--- title: How to build an engaging volunteering programme description: How to build an engaging volunteering programme with Neighbourly image: https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-11-9788-PM.jpg --- [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Volunteering](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/volunteering) [Guides & Resources](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/guides-resources) # How to build an engaging volunteering programme By [Isobel Gauld](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/isobel-gauld) on July 20, 2022 [**Back](https://blog.neighbourly.com) How to build an engaging volunteering programme Share [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme%20&body=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme&media=https://7111797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/7111797/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-11-9788-PM.jpg](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme%20&body=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme&media=https://7111797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/7111797/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-11-9788-PM.jpg) ![Isobel Gauld](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/1600357773382.jpeg) ###### Isobel Gauld Marketing & Communications Manager at Neighbourly [**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isobel-gauld-8087a0172) [** ](mailto:isobel.gauld@neighbourly.com) [** Back to main blog](https://blog.neighbourly.com) Share [mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme%20&body=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme&media=https://7111797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/7111797/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-11-9788-PM.jpg](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme%20&body=Check%20out%20https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-to-build-an-engaging-volunteering-programme&media=https://7111797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/7111797/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-11-9788-PM.jpg) ![Painting](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d0c6a914cfa5c8fa1eba-Aug-27-2024-02-12-10-0939-PM.jpg) An evident rise in social consciousness is intensifying the war for talent; transforming workforce expectations and driving an increasingly urgent need to improve employee engagement.  Employee volunteering programmes are being used to drive this engagement - and unsurprisingly so. Saying that your business has helped 100,000 people is a powerful way to show employees the impact they’re making, in turn helping them to feel more connected to the programme..  The most effective volunteering programmes enable staff to better connect with their local communities, igniting a sense of satisfaction from supporting those in need. In fact, YouGov research commissioned by Neighbourly in 2021 found that employees in [o](https://www.neighbourly.com/blog/employee-volunteering-creates-a-happier-workforce-research-finds)[rganisations that offer volunteering programmes](https://www.neighbourly.com/blog/employee-volunteering-creates-a-happier-workforce-research-finds) are happier and more likely to trust and recommend their employer to others.  However, recognising the link between volunteering and employee engagement is only the start. ## Employee volunteering strategy ![volunteer](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d16ca914cfa5c8fa1edc-1.jpg)   To move from planning to activating a successful volunteering programme requires a multifaceted strategy. The more that volunteering and community action are ingrained in the culture of a company, the easier they will be to execute and, in turn, foster greater employee engagement. Aligning a volunteering programme with company values will ensure it’s an integral part of your ESG plan as well as serving as evidence that the business is living its values.  At a time where businesses are often faced with staff shortages due to the ongoing impact of covid and Brexit, it’s important to consider how you can build an inclusive volunteering programme. For example, micro-volunteering takes into consideration that time-poor employees are more likely to volunteer their skills in small, convenient chunks, allowing them the opportunity to contribute to a larger community project in a flexible way. Remote volunteering gives employees who can’t or don’t want to leave their house the chance to make a difference in a way that is comfortable and, equally as valuable.     Companies that are particularly good at this will often include their volunteering policy in the job descriptions of all employees as well as job adverts, therefore new joiners know from day one that volunteering is important to their employer.  ## Overcoming barriers to employee volunteering ![volunteer 2](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/62d7d1d6a914cfa5c8fa1edd-1.jpg)   One blocker to the uptake of such programmes is the sense among employees that they require permission to take time away from their main work responsibilities to volunteer. However, the more they feel their manager is behind their volunteering efforts, the more engaged they will be.  Including these programmes within the KPIs that line managers actively and regularly check on further encourages employees to put themselves forward for volunteering opportunities.  The KPIs used to evaluate the success of employee volunteering programmes can also influence overall success in relation to employee engagement. The most successful programmes tend to report on the number of lives they have been able to positively impact, rather than focussing on the number of employees that have taken part or the hours they have clocked.  By focusing on human impact, rather than raw numbers, employees will feel more connected to the cause, fulfilled by their experience and thus motivated to partake in the programme repeatedly.  ## The benefits of an engaging employee volunteering programme Creating a volunteering programme that your employees care about is an effective long-term strategy that improves talent recruitment and retention over time by demonstrating that the business values are integral to the culture. This ultimately feeds into the bottom line by ensuring that employees are better connected, happier, healthier and more trusting of their employer. [Watch our Employee Volunteering Webinar on-demand here](https://hub.neighbourly.com/power-of-employee-volunteering-webinar-ondemand) [** Previous Post](https://blog.neighbourly.com/the-local-multiplier-effect-and-how-it-boosts-esg-impact) [View All](https://blog.neighbourly.com) [Next Post **](https://blog.neighbourly.com/key-takeaways-from-neighbourly-donation-management-webinar) ### Subscribe to the Neighbourly blog Stay connected with Neighbourly and receive new blog posts, insights & research findings directly in your inbox. ### Related Posts [![Spring Community Insights: Local good causes integral to recovery from pandemic](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/60a673ab4a66bd21e3f911f7-Aug-27-2024-02-19-25-6083-PM.jpeg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/spring-community-insights-local-good-causes-integral-to-recovery-from-pandemic) 4 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) ##### [Spring Community Insights: Local good causes integral to recovery from pandemic](https://blog.neighbourly.com/spring-community-insights-local-good-causes-integral-to-recovery-from-pandemic) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on May 20, 2021 This Spring, over 1,200 of the small charities and local good causes registered with Neighbourly got involved in our... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/spring-community-insights-local-good-causes-integral-to-recovery-from-pandemic) [![Neighbourly Know-How: Using AI for Community Support](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/iStock-1369231368.jpg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-using-ai-for-community-support) 2 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Guides & Resources](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/guides-resources) [AI](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/ai) ##### [Neighbourly Know-How: Using AI for Community Support](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-using-ai-for-community-support) By [Isobel Gauld](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/isobel-gauld) on February 12, 2025 In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed from a techy buzzword into a practical tool that's... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-using-ai-for-community-support) [![Empowering Communities with AI: How Ai123 is Helping Charities Embrace the Future](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_506767715.jpeg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-ai123-is-helping-charities-embrace-the-future) 4 min read [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) [Neighbourly Partners](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/neighbourly-partners) [AI](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/ai) ##### [Empowering Communities with AI: How Ai123 is Helping Charities Embrace the Future](https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-ai123-is-helping-charities-embrace-the-future) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on March 6, 2025 Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we live and work, but for many grassroots charities, keeping up... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/how-ai123-is-helping-charities-embrace-the-future) [![Hundreds of charities to celebrate Thank You Day with grant from Virgin Media O2 Together Fund](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/60dd9feed442e3e6a47c0ac0-Aug-27-2024-02-13-40-4055-PM.jpeg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hundreds-of-charities-to-celebrate-thank-you-day-with-grant-from-virgin-media-o2-together-fund) 5 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) [Fundraising](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/fundraising) [Case studies](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/case-studies) ##### [Hundreds of charities to celebrate Thank You Day with grant from Virgin Media O2 Together Fund](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hundreds-of-charities-to-celebrate-thank-you-day-with-grant-from-virgin-media-o2-together-fund) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on July 1, 2021 This month we were pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Virgin Media O2. [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hundreds-of-charities-to-celebrate-thank-you-day-with-grant-from-virgin-media-o2-together-fund) [![Community causes brace as Universal Credit uplift and furlough scheme wind down](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/611f7382cf111d88a0caada3-Aug-27-2024-02-31-16-5323-PM.jpg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/community-causes-brace-as-universal-credit-uplift-and-furlough-scheme-wind-down) 8 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Guides & Resources](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/guides-resources) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) [Case studies](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/case-studies) ##### [Community causes brace as Universal Credit uplift and furlough scheme wind down](https://blog.neighbourly.com/community-causes-brace-as-universal-credit-uplift-and-furlough-scheme-wind-down) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on August 19, 2021 Neighbourly’s latest Community Survey of over 1,100 local good causes cites major concerns ahead as the removal of the... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/community-causes-brace-as-universal-credit-uplift-and-furlough-scheme-wind-down) [![Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Small Charities in the AI Era](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Work%20colleagues%20volunteering%20at%20a%20bakery%20.png) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/digitalbridge-empowering-small-charities-in-ai-era) 2 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) ##### [Bridging the Digital Divide: Empowering Small Charities in the AI Era](https://blog.neighbourly.com/digitalbridge-empowering-small-charities-in-ai-era) By [Isobel Gauld](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/isobel-gauld) on May 29, 2024 As technology increasingly impacts every aspect of our lives, a significant digital divide threatens to leave... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/digitalbridge-empowering-small-charities-in-ai-era) [![A guide to Matched Funding with Neighbourly](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/pexels-andre-taissin-3252911-6052793.jpg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/double-the-impact-a-guide-to-matched-funding-with-neighbourly) 2 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) [Fundraising](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/fundraising) ##### [A guide to Matched Funding with Neighbourly](https://blog.neighbourly.com/double-the-impact-a-guide-to-matched-funding-with-neighbourly) By [Cara Walters](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/cara-walters) on April 20, 2026 What is Matched Funding? Matched Funding (MF) is a corporate social responsibility initiative where businesses match... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/double-the-impact-a-guide-to-matched-funding-with-neighbourly) [![Neighbourly Know-How: The Power of Storytelling to Share Your Impact](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/AdobeStock_506767715.jpeg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-the-power-of-storytelling-to-share-your-impact) 2 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Guides & Resources](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/guides-resources) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) ##### [Neighbourly Know-How: The Power of Storytelling to Share Your Impact](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-the-power-of-storytelling-to-share-your-impact) By [Isobel Gauld](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/isobel-gauld) on June 25, 2025 At the heart of every charitable organisation is a powerful story. Whether it’s helping families through a tough time,... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/neighbourly-know-how-the-power-of-storytelling-to-share-your-impact) [![Cost of Living crisis and Ukraine invasion leave small charities facing immense pressure](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/62442750e63a24afc7c709e8-Aug-27-2024-02-18-11-2259-PM.jpg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/cost-of-living-crisis-leaves-small-charities-facing-immense-pressure) 4 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) ##### [Cost of Living crisis and Ukraine invasion leave small charities facing immense pressure](https://blog.neighbourly.com/cost-of-living-crisis-leaves-small-charities-facing-immense-pressure) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on March 30, 2022 Local good causes are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the compounding impacts of an economic crisis in... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/cost-of-living-crisis-leaves-small-charities-facing-immense-pressure) [![Women lead the way in supporting our local communities](https://blog.neighbourly.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/6045e23cec6bb4db3dff7c75-Aug-27-2024-02-12-24-8616-PM.jpeg) ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/international-womens-day-survey-shows-women-lead-the-way-in-supporting-local-communities) 7 min read [General](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/general) [Volunteering](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/volunteering) [Charities & causes](https://blog.neighbourly.com/tag/charities-causes) ##### [Women lead the way in supporting our local communities](https://blog.neighbourly.com/international-womens-day-survey-shows-women-lead-the-way-in-supporting-local-communities) By [Jane Halstead](https://blog.neighbourly.com/author/jane-halstead) on March 8, 2021 Today is International Women’s Day - a day for celebrating the achievements of women in a world that has a lot of work... [ Continue Reading ](https://blog.neighbourly.com/international-womens-day-survey-shows-women-lead-the-way-in-supporting-local-communities)