Microvolunteering: Use your professional skills to make an impact in 15 minutes or less

Employee engagement is a key factor in driving organizational success, and companies are continually seeking innovative strategies to foster a more engaged workforce. One approach that has proven to deliver significant results is microvolunteering, a relatively untapped yet proven strategy from Catchafire that enables corporate employees to make a meaningful impact in just minutes.

Microvolunteering combines flexibility and purpose, allowing employees to volunteer their skills in short, focused bursts that fit seamlessly into their busy schedules while boosting morale and fostering a deeper connection with the causes they care about. By aligning corporate social responsibility with skills-based volunteering, business leaders can create a culture that values both personal and professional growth, delivering tangible outcomes for the company, employees, and nonprofits alike.

Microvolunteering in action at Engage for Good

At this year’s Engage for Good Conference, an annual convening that focuses on corporate social impact and cross-sector collaboration, EFG’s team encouraged 600 attendees to try microvolunteering right then and there.

Participants accessed Catchafire’s volunteering platform from their phones and wrote in advice to nonprofits’ pressing challenges in areas such as finance, marketing, HR, and strategy–all in 15 minutes or less. Not only is microvolunteering simple and straightforward for volunteers, crowdsourcing credible advice from these experts saves nonprofit professionals precious time from Googling endless articles and parsing through conflicting advice.

"We want everyone to know that they have amazing skills to give, regardless of their role, and that giving can happen quickly and easily. The goal of our microvolunteering events is to engage employees, show them how easy it is to make an impact, and demonstrate how beneficial their insights can be. When we talk about influential 'moments,' this is one that can create a transformative ripple effect that helps companies give back and engage their employees in a bite-size way.”? – Sonia Aviv, VP, Corporate Responsibility Business, Catchafire

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Benefits of microvolunteering for corporate employees?

Microvolunteering offers a flexible, accessible way for employees to contribute to causes they care about, enhancing their sense of purpose and connection to their employer.

Microvolunteering supports employee engagement strategies by providing:

• Flexibility: Employees can choose when and how they engage, fitting volunteering around their professional responsibilities.
• Accessibility: With tasks that can be completed online, employees can participate from anywhere, making it inclusive.
• Variety: A range of tasks means there's something for every skill set and interest.

Engaging in microvolunteering can lead to numerous benefits for both employees and the organizations they work for, including:

• Increased employee satisfaction and morale: Employees feel a greater sense of achievement and fulfillment.
• Improved teamwork and collaboration: Working together on volunteer projects can strengthen team bonds.
• Professional development: Engaging in microvolunteering opportunities allows employees to apply their skills in new ways, contributing to their professional growth and leadership skills.
• Enhanced company reputation: Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility can improve brand perception among consumers and potential employees.

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Keep reading to learn about ready-made microvolunteering opportunities available through Catchafire’s skills-based volunteering and employee engagement platform. Connect with Catchafire today to explore how your company can benefit from these opportunities.

Special thanks to Engage for Good for giving us the opportunity to host our microvolunteering session at their 2024 conference! Engage for Good is the leading company empowering corporate and nonprofit professionals to create mutually beneficial social impact partnerships.