Raising the standard: what it takes to make corporate volunteering work

By Dewi Thomas, CEO, Employee Volunteering

When I founded Employee Volunteering in 2006, I was not setting out to create a new discipline. I could simply see that something important was not yet working as it should. Charities needed practical, reliable support. Employees wanted to contribute their time and skills in ways that felt meaningful. Businesses were willing to enable that contribution, but often without a structure that ensured the effort genuinely strengthened the organisations involved.

Goodwill was present, what was missing was consistency.

Over time it became clear to me that corporate volunteering does not improve by accident. Standards do not quietly rise on their own. They rise because someone defines what good looks like, is prepared to invest in the infrastructure to support it, and is willing to refine the model when it falls short.

For the past twenty years, much of my focus has been on that quiet work of raising the standard: improving programme design, strengthening partnerships, introducing better measurement and adapting delivery models as expectations and community needs have evolved.

What follows are the leadership lessons that have shaped that journey.

1. Define what good looks like and insist on it

In the early years, volunteering often depended on goodwill and improvisation. That was understandable at small scale, but as programmes grew it became clear that inconsistency carried risk. Charities experienced variable quality, volunteer numbers sometimes exceeded capacity, safeguarding was, at times, considered late.

Standards do not rise automatically but because someone decides that certain elements are non-negotiable. For us, raising the standard meant formalising programme design without losing humanity.

If you are serious about quality, ask:

• Have we clearly defined what success looks like for the charity, the volunteer and the business?
• Are objectives agreed before activity is announced internally?
• Is safeguarding and facilitation built in from the outset?
• Do employees receive clear role definition and preparation?
• Would we be confident explaining our programme design to a board or external partner?

2. Protect continuity if you want meaningful impact

One-off activity generates positive experiences. Sustained engagement builds capability, understanding and trust. That is true for charities, but it is equally true for employees and businesses.

When volunteers return to the same programme over time, they develop deeper insight into the organisation they are supporting. Their contribution becomes more informed. Charities benefit from consistency. Businesses benefit from more engaged and skilled employees.

Continuity compounds value for all three.

Raising the standard entails asking:

• Are we investing in multi-session or multi-year programmes where appropriate?
• Do we return to the same partners long enough to understand their evolving needs?
• Are we measuring development over time, not just activity on the day?
• Have we protected successful programmes from being replaced simply for variety?

3. Listen first, design second

Corporate volunteering often begins with what employees might enjoy. Over time we learned that starting with charity need produces better outcomes for everyone.

Listening changes volunteering programme design for the better. It prevents well-intentioned activity from becoming additional pressure for beneficiaries.

Raising the standard here means embedding listening into the operating model, tailoring programmes to need and long term impact.

Ask yourself:

• Do we begin programme design with a structured conversation about charity priorities?
• Have we asked what would genuinely reduce pressure in the next quarter?
• Do we understand capacity constraints before setting volunteer numbers?
• Are we willing to adjust plans if the need does not match our assumptions?

4. Treat skills-based volunteering as serious work

As corporate volunteering matured, it became clear that the most transformative contributions often came from applying professional expertise. That strengthens charities structurally. It challenges employees to apply and develop their skills in new contexts, and allows businesses to align social impact with capability.

However, skills-based support only works when it is scoped properly and delivered with discipline.

Raising the standard requires asking:

• Is there a clearly defined problem statement for each skills-based project
• Are outputs and timelines agreed in advance?
• Are we matching the right expertise to the right need?
• Do employees receive preparation and context before engaging?
• Do we review outcomes to understand organisational benefit?

5. Innovation should remove friction

As programmes grow, complexity grows with them. Without innovation, that complexity creates friction for charities, employees and programme managers.

Innovation should make participation simpler for employees, reduce administrative strain for charities and provide clearer oversight for businesses.

Raising the standard means reviewing the system itself.

Ask yourself:

• Where does our current model create unnecessary effort for charities?
• Is participation simple and inclusive for employees across roles and locations?
• Do we have systems that give businesses visibility without adding burden?
• Can the programme adapt quickly when circumstances change?
• Are we evolving in response to emerging social need?

6. Measure what shapes behaviour

Raising the standard requires broadening what is valued.

Volunteer hours are easy to report, but they are not, on their own, evidence of impact.

Over time I have seen that what leadership chooses to measure quietly shapes programme culture. If activity is the primary benchmark, activity grows. If outcomes are discussed seriously, design improves.

Raising the standard requires broadening what is valued.

Ask these key questions:

• Are we measuring impact for charities, not just attendance?
• Can we evidence capability strengthened within partner organisations?
• Are we tracking skills and confidence developed by employees?
• Do we review environmental or community indicators beyond participation numbers?

7. Partnerships should deepen, not rotate

Frequent rotation of charity partners can appear energetic but often reduces efficiency and depth. Long-term partnerships create trust, reduce administrative waste and allow programmes to mature.

Raising the standard means committing beyond a single cycle, and delivering legacy impact.

Consider these aspects:

• Have we agreed a multi-year horizon with key partners?
• Are partnerships aligned to areas where our business can add distinct value?
• Do employees feel connected to these relationships over time?
• Are we reviewing impact jointly and adjusting accordingly?
• Would our partners describe the relationship as collaborative and dependable?

8. Leadership presence determines longevity and credibility

Corporate volunteering gains authority when it is visibly supported at senior level. Leadership involvement signals that it is part of organisational identity rather than a peripheral initiative.

Charities take reassurance from visible commitment; employees respond to leadership participation; and businesses benefit from stronger governance and continuity.

Raising the standard requires intentional presence from leadership, which determines whether programmes endure.

Test this by asking:

• Has a senior leader participated visibly in the past year?
• Is there clear executive sponsorship with defined accountability?
• Is volunteering discussed at strategic or board level?
• Is investment protected during cost scrutiny?
• Do employees see leadership modelling commitment rather than endorsing it from a distance?

After twenty years, I remain convinced that corporate volunteering can deliver meaningful value for charities, employees and businesses. It does so when standards are defined, continuity is protected, innovation is practical and leadership is prepared to invest in the infrastructure that makes generosity effective.

Raising the standard is not a one-time exercise. It is an ongoing responsibility.

If you are reviewing your organisation’s approach this year, perhaps the most important question is this:

Are we running volunteering activities, or are we building a volunteering capability that will still be meaningful in five years’ time?

The difference is subtle at first. Over time, it is everything.