Beyond Mandela Day: the power of employee volunteering programmes

Most big companies in South Africa have maturing employee volunteering programmes (EVPs) that are popular with their staff. In 2023, 78% of large companies had EVPs and 53% of South African volunteers gave back via company-led volunteering initiatives. As many as 83% of corporate volunteers said they were proud to work for companies committed to communities.

Volunteering also develops valuable skills, according to 67% of survey respondents.

These findings come from research conducted by Trialogue and forgood, South Africa’s largest volunteering platform, between May and August 2023, to better understand employee volunteering programmes. The research showed that companies are increasingly ‘getting with the programme’ – 64% of them had dedicated EVP budgets, and 64% offered time off to volunteer during working hours.

We’re clearly a giving nation – and this particularly finds expression in July as South Africans mark Mandela Day on 18 July, when we throw ourselves into giving and volunteering. Once the hype has died down, however, participation in volunteering tends to drop. This can hamper non-profit organisations, some of which rely on volunteerism and the associated giving.

A simple solution is to craft EVPs that continue to deliver throughout the year. This doesn’t necessarily mean a dozen opportunities to pack food parcels – such support could also take the form of strengthening NPOs with funds or skills transfer to ensure their sustainability. Given that 87% of NPOs surveyed by Trialogue partnered with company EVPs in 2023, this would seem to be a mutually beneficial approach.

Companies can also consider establishing or refreshing their EVP policies and strategies to include ongoing projects and initiatives, and encouraging employees to champion causes beyond Mandela Month. They can introduce awards for volunteering and foster a culture of volunteering within the company that outlasts any single project or event.

Importantly, volunteering should have strong executive support, championed by the CEO and senior management team, sending a message that giving back is not just about compliance but part of a company’s DNA.

How to sustain employee volunteering

Although Mandela Day activities are vital, they don’t solve many of the systemic issues we face.

To improve outcomes, companies could empower employees to run with volunteering initiatives, giving them a sense of ownership and control. It’s also helpful to offer a range of causes to support, different ways to engage, and flexibility when it comes to time off to volunteer.

The more opportunities for employees to volunteer on an ongoing basis the better. These could include training and support to sit on nonprofit boards or to mentor NPO leaders or small business owners, as well as opportunities to provide specialised skills to NPOs, including in finance, marketing, IT, legal and HR. There are also programmes offered by business associations that provide ongoing technical support to government entities, including municipalities, that could be considered.

Companies should also raise awareness of the benefits of volunteering, and provide sufficient resources, training and support to help volunteers grow. Showcasing impact via internal channels and social media can be helpful, giving employees a sense of accomplishment and recognition.

Recommendations for companies

These practical tips can help your company set up and maintain a successful EVP:

• Ensure company leaders are involved and are supportive of volunteering – not because this makes for good publicity, but because there’s a genuine commitment to making a difference.
  
• Develop and refresh EVP strategies regularly and include a variety of ways for employees to give back through both donations and volunteering.
  
• Offer a wide variety of opportunities to meet the differing availability, skills and interests of employees. The most common form of volunteering in 2023 was time spent working with the end beneficiaries of NPOs (40% of volunteers), followed by time spent providing other services (35%) and manual labour (33%). Other options included fundraising support, pro bono work, or serving on NPO boards.
  
• Consider providing more time off for volunteering. Currently, most companies offer one day off per year, but our research shows that one third of employees believe they didn’t have enough time to volunteer in 2023. Volunteering is an excellent teambuilding exercise that deepens company culture and builds a sense of community.
  
• Plan and organise volunteering activities throughout the year.
  
• Remove barriers to volunteering, for example the need for multiple approvals or a lack of transport.
  
• Research found that 23% of volunteers weren’t aware of company volunteering initiatives in 2023, which means companies should improve the way they communicate opportunities and options around volunteering. Make information more visible, accessible, and simple to understand, and reduce red tape as far as possible. You can also incentivise participation.

For more on employee volunteering, watch the Trialogue webinar Employee volunteering: Beyond Mandela month.