Should you work in fundraising at a nonprofit, chances are high your path hardly ever crosses with the volunteer division, if in any respect. Regardless of being a part of the identical mission-driven group, these two groups typically function in silos, targeted on completely different metrics, methods, and techniques.
However right here’s the factor: their targets deeply overlap. Volunteers are sometimes amongst your most loyal and engaged supporters—and plenty of of them are even eligible for volunteer grants, a strong but typically underutilized supply of funding.
On this publish, we’ll define how one can actively construct team-wide volunteer grant buy-in from the bottom up—even in the event you’re ranging from scratch (and volunteering isn’t presently in your wheelhouse). The steps we’ll cowl embrace:
Volunteer grants are a golden alternative for fundraisers—however provided that you will get the broader workforce aligned and engaged. Let’s discover out precisely how you are able to do so!
Step 1: Purchase volunteer workforce buy-in.
Volunteer grants, or {Dollars} for Doers applications, are company giving initiatives the place corporations donate to nonprofits primarily based on their workers’ volunteer hours. However right here’s the catch: with out coordination between your fundraising and volunteer groups, these grants typically fall via the cracks.
Should you’re on the fundraising workforce, step one to unlocking volunteer grant income is beginning a dialog along with your volunteer division. Even when your groups don’t presently collaborate a lot, it is a pure space for partnership. In any case, volunteers aren’t simply useful arms; they’re a number of the most deeply invested supporters your group has. And lots of of them are eligible for volunteer grants via their employers, including further financial worth to their help.
Opening the door to this dialog doesn’t should be difficult. The truth is, a easy outreach message that explains the chance and invitations collaboration can go a great distance.
Right here’s a message template you’ll be able to adapt:
Hey [Name],
Over on the fundraising workforce, we’ve been wanting into company volunteer grants as a extremely useful potential income stream for us. These applications permit corporations to donate to nonprofits primarily based on their workers’ volunteer hours—typically tons of and even 1000’s of {dollars} per volunteer annually.
For instance:
- About 40% of Fortune 500 corporations provide volunteer grant applications.
- Some corporations will donate $25+ per hour volunteered.
- Simply 10 volunteers submitting grants may end in $2,500+ in unrestricted funding.
We’d like to discover how our groups can collaborate to determine eligible volunteers and help them in accessing these grants. May we arrange a fast chat to speak via this and see the place there may be overlap?
Thanks a lot!
[Your Name]
Bringing the volunteer workforce into the fold early helps be certain that methods are aligned, volunteers are supported, and no alternative is missed. They’re those with direct entry to the individuals who could make these grants occur—so your success relies on their partnership.
Step 2: Set up volunteer and fundraising workforce tasks.
When you’ve bought volunteer grant buy-in from the volunteer workforce, the subsequent step is defining how your departments will work collectively to help the applications. There’s no one-size-fits-all construction right here—the extent of collaboration versus delegation will rely in your group’s dimension, methods, and workforce capability. What issues most is readability.
At some organizations, the volunteer workforce would possibly take the lead on educating volunteers about grant alternatives, whereas the fundraising workforce manages the follow-up and monitoring of submitted grants. At others, fundraising would possibly deal with a lot of the outreach, with volunteers’ merely offering help round eligibility and hour verification. Whatever the construction, clearly outlined roles will make your efforts simpler and extra sustainable.
Some key inquiries to reply collectively embrace:
- Who shall be accountable for educating volunteers about grants?
- Who will confirm volunteer hours (if required)?
- Who will monitor and comply with up on submitted grants?
- How typically will the groups sync as much as overview outcomes or regulate technique?
By mapping out tasks and connecting the fitting individuals throughout departments, you’ll create a course of that feels easy internally and supportive externally on your volunteers.
Needless to say in case your group makes use of a Volunteer Administration System (VMS) that integrates with Double the Donation Volunteering, it’s particularly essential to loop in the fitting technical leads early on. In different phrases, be sure that the particular person on the volunteer workforce who manages your VMS is related with whoever manages your Double the Donation platform on the fundraising aspect. These platforms can work collectively to mechanically floor volunteer grant alternatives—however provided that the mixing is correctly configured and nurtured effectively.
Step 3: Safe management buy-in.
Getting inner help is simpler mentioned than performed—however with out management buy-in, even probably the most enthusiastic efforts to advertise volunteer grants can stall. In case your nonprofit is caught at a “combined buy-in” stage, the place a couple of people see the worth however there’s no organizational momentum, it’s time to shift your focus to management.
At this level, volunteer grants could not but be in your management workforce’s radar—however they need to be. These applications provide a scalable, low-lift fundraising stream that additionally deepens relationships with a few of your most engaged supporters. When management understands and endorses this chance, it turns into a lot simpler to safe workers time, cross-department collaboration, and even advertising and marketing actual property to advertise these applications.
So, how do you get them on board? A focused, data-informed method is essential.
Make the Case: Why Management Ought to Care
Begin by reframing volunteer grants as strategic fundraising with built-in engagement. You’re not simply asking for extra duties to be added to somebody’s plate—you’re providing a pathway to extend unrestricted income whereas strengthening donor retention and volunteer loyalty.
Contemplate these high-level speaking factors:
- Volunteers are your most dedicated supporters—and plenty of are eligible for company grants, price tons of and even 1000’s of {dollars} per particular person yearly.
- 40% of Fortune 500 corporations provide volunteer grant applications, and a few donate as much as $25+ per hour volunteered.
- These are untapped funds that already align along with your mission and the work you’re doing.
Leverage Inside Information
So as to safe top-level volunteer grant buy-in, present management what’s already taking place—or what they’re lacking out on. As an alternative of simply speaking about potential, visualize it by answering the next questions:
- What number of volunteers are presently energetic every month or yr?
- What number of of them work at corporations with identified volunteer grant applications?
- If 10–20% of your volunteers submitted grants, what would the income impression be?
When attainable, use instruments like Double the Donation’s analytics dashboard to showcase potential income, real-time engagement stats, or missed alternatives. Management is extra prone to act after they see the numbers and perceive the long-term return potential.
Maintain the Dialog Going
Relating to volunteer grant buy-in, getting the preliminary inexperienced mild is only the start. Request an everyday slot in quarterly management or cross-departmental conferences to report on volunteer grant efficiency, spotlight wins, and suggest methods to enhance the method. This would possibly embrace:
- Advertising help for volunteer grant consciousness
- VMS integrations or tech upgrades
- Staff targets tied to volunteer grant engagement
Ongoing visibility ensures volunteer grants keep top-of-mind—and that your nonprofit continues to deal with them as a strategic income stream reasonably than an afterthought.
Step 4: Enhance your processes.
As soon as your groups are aligned on their worth and have began collaborating, the subsequent step in securing volunteer grant buy-in is to strengthen the methods that help your efforts. Good processes don’t simply make it simpler for employees—they make it simpler for volunteers to comply with via.
Listed below are a couple of key methods to optimize your method and guarantee long-term success:
Drive consciousness about volunteer grants with proactive advertising and marketing.
You’ll be able to’t seize volunteer grants if individuals don’t know they exist. Create a easy, constant communication plan to coach volunteers about this chance.
For instance, add mentions of volunteer grants in locations like:
- Volunteer onboarding supplies
- Publish-event thank-you emails
- Month-to-month newsletters
- Social media posts
The purpose is to normalize the concept volunteering at your group may result in further donations from their employer.
Add our volunteer plugin to your web site.
Make it straightforward for volunteers to verify their eligibility for grants proper out of your web site! Double the Donation’s volunteer grant plugin permits supporters to:
- Search their employer’s volunteer grant coverage
- Entry eligibility and submission tips
- Get step-by-step directions for submitting a request
For the very best outcomes, you’ll wish to place the plugin on high-traffic pages—similar to your volunteer touchdown web page, occasion registration and affirmation pages, and post-volunteering thank-you messages—to satisfy volunteers the place they already are.
Join your VMS with Double the Donation’s Volunteering integrations.
In case your group makes use of a Volunteer Administration System (VMS), connecting it to Double the Donation’s volunteer grant instruments is a game-changer. In any case, these integrations assist automate eligibility checks, comply with up with automated outreach, and streamline the grant request course of—lowering workers workload whereas rising your likelihood of capturing extra grant {dollars}.
Use our automated emails to remind about volunteer grants.
Following up with a reminder after a volunteer has supported your trigger is usually the distinction between a missed alternative and a submitted grant. For that reason, Double the Donation Volunteering affords automated e mail reminders that:
- Immediate eligible volunteers to submit their hours
- Embody employer-specific directions
- Are triggered primarily based on volunteer exercise
These follow-ups are low-effort on your workforce (suppose: set it and overlook it) however high-impact when it comes to changing volunteer time into funding.
Observe outcomes and constantly make enhancements.
As soon as your methods are in place, it’s essential to observe how they’re performing over time. So as to take action, keep watch over metrics similar to:
- Variety of volunteer grant submissions
- Complete {dollars} raised via volunteer grants
- Main employers of your volunteers
- Engagement charges with reminder emails
- And extra!
From there, you should utilize this information to determine gaps and refine your technique for extra future successes.
Volunteer grants aren’t a one-and-done marketing campaign—they’re an ongoing strategy of iteration and enchancment. By investing in scalable processes now, you’ll set your workforce as much as seize extra income and make a stronger case for volunteer engagement long-term.
Wrapping up & further volunteer grant sources
Getting began with volunteer grants doesn’t require overhauling your fundraising technique—it simply requires a shift in how departments work collectively. Whereas the volunteer and fundraising groups could have completely different day-to-day tasks, you’re finally working towards the identical purpose: constructing robust, lasting help on your mission. And buying volunteer grant buy-in can go a great distance in doing so!
By fostering collaboration, sharing sources, and serving to your workforce see the fundraising potential behind volunteer engagement, you’ll be able to unlock new income streams and deepen donor relationships. Volunteer grants are low-hanging fruit—however provided that everybody is aware of the place to succeed in.
Able to develop your volunteer grant information? We suggest exploring the next further sources:
