Take Your Volunteering Events From Good to GREAT

Over the years, I’ve led numerous volunteer events and charity partnerships. So, in the spirit of #VolunteersWeek, I wanted to share my top tips for taking your volunteering programme from good to great:

✅ DO:

• Choose a cause that truly resonates with your team and aligns with your brand purpose.
• Make it inclusive – consider colleagues who are neurodivergent, have mobility challenges, or other access needs.
• Play to your strengths – leverage the unique skills within your business, whether that’s legal expertise, tech knowledge, or creative talent.
• Offer variety – rather than a single one-off event, give employees a range of opportunities to choose from. Engagement increases when people feel they have autonomy.
• Create a clear volunteering policy – outline what’s encouraged and what time away from work is supported, so there’s no ambiguity.

❌ DON’T:

• Pressure people to volunteer or fundraise – it undermines authenticity and may actually disengage your team.
• Assume charities are always eager for help – volunteering events require time, planning, and resources on their side. Spoiler alert: this is not a free team-building day.
• Demand lengthy reports or presentations from your charity partners to showcase your impact – this can divert valuable resources from their core work.
• Approach with a power imbalance – this is about meaningful impact, not showcasing who has the biggest budget.
• Underestimate the resources you might need – it’s not a “learning opportunity” for a junior team member to do in their free time. Allocate appropriate resource.

Here are three real-world examples I’ve been part of, showing how mutual benefit can look in action:

• 🧼 Hotel volunteers assembling amenity kits for a homeless charity – done efficiently in the office with zero cost, thanks to smart collaboration with the supply chain.
• 💻 Tech employees delivering online safety sessions for parents – a major brand using its in-house expertise to tackle a key social issue, demonstrating leadership with purpose.
• 🌍 Hospitality professionals mentoring young talent – drawing on years of industry experience to coach the next generation. And by offering virtual mentoring, they’re making a global impact.

If you’re thinking about how to build a stronger volunteering culture within your organisation, feel free to reach out. And follow me for more insights on building a purpose-led business that creates lasting, real-world impact.