In-Person Volunteer Events Can Be Held Safely!

In June, we surveyed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) experts based in the United States and learned that 83% of them planned to host in-person employee volunteer events this year. It's a momentous feat, considering that just a year ago many of us watched as summer coronavirus surges dominated the global headlines.

If you'd like to bring your employees back for in-person volunteer events, we'd recommend considering how you will:

Choose an appropriate nonprofit partner: In the last year, many nonprofits have closed or adapted to serve their beneficiaries or pivot to serve new ones. Schedule calls with existing nonprofit partners to determine whether their mission has changed and how you can best support them. If they are no longer the best partner for you, they may be able to recommend a related organizations that you can work with.

Secure a safe venue and plan remote options, as necessary. Most individuals agree that they feel comfortable completing activities outside. These could include beach and park cleanups as well as volunteering in social impact zones that include kit packing, blanket making, or furniture building. Click this link to find more information about our Cisco Live! Social Impact Zone.

Implement safety protocols. Your legal team will probably have guidelines for you to follow. Otherwise, review the best practices for indoor or outdoor events in your region. Be sure to continue to track the news in the days and weeks before the event. Many cities are updating their guidelines as the Delta variant continues to surge.

Recruit volunteers and communicate safety guidelines. Volunteers need to know which precautions are being taken to keep them safe. Additionally, be sure to communicate standard information like the date and time of the event and what volunteers need to wear (hats and closed-toe shoes) and bring (water bottles and sunscreen).

Integrate your employee volunteer event into a larger company-wide return-to-work welcome. We encourage social impact leaders to set up areas where employees can volunteer for short periods of time when they return to work and need a break from what could be a stressful situation.

Schedule a meeting with our team to get more information about our in-person, virtual, and hybrid volunteer offerings.