Volunteering and social impact programs are an essential part of company culture and team building. According to a recent study by Deloitte, 91% of people surveyed said volunteer opportunities can have a positive impact on their overall work experience and connection to their employer. Despite the benefits, maximizing participation often proves challenging.

If you’re looking to host a successful volunteer activity at your company this year, read on for eight ways to increase engagement with your employees.

  1. Make social impact part of an existing meeting: Add your activity to the agenda for an off-site event, town hall, or office happy hour. Even a small activity for a good cause can make an ordinary company event feel extra special.
  2. Engage executives first: Ask a high-visibility company leader to sign up for your upcoming volunteer event and publicize it to employees. This signals to team members that volunteering is encouraged at the leadership level. It may also attract potential participants who hope to get quality face time with company leaders.
  3. Leverage managers and social impact champions: Like the strategy above, consider asking managers or well-connected team members to champion your upcoming event and invite their teams or work friends to participate with them.
  4. Tell an inspiring story: Helping people feel emotionally invested in the chosen cause is critical to the success of a social impact program. Invite someone passionate about the cause to share their perspective at an upcoming all-hands meeting.
  5. Share updates: Use company-wide meetings, your intranet or Slack, or social media to keep employees updated on results. Engage your marketing team to create a report or video celebrating your company’s impact. For inspiration, see Sequoia’s Global Volunteer Month video and annual report.
  6. Overcommunicate: Share invitations and reminders on multiple channels. Try a combination of email, intranet, Slack, social media posts, company-wide meetings, email signatures, and the Sequoia mobile app — find Newsfeed instructions here.
  7. Make it fun: Create opportunities for employees to volunteer together. This is a fun and energizing way to foster team bonding across groups and departments. Consider turning it into a friendly competition between teams. Post regular updates about which teams or departments have the highest participation and celebrate them.
  8. Offer a meaningful prize: Offer a thoughtful prize to the person or team with the highest participation, like a donation to their favorite charity, Dollars for Doers, or a gift that gives back.

For more ways to maximize employee engagement, visit our Giving Back page. To connect with Sequoia’s Impact team, email impact@sequoia.com.

Adriana Asdourian — Adriana is a Senior Social Impact Development Manager and a founding member of the Sequoia Impact Program. She engages Sequoia's team members, clients, and extended network in giving back to the community through volunteerism, fundraising for causes, and learning about social challenges and how to take action. Outside of work, Adriana enjoys gardening, trying new recipes, and spending quality time with family.