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Giving Back: How Businesses Can Build Lasting Volunteer Partnerships

March 26, 2025

Volunteering goes beyond just writing a check. It’s about building long-term relationships with organizations in your community that need support, whether through time, resources, or financial contributions. Companies that engage in regular community service see a boost in their company culture, higher employee engagement, and deeper connections with their communities. As the volunteer coordinator at High Country, I’ve learned firsthand what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to creating a sustainable and engaging volunteer program. Here are a few tips.

1. Choosing the Right Organizations

One of the most important steps in creating a successful volunteer program is choosing the right organizations to partner with. Taking the time upfront to research opportunities that align with your company’s values, mission, and employee interests will ensure higher buy in and engagement. Finding organizations that align with your industry and culture is a great place to start, but it can also be helpful to survey employees to see if they have any causes they are passionate about.  

Make sure you mix it up to offer a variety of ways to give back. At High Country, I alternate between in-person, hands-on volunteering one month followed by a donation drive or financial giving opportunity the next. This creates a balance for employees who may not always have time to volunteer in person but still want to contribute in a meaningful way. We also rotate organizations, from animal shelters to food banks to disaster relief efforts. This ensures everyone has a chance to get involved with a cause they care about.

2. Structuring Your Partnership

Financial donations are great, but volunteering your time can be just as valuable. Once you have identified potential organizations to partner with, schedule opportunities with those organizations throughout the year and track employee engagement. At the end of the year, evaluate participation levels with each organization; if certain organizations have consistently strong engagement, those are the ones you’ll want to build long-term partnerships with.

While creating a successful volunteer program takes a lot of time and effort at first, once you’ve identified the right organizations, planning becomes much easier over time. You will be able to create recurring events, such as annual drives or quarterly volunteering days. Remember to create a variety of ways to participate to ensure a greater level of involvement.   

3. Scheduling and Planning Volunteer Events

Let’s be real… people want to give back, but they’re also busy. The key to a successful volunteer schedule is realism and flexibility. Surveying employees to determine the best times for volunteering is a great way to determine interest and maximize participation. Ensure you do not schedule events during peak business hours or times when employees are stretched thin with deadlines as this will lead to lower attendance. Overscheduling can also become a problem; it’s better to have a few events with high attendance than an overloaded calendar with inconsistent participation.

It’s also important to build strong relationships with the volunteer coordinators at the organizations you partner with. Many nonprofit teams are understaffed and rely on businesses to fill critical volunteer slots, so clear communication is key. Reach out early to find opportunities that fit your company’s schedule, and if you need to cancel, provide as much notice as possible so they have an opportunity to refill the vacancy. The more respectful and proactive you are in your scheduling and communication, the stronger your partnerships will be.

4. Encourage Employee Participation

A strong volunteer program only works if employees feel motivated and excited to participate. One of the best ways to encourage involvement is to lead by example. When employees see leadership participating in community events, they are more likely to see it as an important part of company culture rather than just another “extra” item on their to-do list.

It is also important to make the sign-up process as easy as possible. Send out opportunities via email or company newsletters and ensure that sign-ups are quick and easy. Once an employee commits to an event, send them a calendar invite that includes all relevant details, such as the location, time, and any necessary instructions. Keeping it simple will promote increased participation.

Volunteering is intrinsically rewarding but recognizing and celebrating employee involvement makes it even more meaningful. Highlight participation in company newsletters, posts on social media, or even by offering small awards for frequent volunteers; this will reinforce the importance. When employees see that volunteering is not only encouraged but valued by the company, engagement will naturally grow.

5. Measuring and Communicating Impact

If you don’t track where, when, and how your company volunteers, it’s easy to lose momentum. Create a system that tracks the organizations you partner with, the last time you volunteered with them, and any employees that participated in each event. Utilize this tracking to identify the most popular events, recognize consistent volunteers, and create a well-rounded, sustainable volunteer program.  

Flexibility is also key; what works one year may not work the next. Monitor and adjust your program based on employee feedback, overall engagement levels, and changes within the organizations you support. Even if you take a break from volunteering with an organization, maintain an open line of communication to ensure you can reconnect when the timing is right.  

Conclusion

Volunteering with your business can be extremely rewarding and help create a more connected workplace in the process. Offering diverse opportunities, planning realistically, and leading by example will make community engagement a meaningful part of your company’s culture.

If you’re in the Denver area, we highly encourage you to check out these organizations we’ve partnered with in the past. Many of them have branches across the nation as well!

• Food Bank of the Rockies
• Habitat for Humanity
• Maxfund Animal Adoption Center
• Trunk or Treat (City of Englewood)
• Salvation Army
• Florence Crittenton Services
• Special Olympics Colorado
• Soldiers’ Angels

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