4 Ways Skills-Based Volunteering Benefits Small Businesses
Source: CO - By U.S. Chamber, Erica Sweeney , Contributor
Creating a volunteer program helps you support local charities and important causes while developing your team’s expertise.
Running a small business gives you a range of skills: bookkeeping, marketing, social media strategy, human resources, and management. This expertise is what makes your company successful, but you can also use it to help your community by creating a skills-based volunteering program.
Skills-based volunteering involves business owners and their teams offering their knowledge and skills to local nonprofits. And it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Charitable organizations tap into professional skills they need to further their missions. Companies expand their knowledge and develop employees’ skills in real-world settings, according to Common Impact, a nonprofit that connects businesses with nonprofits.
“It helps people understand the skills and value of the skills they already have by using them in a service context,” said Rachel Hutchisson, CEO of Common Impact. “It helps them build community, get to know other people, and sometimes showcase skills that they have that they don't get to use at work.”
The business benefits of skills-based volunteering
Last year, 76% of small business owners reported volunteering their time with community or civic groups, charities, youth sports, schools, religious organizations, or other groups, according to a National Federation of Independent Business survey. And 71% said doing so is important for their company’s success.
Here’s how skills-based volunteering benefits small businesses.
It improves employee retention
After implementing a skills-based volunteering program, 90% of companies experienced a decrease in turnover, according to a Common Impact survey. The report also found that:
- Ninety-six percent of employee volunteers viewed the experience as a professional-development opportunity.
- Ninety-one percent of employees said the volunteering opportunities made them more likely to recommend their employer to others.
Skills-based volunteering boosts morale among employees, as they collaborate with others on a meaningful mission or project. It provides employees and business owners with opportunities to hone their skills while furthering causes they care about.
It builds your brand image
Volunteering your skills lets you engage the community while showcasing your expertise. This in turn can increase your visibility and boost your image. When people in the community see your company giving back, they may be more likely to trust you, and this could lead to loyal, new customers, according to an Adobe Express report. It also helps you develop a reputation as a company that cares about its community, which increases awareness about your work.
It boosts the local business community
A thriving small business community benefits all companies. Creating a better local business environment is one reason to volunteer your skills. In the NFIB’s report, 82% of small business owners said their community involvement is important to creating a better local business climate.
Small business owners will also likely meet other business and community leaders while volunteering, which enables networking opportunities and possible collaborations. It could also generate referrals or introduce you to someone whom you can go to for advice.
It increases satisfaction and well-being
Giving back to local organizations just feels good. Almost all of the small business owners surveyed in the NFIB’s report said involvement in community activities was important for their “personal satisfaction and fulfillment.”
It can have the same effect on your team. Nearly 70% of small business owners said community involvement was important to the well-being and morale of their employees.
How to get started with skills-based volunteering
Start by thinking internally and involving your employees, Hutchisson says. Ask employees what causes or nonprofits they’re interested in supporting and what skills they’d like to offer.
Also, consider what might be a natural fit. For instance, if your business is food-based, offer your skills to local food pantries or other hunger-relief organizations.
“You start within, understand your skills, understand the interest of your people, and then you look for ways to engage with the outside world,” Hutchisson says.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to support, reach out to the nonprofits that you and your team identified. Discuss their needs and the skills that you bring to the table — and map out a plan for working together. For example, if they need a more efficient way to track expenses, you could apply your accounting expertise. Or if they lack a social media strategy, help create a schedule for posting on the platforms.
Another option is to organize your team to volunteer at an event, like a 5K supporting a charity, or set up a fundraising drive, such as collecting nonperishable food around the holidays.
Start small, Hutchisson suggests. “Small businesses shouldn’t feel like they have to take a big leap to get involved in skills-based volunteerism. It’s something they can take one step at a time.”
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