Tips and Tricks for Workplace Giving Programs

Many employers are striving to improve employee engagement in the workplace. An often overlooked way of boosting employee engagement is offering employees a way to contribute meaningfully to the community. Thus, employers looking for new ways to increase employee engagement should consider setting up a workplace giving program.

Offering a workplace-giving program is one of the least common ways that employers try to drive employee engagement, but research shows that it can be quite effective. In fact, the 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey of employed adults ages 21-35 found that millennial employees who participate in workplace volunteer activities and charitable giving are almost twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career.

Workplace giving programs can be set up in several different ways, with common approaches including:

• Employee matching, where an employer makes a donation to match its’ employees charitable contributions.
• Volunteer support programs, where employees are offered a reward, such as a stipend, to employees who volunteer their time for a charitable cause.
• Annual giving campaigns, where employees can effortlessly donate to a cause through payroll deduction, at a given time of year.

The above are just a few types of workplace giving programs. The programs will vary by workplace, as will the rules and guidelines associated with each. That being said, there are steps that any employer can take to ensure that their workplace giving is a success. Here are some tips and tricks:

• Make participation easy. According to Cone Research, 79% of people want to work for a socially responsible company and think it’s important that their companies match their charitable giving. However, there can be barriers that prevent employees from participating in workplace programs. Using an all-in-one campaign management platform, where employees can log volunteer hours, donate, and request corporate matching, is ideal because it allows employees to access everything that they need to participate in one place.

• Be diligent about communications. Hanging flyers in the office, or sending a one-time email is not enough. Employers should educate employees about workplace giving programs during onboarding, as well as regularly throughout the year. Furthermore, they should reach employees through multiple touchpoints- in person, on the company website, through emails, and beyond. To make the process of communications easier, employers can automate communications and schedule email communications to be sent every so often that remind employees of their options and to let them know about upcoming events.

• Give employees options. While employees are more likely to participate in workplace giving programs when the employer does most of the legwork for them, they still like to feel as if they have some choice in where their time and/or money goes. Giving is personal, so employers should give employees the opportunity to donate to the causes that mean the most to them. Research has shown that employees are five times more likely to donate when they have the options that align with their passions and resonate with them personally.

In conclusion, employers that are hoping to increase employee engagement should not overlook the power of workplace giving programs. Offering such programs to employees satisfies the need that employees have to feel as though they are making a positive contribution to the community and having a meaningful impact. It also helps employees to feel more emotionally invested in their work. This will drive them to be more engaged in the workplace, and ultimately, better employees, making workplace giving programs a win for all.