within the local community.
• Demonstrate their values in action.
• Build their reputation as a socially responsible organisation.
• Improve employee engagement, wellbeing and motivation.
• Foster a sense of pride and purpose amongst employees.
• Support recruitment and retention by offering meaningful opportunities for involvement.

Finding the right opportunity

Before approaching charities or community groups, it is worth spending time considering what your business can realistically offer. The clearer you are about your objective and capacity, the easier it will be to identify opportunities that are a good match.

Consider:

• Why do you want to get involved?
• What impact would you like to have?
• What skills, expertise or resources can you offer?
• How much time can staff realistically commit?
• Are there particular causes or issues that matter to your business?
• How many employees would be involved?

Group size is an important consideration. While many businesses want to volunteer as a large team, opportunities for large groups can be difficult to find because of space, supervision, insurance and capacity requirements. In most cases it is more effective to split into small groups or support multiple charities or groups.

One of the most helpful things a business can do is provide plenty of notice. The voluntary and community sector often has limited capacity and may be volunteer-led themselves. They need time to consider whether an opportunity is suitable, beneficial and safe for everyone involved.

Some organisations may also charge a fee for corporate volunteering activities to help cover the staff time and resources required to organise them.

Beyond group volunteering days: other ways businesses can help

Some of the most valuable support businesses can offer comes through sharing skills, expertise and resources:

• Share professional expertise: Many charities welcome support in areas such as – finance, accountancy, human resources, legal advice, marketing, communications, website development, social media, business planning, IT/digital support, project evaluation and impact measurement. Skills based or pro bono volunteering can have a lasting impact by helping organisations build their capacity and improve sustainability.
• Training and Development: Businesses may be able to provide training opportunities for charity staff and volunteers, for example first aid, leadership and management skills, customer service, digital skills, project management or health and safety. Access to professional or accredited training can be transformational for organisations.
• Becoming a Trustee: Encouraging employees to become a Trustee or sharing Trustee opportunities within your business can be a good way to support local charities while helping staff develop governance and leadership skills.
• Dontate resources and facilities: Businesses may be able of offer meeting rooms or event spaces (one off or ongoing), equipment, products for fundraising events and raffles or access to facilities. These donations can help with limited budgets and resources, as well as generate additional income.
• Support fundraising: Some businesses choose a Charity of the Year or organise fundraising activities led by employees. Financial donations, sponsorship or matched giving schemes can all provide valuable support.
• Provide practical help: Some charities and groups need hands-on support with projects such as decorating or painting, gardening, outdoor maintenance, building repairs, installing equipment or improving community spaces.

The most successful support and opportunities can be built on long term relationships with a charity or a couple of charities, rather than one-off activities.

By listening to local charities and groups, understanding their needs and offering support that genuinely adds value businesses can play an important role in strengthening the voluntary and community sector, while at the same time have a positive impact on the businesses and their employees.

If you are looking to offer your time as a business, you can contact organisations directly or find out more information about volunteering through Community Works.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk