A guide to establishing a beneficial corporate volunteer program
Introduction: Volunteerism is just good business
The modern workforce expects more from their employers than ever before. Employees want their companies to take a stand on purpose, sustainability, and community impact, and reward those who do so. A 2025 Deloitte study found that 67% of employees consider a company’s commitment to sustainability and social impact when deciding where to work. That number rises to 83% among Millennial and Gen Z workers. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increasingly been adopted by companies seeking to connect their employees directly to visible and lasting opportunities for impact in their communities.
One of the most effective ways for corporations to demonstrate their commitment to CSR is through corporate volunteer engagement. Scheduling volunteer events allows employees to step outside their normal work environment, connect with each other, and see the immediate results of their impact. Simultaneously, corporations can increase employee satisfaction and retention while enhancing their brand’s reputation in their local community.
For more than 35 years, Trees Forever has partnered with companies to deliver high-impact volunteer events rooted in tree planting and environmental stewardship. Every year, Trees Forever averages 7,000 hands-on volunteer encounters that strengthen communities and build lasting corporate-community partnerships. This paper will show you how to leverage corporate volunteerism to do good and drive business value while creating a legacy of community impact.
Why Tree Planting?
The Case for Environmental Volunteerism
Environmental volunteerism is uniquely positioned due to its ability to combine immediate visibility with long-term impact. When employees plant a tree, they can walk away at the end of the event having transformed a space. Every tree planted will continue to provide shade, clean air, stormwater absorption, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat for decades.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are playing a growing role for both consumers and employees in selecting places to work and do business. A 2023 study by the IBM Institute for Business Value and the National Retail Federation found that purpose-driven consumer represent the largest segment of consumers, at 44%. More specifically, a Business of Sustainability study by PDI Technologies found that 78% of consumers want to buy from environmentally-friendly companies. When paired with the growing desire among employees for CSR and ESG activities, the benefits of environmental volunteering becomes self-evident. Research by IBM has indicated that for employees who had changed jobs in the last year, around one in three chose to take a pay cut to work for a company they view as socially responsible.
Mutual benefit lies at the core of environmental volunteering. Beyond the tangible benefits for companies and employees, volunteerism is of great benefit to nonprofits and the community, which in turn fosters greater local support for corporations. Employee volunteers can take pride in their impactful work, employers can enjoy the benefits of a motivated workforce and supportive customer base, and nonprofits can get vital work done with the support of corporate volunteers.
Core Principles for Successful Corporate Volunteerism
Across more than three decades of working with volunteer groups, Trees Forever has identified the core principles that lie behind a successful corporate volunteer partnership.
By following and seeking out the principles outlined below, corporations can choose volunteer opportunities that are relatively straightforward, meaningful, and aligned with their business goals.
Partnerships Should Be Meaningful and Beneficial.
Every company and nonprofit have different needs. A strong partnership addresses the needs of both parties to ensure a meaningful and beneficial partnership. Does the company want a one-day event for 20 volunteers, or do they want an ongoing volunteer program? Does the nonprofit need a specific skill set or can they train volunteers on what they need? Projects should be tailored to fit the values, talents, and schedules of both parties. A strong nonprofit volunteer program will also take care not to overpromise or allow mission creep when offering volunteer opportunities. A volunteer event without a meaningful outcome is a waste of both the company and the nonprofit’s time. The clear communication of goals and needs up front so that appropriate opportunities can be planned helps both sides have a positive and productive engagement.
Turnkey Event Management Streamlines Volunteering.
Corporate volunteers shouldn’t have to worry about the logistics of the activities. Nonprofits that make participation easy for volunteers have a higher level of engagement from corporate partners and see more returning groups. Seek out nonprofits that provide an opportunity that is well planned, clearly communicated, and detail oriented. The work for the day should be prepared, set up, and ready for the volunteers to jump in and work.
Trees Forever, for instance, ensures that planting locations, permits, materials, tools, refreshments, and scheduling are done ahead of time. Volunteers typically only need to bring themselves and their enthusiasm to a planting event!
Expert-Led Experiences Build Confidence.
Volunteers want to feel capable, supported, and confident. A volunteer experience where the employees felt they were unprepared or that their work was not useful will be counterproductive to the company’s employee engagement goals. Seek out nonprofits that bring their experts to volunteer events; these leaders will improve results, ensure volunteers are engaged, and often teach volunteers new skills. A good expert leader will be patient and take the time to provide the guidance that volunteers need. Employees will leave these events feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Transparency Sets the Stage for Success.
Clear and mutual communication is vital for a successful volunteer event. Well before the event, both companies and nonprofits should agree on timelines, arrival expectations, parking, attire, and the scope of work. In tandem with turnkey event management, it is important for as much logistical and planning work to be completed ahead of the event as possible. Having necessary forms, expectations, instructions, and itinerary shared before the event will ensure that time is not wasted on the housekeeping tasks and that volunteers and the nonprofit are prepared and ready to go from the start. It’s also important for companies and nonprofits to communicate their appreciation and the future impact the completed work will have on the community. Sharing positive stories helps both parties fulfil their goals.
Volunteering Should Have a Community-First Approach
The best volunteer projects are always aligned with genuine community needs. Events that have volunteers engaged in busy work without a clear benefit quickly erode the enthusiasm and dedication of volunteers and makes it more likely that said volunteers will feel negatively toward the nonprofit and the company. When a project is locally relevant and supported by the community, it’s much more likely to have a meaningful impact on both the community and the volunteers. Ensuring that the impact is clearly communicated will help ensure that volunteers feel their work made a real difference.
What You Should Expect on a Volunteer Day
A well-run corporate volunteer event follows a clear, organized structure. While the details will vary depending on the nonprofit hosting the event and the type of activities being performed, these are some of the most common components companies should expect.
Event Preparation
Long before the volunteers show up for an event, the nonprofit should be communicating frequently with the group leaders from the company to confirm details like date, time, place, attire, and scope of work. Nonprofits should ensure that your volunteers and group leaders feel prepared and informed. Nonprofits should have all the necessary equipment, supplies, instructions, and activities prepared and accessible and ensure that staff roles and expectations are clearly established.
Welcome and Orientation
It is important to set things up for success! Events should begin with a celebratory kick-off where the nonprofit explains the project’s purpose, the community impact, and scope of work. Nonprofits should introduce their team and their roles so that volunteers know who to ask questions to and get a better understanding of the organization. This is often an ideal point for nonprofits to express their appreciation and take a group photo for nonprofit and corporate marketing. This is the best time to ensure everyone knows the lay of the land and is excited!
Training and Safety Brief
As a company, you should ensure that the nonprofit clearly communicates safety protocols and walks the volunteers through their tasks and how to perform them safely. Assumptions are dangerous, and good nonprofits will over-prepare to prevent missteps and injuries. They should explain safety equipment, protocols, and the reasons for precautions, then enforce rules throughout the event.
Hands-On Work
Volunteers are most efficient when broken into small, manageable teams and provided clear instructions with frequent supervision. Utilizing the nonprofit experts as supervisors is the best approach, as they can guide volunteers on how to correctly perform the volunteer activities and modify volunteers when needed. Briefing corporate volunteers about this approach ahead of time will greatly streamline the process.
Celebration
When the work is complete, it’s important to celebrate! While nonprofits should thank the volunteers for their work and recognize their contributions publicly through social media and volunteer appreciation events, it is equally important that you take the time to celebrate your staff’s hard work. This is a great time to plan a celebratory meal or happy hour, take photos, plan a fun activity, etc. Make sure your employees know you appreciate their commitment to CRS.
Follow-Up
While the bulk of the work is done, follow-up is vital to a successful corporate-nonprofit partnership. Nonprofits should share impact metrics, photos, and opportunities for future engagement promptly after the completion of an event. This is also a great opportunity for the company to provide feedback on the day. Help the nonprofit make sure they are providing their volunteer groups with everything they need for a successful event. By giving them feedback, they can make improvements to ensure the next event is even better!
The Mutual Benefit of Corporate Volunteerism
At its core, corporate volunteerism is a fair exchange of services that leads to advantageous partnerships. For nonprofits and community organizations, they gain access to a pool of motivated and enthusiastic workers who can make a significant impact in a short period of time. Corporations benefit from an opportunity for team-building, professional development, an enhanced community reputation, and employee satisfaction through the pursuit of valuable CSR and ESG objectives.
Sustaining this loop of mutual benefit only compounds the benefits. The establishment of long-term relationships between corporate partners, nonprofits, and communities creates a sense of ownership over volunteer projects and encourages continued investment in the mission. Ongoing partnerships can transform a one-off single day event into a long-term legacy that yields continuing rewards. On average, more than half the volunteer groups that Trees Forever works with have volunteered previously, and has resulted in years-long partnerships.
Balancing Time and Financial Support
Corporate involvement in community projects usually takes one of two forms; contributing volunteer time or direct financial support. Both approaches offer unique opportunities and as with most effective partnerships, often works best in tandem.
Donating time brings a human presence to important causes. Employees working alongside nonprofits towards a visible goal create an immediate impact while fostering team-building, a sense of shared purpose, and personalized connection to the mission. This can have a lasting impression, making employees more likely to champion the cause in the future.
On the other hand, volunteer events have a real cost to an organization. Materials, tools, site preparation, project management, follow-up work, and staff time all pose real financial burdens on nonprofits. Donated funds along with volunteering relieve this burden greatly, and provides nonprofits with the flexibility and resources needed to execute projects effectively; especially when funds are unrestricted.
Balance should be struck between offering volunteer time and financial support. Volunteer work is always appreciated and needed by nonprofits, but so too are donations. In an ideal situation, corporations offer both volunteer work and financial support, doubling the impact of their involvement in a project and allowing the nonprofit to expand its scope and operations, creating future volunteer opportunities in the process.
Regardless of the form support takes, both corporations and nonprofits have a mutual responsibility to each other after agreeing to take on a volunteer project. It is the responsibility of the nonprofit to adequately prepare both the event and its volunteers for the work to come, and it is the responsibility of corporations to honor their commitments by bringing the promised number of volunteers and ensuring their team is adequately prepared. When these expectations are met, the result is a mutually rewarding partnership that advances the missions of both organizations and delivers meaningful value to the community.
How Trees Forever Can Partner with You
When your company seeks to make a meaningful impact through environmental stewardship, team building, or community investment, partnering with Trees Forever offers a clear, knowledge-driven path. Each year, Trees Forever has approximately 7,000 volunteer encounters and engages its volunteers in activities ranging from planting and caring for trees to governmental advocacy and education. Volunteering with us offers a chance to create memorable, hands-on experiences that can connect your employees directly to the outcomes of their service.
At the heart of Trees Forever’s volunteer philosophy is a commitment to projects that matter to communities. Trees Forever works with communities to ensure that plantings align with real need. Our involvement in the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids and One Million Trees Central Iowa Initiative has created countless volunteer plantings in the Cedar Rapids and Des Moines regions respectively. Our Growing Futures program offers a chance to work with local high schoolers to plant trees, and our community tree distributions allow us to get trees into the hands of residents who need them the most.
These are only a few of the volunteer activities Trees Forever offers. Across the board, Trees Forever is committed to providing impactful, rewarding, and well-planned volunteer experiences to our partners. We bring our expert field staff to every planting, and emphasize environmental education whenever we can. Turnkey management is key to our operations, and Trees Forever staff will take care of permitting, site preparation, tool procurement, and tree purchasing long before a volunteer even sets foot on a planting location. We believe that volunteering should be an inspiring, not burdensome experience, and we ensure that all of our events reflect that view.
Partnering with Trees Forever allows your company to achieve measurable CSR and ESG results while building lasting relationships in the communities where you live, work, and play. Our corporate partners return year after year because they see trees growing stronger and their employees growing more connected to each other and the mission. Partnering with Trees Forever is a chance to secure your legacy and deepen your connections with the community.
Works Cited
“CSR Statistics: The Ultimate List of Corporate Social Responsibility Stats.” 360MatchPro, Double the Donation, 2024, https://360matchpro.com/csr-statistics/.
“The Growing Importance of ESG in Business: The Latest Research.” Play It Green, 17 Apr. 2024, playitgreen.com/the-growing-importance-of-esg-in-business-the-latest-research/.
“Workplace ESG: How Environmental, Social, and Governance Practices Influence Employee Experience.” Great Place to Work, 7 June 2023, http://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/workplace-esg-environmental-social-governance-employee-experience.