Saving Costs
Your Nonprofit With Skills-Based
for
Volunteering
Table of Contents
What is skills based volunteering
Types of skills based volunteering
Benefits of skills based volunteering
Best practices for a successful skills based volunteer program
Estimated cost savings from skills based volunteering
How to attract skills based volunteers on Alaya by Benevity
Alternative ways to recruit volunteers for your nonprofit
How to boost your impact with Alaya by Benevity
Introduction
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It’s no secret that nonprofit organizations face many challenges to deliver their much needed programs. From limited resources to retaining and re engaging donors, these are just a few of the main obstacles they must overcome on a day-to-day basis.
One major challenge nonprofits face nowadays is to find ways to reduce budget expenses and save costs while advancing their missions. Thankfully, today’s companies and their employees are becoming more committed to embedding a positive impact on the world by doing good through skills based volunteering.
In turn, this represents a tremendous opportunity for nonprofit organizations to get the support they need. By acquiring skills based volunteers and working with highly qualified professionals to help deliver on projects and key initiatives, nonprofits can significantly cut costs, boost their visibility, and ultimately, get closer to reaching their goals.
ThiseBookwilllaythegroundworkforskillsbasedvolunteeringand howitallowsnonprofitstosaveonoverheadcosts.Wewillexplore thetypesofskillsnonprofitscanbenefitfrom,howtosourcethe rightvolunteersforyourprojectsandthebestpracticeswhenit comestoworkingwithvolunteers. We’llalsogiveyouaballparkfigureonhowmuchyournonprofitcan savebyworkingwithskillsbasedvolunteers. 3 Introduction
What is skills-based volunteering?
Skills-based volunteering, also known as pro-bono, is when a volunteer uses their expertise to support the operations of a nonprofit organization by assisting in key business functions such as marketing, accounting, finance, and legal. Volunteers can be committed in the long run for ongoing contributions, or for a limited period of time for a particular project or task.
Skills-based volunteering is becoming seemingly more popular, with more than 50% of companies now channeling the talents of their employees to nonprofit organizations. Likewise, corporate volunteering is now being embedded within a company culture businesses are no longer solely doing business.
All in all, it allows professionals to make a positive and lasting contribution by utilizing their skills to support a nonprofit’s mission.
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Types of skills-based volunteering
Thetypesofskills-basedvolunteeringyournonprofitacquiresdependsentirely ontheneedsandscopesaroundyourorganization.Itcanrangeanywhere fromsettingupaCRMsystemtoansweringphonecalls.Onthewhole,your nonprofitcanaskforanytypeofhelp.
Herearejustsomeexamplesofskills-basedvolunteeringtasksand projectsthatnonprofitscangetsupporton:
Translatingdocumentsorawebsite
Reviewinglegalcontracts
Devisingamarketingplan
Conductingsurveys
Creatingasocialmediastrategy
ConductinganITauditoftechnologyused
Leadershipdevelopment
Preparingcommunicationslikeanewsletter
Designingabrochure
Dataanalysis
Mentoringoryouthcoaching
The length of skills-based volunteer projects are catered to fit the needs of your organization. Time commitment can vary depending on your requirements, ranging anywhere from a 3 week project to a 6 month program, or even longer!
Your nonprofit can also appeal for help for a one time task, such as a 30 minute translation task. In fact, by breaking down projects into smaller chunks, nonprofits can constantly attract new volunteers or one-time task tasks for corporate groups.
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Benefits of skills-based volunteering
Thanks to skills based volunteering, nonprofits can drive more resources to deliver their mission, and it’s also a win win for social impact and employee development. By donating their skills, professionals are empowered to make a difference and broaden their experience, while nonprofits can get the support they need to maximize their reach and save costs simultaneously.
Recruiting skills-based volunteers for your nonprofit can provide a wealth of benefits, let’s review some of the key advantages it can bring to your organization.
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Cut Costs
Skills based volunteering enables nonprofits to work directly with specialized professionals for free, or contractors that they might not have been able to afford otherwise. In turn, they can save significant amounts of their budget and re allocate these funds for other programs and initiatives.
Save time
Nonprofits can save a lot of time by assigning time-consuming tasks to skillsbased volunteers. Delegating tasks such as analyzing reports or entering data in the system can help free up time on your agenda, so you can get back and focus on what really matters your mission
Reach volunteers globally
Volunteers do not need to be physically present in your city to help out on your project. In fact, skills based volunteers are available all around the world and are looking to support a cause by utilizing their skills, so your nonprofit can reach out to even more people on a global scale.
Innovate your operations
Working with skills based volunteers gives your nonprofit the opportunity to discover new and unique solutions to make effective business decisions. Furthermore, you may find improvements in operations, new processes, and strategies to increase productivity within your organization.
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Provide leadership development
Skills based opportunities are a fantastic way to develop your staff and boost their skills. Getting professional guidance from volunteers with exercises such as defining project scope, creating a project plan, and establishing deliverables can help grow your team's skillsets.
Boost your visibility
Volunteers are a great way to get people involved in your cause. The more skills based volunteers your nonprofit acquires, the more support you will gain in the long term. Remember that these volunteers will most likely share their experiences with others, enabling 'word of mouth marketing.' In turn, your organization will increase your visibility through more support, volunteers, and even donations!
Develop long-term relationships
When volunteers get to know your mission and develop a relationship with your nonprofit and your team, you have the opportunity of gaining a lifetime supporter that is more likely to become a long-term donor, an advocate and a supporter.
Reach out to a wider audience
Skills based opportunities are becoming increasingly popular among millennials. According to recent stats, 94% of millennials want to use their skills to benefit a cause and 57% wish that there were more company wide service days.
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Best practices for a successful skills-based volunteer program
Once you’ve set up your volunteering program and have found the right volunteers whose skillset match your project requirements, your nonprofit needs to be ready to make the most of the volunteers’ time, commitment and value of expertise to scale their impact.
Preparation, organization, communication and management are vital in making sure the project runs smoothly.
Here’s a compiled checklist on how to run and deliver a successful skillsbased volunteering program.
Select a solid project plan
Skills based opportunities are a fantastic way to develop your staff and boost their skills. Getting professional guidance from volunteers with exercises such as defining project scope, creating a project plan, and establishing deliverables can help grow your team's skillsets.
Secure internal support
Make sure the team is on board with engaging with all the skills-based volunteers. Select a project leader who will be the volunteer’s primary point of contact throughout the entirety of the project and who will be able to assist them in terms of time schedules and task delegation.
Determine your assets
Evaluate each project to determine your available resources and how skill based volunteers can fit in and help with your current operations. Within this framework, figure out where exactly you need help, your objectives, and how volunteers will help you reach your goals.
Reach out to a wider audience
Skills based opportunities are becoming increasingly popular among millennials. According to recent stats, 94% of millennials want to use their skills to benefit a cause and 57% wish that there were more company wide service days.
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Be specific
Skills-based volunteers are looking for opportunities to leverage their unique skills. To increase the chances of finding the right volunteer, be very specific with your requirements. Write a detailed job description, define the overall project, state the desired level of expertise, languages needed, and timeframe. This will make it easier too for the volunteer to understand exactly what they will be doing and what is expected of them
Convey your mission
When listing your skilled based volunteering opportunity, don’t forget to also share your mission and the impact this project will have on your organization. Communicate your mission statement, your purpose and how your organization is supporting beneficiaries.
Onboard your volunteers
Make sure you onboard your volunteers thoroughly. Make them familiar with your impact, all your programs, and your challenges. Provide them with the resources they need to succeed whilst volunteering at your nonprofit.
Develop a project charter or plan
Share a defined “in scope” and “out of scope”, a timeline, milestones, and deliverables. Assure your volunteer has a good understanding of the goals, responsibilities and expectations. Make sure the project scope is cleary defined and crystal clear.
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Communicate regularly
Depending on the type of project, meet regularly with your volunteers to discuss progress and check if they need any additional support. Be professional with your volunteers and treat them as you would any other members of your team. Keep them in the loop throughout the project lifecycle on any major updates or changes.
Be thankful!
Acknowledge their contribution, thank them for their time and effort, and shed light on how their contribution will support your beneficiaries and help you get closer to your mission. Volunteers who have got to grips with your nonprofit could volunteer again in the future, through donations or by working with you directly again.
Onboard your volunteers
Make sure you onboard your volunteers thoroughly. Make them familiar with your impact, all your programs, and your challenges. Provide them with the resources they need to succeed whilst volunteering at your nonprofit.
Track time and funds saved
Make sure to track how much time you spend on your skills based volunteering project. You will need to calculate your return on investment from working with volunteers directly to have a good understanding of your nonprofit’s financial statements and optimize future budgets.
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Estimated cost savings from skills-based volunteering
Oneofthebiggestfactorsandbenefitssurroundingskillsbasedvolunteering iscostsavings.Onceyou'renonprofithasestablishedaskills-based volunteeringprogram,youwillneedtocalculatethetotalamountsavedfor reportingandrecognitionpurposes.
It'salsoimportanttounderstandhowyourorganizationcanoptimizefor futurebudgetsandminimizeexpensesoverall.
How to calculate estimated costs
Sohowcanyoucalculateandmeasurethefinancialvalueofworkingwith skillsbasedvolunteers?First,youwillneedtobenchmarkthecostswiththe paidratesofyourproject.Therearethreewaysyoucancomeupwithafigure:
Consultingfees Industryrates
Thepricethatitwouldcostanonprofittohireaconsultantfortheproject.You canlookathourlyrateschargedbyaconsultantforthisscopeoftheproject.
Theaveragesalaryratespaidinanindustry,forexample,awebdeveloperor marketingmanager.
Staffcosts
Thehourlyrateanonprofitwouldpayamemberofstafftoconductatask. Inordertogetaroughestimateoftheserates,conductsomeresearchbased onthelocationofyournonprofittofullyunderstandhowmuchyournonprofit wouldactuallyhavetopaytocompleteyourproject.
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Case study: costs saved with a skills-based volunteer
Let'stakealookatacasestudytoseehowmuchyourorganizationcanreduce costswithskillsbasedvolunteering.
AnonprofitinSanFransisco,Californiaisinneedofatranslatortotranslate theirentirewebsitefromEnglishtoSpanish.Atranslator'saveragesalaryin SanFransiscois$31.89perhour.Nowlet'scomparethattothescopeofthe entireprojectanditsoverheadcosts:
Hoursworkedaweek
Thetranslatorwillspend20hoursaweektranslatingthenonprofit'swebsite.
Projectduration
Thetotalprojectdurationisaround2monthsgiveortake.
Totalcostsaved
Weeklycost:$31.89perhourx20hours=$637.80
Overallprojectcost:$637.80x8weeks=$5,102.40
Byworkingdirectlywithaskillsbasedvolunteer,thenonprofitcansignificantly reducecostsfornotonlyjustthisproject,butalsoanyfuturetasksand activities,whichinturnwillhelpthemboosttheirimpactandgetcloserto achievingtheirmission.
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How to attract
skills-based volunteers on Alaya by Benevity
Howtoattractskills-basedvolunteersforyournonprofit
Nowwehavecoveredthebenefitsofacquiringskillsbasedvolunteers, providedinsightsonthebestpracticesofrunningthistypeofprogram,and shownyoujusthowmuchyournonprofitcansave,let’snowexplorehowAlaya byBenevitycanhelpyournonprofitsecurethesupportyouneedwithskills basedvolunteers.
AlayabyBenevityisanemployeepurposeplatformthatconnectsnonprofits withapoolofcorporatesandtheiremployeeslookingtodogoodthrough fundraisingandvolunteering.
ThroughtheAlayabyBenevity-Network,yournonprofitcanaccess professionalswhoarereadytoinvesttimeandenergyinyourproject,aswell asemployeeseagertohelpimpactfulcausees.
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How to create a skills-based volunteering activity on the Alaya by Benevity platform
Recruiting skills based volunteers on Alaya by Benevity is an easy and straightforward process. In fact, posting a volunteering opportunity takes only around 10 minutes to complete.
Nonprofits can create appeals on the platform to receive skills based volunteering for specific projects. Here's how:
1 Click here to get started
2 Select skills based volunteering
3 Choose a template that best suits your requirements, or create one from scratch
4 Tell us what you need help with:
Name of the appeal E.g. support us by translating our content Describe the project provide a detailed overview of the task or project you need help with Indicate the frequency, whether it’s one-off or regular Specify if volunteers are required remote or in-person Select which languages the volunteers should speak
5 Hit submit and you’re all set!
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As soon as you have created a volunteering opportunity for your nonprofit, someone from Alaya by Benevity will send you the link to your published appeal. As soon as it is live, your opportunity will be seen by users looking to volunteer in your city, and if the project can be done remotely, it will also be exposed to millions of employees around the world.
Note: you can create as many volunteering opportunities as you wish, there is no limit to the number of appeals you can list on Alaya by Benevity.
Here's an example of what your nonprofit's Activity on the Alaya by Benevity platform will look like:
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Alternative ways to recruit volunteers for your nonprofit
Alaya by Benevity enables nonprofits to maximize their reach through corporate partnerships on our online platform. Additionally, your nonprofit can also use these options to recruit skilled volunteers and maximize your impact.
Other outreach strategies to connect with skills based volunteers include:
Reach out to universities and schools
Students and educators could be interested in taking on a project to support your cause as part of their educational program, ask educational institutions in your area if you can appeal for help through brochures or leaflets.
Your very own group of supporters
These are people who are already familiar with your organization and your mission. They would be more than happy to get involved and support your nonprofit in another way or refer someone who is qualified for the position.
Post on social media
Create an appeal across your various social media platforms indicating what kind of support your organization needs now and in the future, and how volunteers can help. These types of calls can be easily shared on social media, meaning your post is more likely to reach a wider audience.
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AlayabyBenevity toboostyour impact
Create a volunteering opportunity
Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is a leader in global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. A finalist in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards, Benevity’s cloud solutions power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed nearly $8 billion in donations and 43 million hours of volunteering time to support 326,000 nonprofits worldwide The company’s solutions also facilitated 530,000 positive actions and awarded 1.2 million grants worth $12 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com.
