Got CVC Questions?
We have answers
Q: What is the Corporate Volunteer Council?
A: The Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) is a local coalition of companies that promote and
participate in employee volunteerism.
Q: What is the mission of the CVC?
A: To provide a strong network of local organizations who want to strengthen and make an impact in
our community through corporate volunteering.
Q: Who can join?
A: Membership is open to for-profit businesses in Bartholomew and surrounding counties that have
existing employee volunteer programs or an interest in starting one. Businesses large, medium and
small can join.
Q: When and where are the meetings?
A: Meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month from noon to 1pm.
Initially meetings will be held at the Doug Otto Center although members will also
have the opportunity to host meetings at their businesses.
Q: How will the CVC benefit my team/business?
A: Join the Corporate Volunteer Council of Bartholomew County and learn valuable resources to
improve and enhance your employee volunteer program. Network with local businesses and learn some
of the region‟s best practices for building and fostering a strong employee volunteer program. Learn
about our communities known and not so well known nonprofit organizations and how your company
can become involved.
Employee volunteer programs pay enormous dividends to businesses and their employees as well.
Studies show the many ways corporate volunteerism boosts employee morale, improves job skills,
builds teamwork, and enhances a company‟s public image. These results mean better employees and
better employers and ultimately an improved bottom line.
Fortune magazine each year publishes a survey of "Most Admired
Corporations". In that survey "Corporate Citizenship" is ranked with
"Financial Soundness" and "Quality of Management" as a significant
factor in establishing a company's public credibility.
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Q: What can my business accomplish through volunteer programs?
A: Through volunteer programs, your business can:
Improve employee morale and retention: A Cone/Roper report found that 87 percent of employees at
companies with a program to support a nonprofit cause felt a strong sense of loyalty to their
employers. And a Conference Board survey of human resource executives found that community
reputation ranked third among 21 factors for determining whether or not a company is “an employer of
choice.”
Enhance professional growth and teamwork: In a survey by The Points of Light and Allstate
Foundations, 97 percent of respondents thought employee volunteering helped build employee
teamwork, and almost two-thirds of volunteers felt it had a positive effect on their careers. According
to The Wall Street Journal, “Carefully selected volunteer experience… can be both a training ground
and proving ground for a company‟s best people. Three to five years of volunteer work can provide
management experience most corporations don‟t provide over 20 years, if at all.
Demonstrate good citizenship and corporate responsibility: Increasingly, social responsibility has
become a part of doing business in America; corporate volunteerism actually influences consumer
choices. A Cone/Roper survey found that when price and quality are equal, 76 percent of consumers
will switch to a brand or store associated with a good cause- and 94 percent of what Cone/Roper calls
“socially and politically active trendsetters” prefer companies that give back.
Strength public outreach: Based on a survey of 248 companies, The Points of Life Foundation
concluded: “Corporations and their corporate volunteer managers are working „smarter‟ to ensure that
the employee volunteer effort contributes to fulfilling the company‟s business goals.” These companies
reported using corporate volunteerism to augment their public relations, marketing, and
communications, as well as employee skill building, recruiting and retention, and diversity valuing.
This is just the beginning: It is already visible in today’s workplace that Social
Responsibility is an important factor for young people when choosing a company to
work for. This trend will continue and strengthen as children as young as 5 years
old are doing service for their school, the community and the environment. The
Corporate Volunteer Council can help prepare local businesses for this through
employee volunteer programs and ensure they are on the list of desirable civic
minded employers.
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Q: How can I encourage my employees to want to volunteer?
A: Successful corporate volunteer programs are born of a critical mass of energy and enthusiasm.
Sometimes just one person can spark excitement throughout the company for a cause or project. Often
a small group paves the way, volunteering independently before enlisting their coworkers. For larger
companies, an established corporate culture of volunteerism may rally employees to join in.
Whatever the source of the inspiration, a carefully crafted structure can harness that energy to sustain
a company‟s volunteer efforts over the long term. Below are a few ideas for building a framework for
success:
Survey Your Employees: An informal survey can unearth valuable insights into your company‟s talents
and passions that will inform your program‟s scope and structure and engage your employees, right
from the start. By asking the right questions, you can find common threads among employees‟ interests
and goals that will form the foundation of a program with broad appeal. Questions can focus on the
following topics:
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Issues of interest (e.g. education, homelessness, environmental quality)
Special skills and talents (e.g. carpentry, writing, training)
Relationships with potential community partners that the program can leverage
Relationships with potential business partners that have established volunteer programs
Preferences for volunteer hours
Desire to assume a leadership role
Ideas for linking community volunteering with company goals
Develop a Mission Statement
A mission statement captures the guiding principles of a company‟s volunteer program in a powerful
way that inspires employees to join in. Even just a line or two can encapsulate your program‟s why,
what, and how.
Q: How do I select the right volunteer projects for my business?
A: Project selection can be a simple, informal process or involve detailed applications. Whatever
method your company chooses, it should use clear and consistent criteria to give all employees an
equal opportunity to propose and launch projects. It good to start out with a small project to begin
with to ensure completion and in turn a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
The CVC is an outstanding resource for planning your volunteer events. CVC members can help you
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select a project based on the type of organization your company wants to help or a set of skills you
want to use.
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Q: When should I schedule volunteer hours?
A: Business can provide a focal point for organizing volunteer activities after working hours, but many
companies sponsor volunteer projects during business hours as well. They also may allow employees to
substitute volunteer hours- for the organization of their choice- for time at work. By offering this
“release time,” your company can support the community even when it doesn‟t sponsor its own
volunteer activities.
Employees view this time as a perk that improves their morale. It enables them to volunteer for
activities that occur only during working hours, promotes their employer as a good neighbor, and
fosters team building and professional development.
Companies that offer release time should consider several questions:
* Which employees are eligible?
* How many work hours may they use?
* How will employees obtain authorization to use volunteer hours?
* What types of organizations/activities will qualify for using volunteer hours?
* How will employees account for the hours on time sheets?
Q: What types of employee release time are there?
A: There are several types of employee release time:
Short-term, on site: Employee performs volunteer services at work during business hours
Short-term, off site: Employee performs volunteer services off site during business hours
Shared time: Employee contributes time that is matched by the company
Loaned personnel: Employees work at a community agency for several weeks or months to complete a
specific project requiring particular skills
Social service leave: Employee leaves the company for several months to a year at full pay to work on
a community project for a nonprofit agency.
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Q: How can I publicize my company’s volunteer efforts?
A: Corporate volunteer programs are great ways for companies to increase their visibility in the
community and enhance their public image. There are many ways to ensure that the community knows
about a company‟s volunteer efforts:
* Wear company t-shirts
* Issue press releases
* Post information on the Web
* Advertise
* Place fliers at points of purchase
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