Does Month of Service Undermine Employee Volunteer Programs?
Does Month of Service Undermine Employee Volunteer Programs?
So, you’re looking for best practices for employee volunteering programs that result in a consistent increase in participation over time and develops a culture of volunteering at your company? Sure, hold an annual kick-off to volunteering – but make sure it’s a kick-off. And add a few additional elements that will turn your employee volunteer program into what you imagine it can be.
Unlike an annual Employee Giving Campaign where the point is to get as many employees as possible to give as much money as possible in the timeframe of one month, a “Month of Service” is essentially a communications campaign where the point is to increase awareness among employees of the opportunities and value of volunteering year-round. The higher the participation during Month of Service, the more likely participation will increase throughout the year. Month of Service is a time to introduce people to volunteering, reward and recognize participation that aligns with the company’s values, and increase awareness of the various benefits of volunteering. Without this annual timeframe to spotlight volunteering, companies struggle to increase awareness, introduce new opportunities, reward and recognize top contributors, and demonstrate the company’s overall commitment to developing a culture of volunteering.
An annual Month of Service is good for a number of social and practical reasons and can trigger neural plasticity, but without continual, ongoing experiences, those new neural pathways fade away. The difficulty with a set timeframe is that either the event or the context may not carry salience or feel relevant for many people. It is the difference between being told “now we will do this” versus giving autonomy for people to develop their own reasons for volunteering. A set timeframe annually is good as an introduction or kickoff, but it does not on its own (without ongoing experiences throughout the year), result in behavior change or perspective change. The best strategy, according to the science, is a both-and approach: hold an annual Month of Service and offer ongoing opportunities throughout the year led by trained Volunteer Champions.
