Celebrating the Impact of Volunteers During National Volunteer Month This April – and All Year Round

“Every problem that the country faces is being solved in some community by some group or some individual. The question is how to get connected so that the whole nation can solve problems. A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens – citizens in the fullest sense; partners in civilization.” – President George H.W. Bush

Each year in April, individuals and organizations across the United States celebrate National Volunteer Month to honor the important impact volunteers have in our communities, and to encourage even more people to start volunteering. Many businesses in particular set aside time for team volunteer days or encourage employees to leverage paid volunteer time off to support the community during Volunteer Week, which takes place April 7 – 13 in 2019 (and April April 19-25 in 2020). 

The importance of workplace volunteering is accelerating – our own research has shown it is the second most important component of employee engagement programs, and the #1 motivation for workplace donors (even ahead of matching gifts!). As more companies have prioritized corporate volunteering and brought this spirit of innovation to their employee giving programs, they have seen the results: improvements in recruiting and retention, employee satisfaction, leadership and skill development, brand value, innovation, community relationships, employee health, and more.

Nonprofits Need Volunteers All Year Round – Not Just in April

If you haven’t started planning an event for National Volunteer Month or Volunteer Week 2019, don’t worry. There is plenty of time for you to plan an impactful event for next year, and volunteering is something you can do – and something nonprofits need – all year round (not just in April). In fact, some nonprofits find themselves overwhelmed with so many interested volunteers as a result of events like Volunteer Week that they can’t accommodate all the demand during that short period of time (especially if given short notice). On the flipside, many nonprofits find themselves short of volunteers when they need them most at other times of the year. So be mindful of what nonprofits need help with, and when they need your volunteer support the most!

Interested in Implementing an Employee Volunteer Program

Effective employee volunteer and skills giving programs are employee-driven, have specific business goals with clear strategies, and provide value to nonprofits and the community. To implement your volunteer program, download our “5 Key Steps to Starting an Employee Volunteer Program” guide. When you’re ready to implement your program, contact our team. We have multiple employee giving software options to help you, along with a dedicated support team to help you from start to finish.