Frequently Asked Questions

Is a planned, managed effort that seeks to motivate and enable employees to effectively volunteer under the leadership of the employer. Typically, the EVPs offer a sructured set of volunteer activites programed specifically for the employees of a company.

An Employee Volunteer Program:

• Supports company priorities and values
• Creates activities based on employees' interests
• Targets community needs

Three principles of excellence for Employee Volunteer Program success:

1. Acknowledge that the workplace's employee volunteer efforts contribute to the achievement of its business goals.
2. Commit to establish, support and promote an employee volunteer program that encourages the involvement of every employee, and manage the employee volunteer program like any other business function.
3. Target workplace volunteering at serious social problems in the local community.

Download this short "How-To" Section , to help you begin conceptualizing a successful Employee Volunteer Program.

There are five steps to getting started:

1. Identify the business priorities that can be supported by an EVP. If it is not already, make community involvement part of your company's mission statement.

2. Identify employee interests. Involve employees in the conversation about the EVP plan and gather information about their volunteer intersts.

   Ideas for gathering information:

   • Conduct a survey. Download a sample Employee Interests Survey .
   • Form an advisory committee
   • Facilitate focus groups

3. Identify community needs. Choose a volunteer category or categories to address and check out volunteer rates in Rhode Island.

   Volunteering categories include:

   • Education
   • Health and human services
   • Civics
   • Arts and culture
   • Environment

   Check out Volunteer Rates at Volunteering in America.

4. Determine what these priorities, intersets and needs have in common. Draft a purpose statement to guide your Employee Volunteer Program.
5. Become familiar with the 2010 Employee Volunteer Program Reporting Standards . This document will provide you with terminology, definitions as well as data tracking and reporting standards to help you caluculate the benefits and possible ways to improve your Employee Volunteer Program.