Skills-based volunteering (SBV) is on the rise as a corporate citizenship trend, offering unique benefits to companies, employees, and nonprofit organisations. While it enhances skill development and employee engagement, challenges like project scoping and integration persist, requiring careful preparation and collaboration for successful implementation.
The Promise and Challenges of Skills-Based Volunteering
One of the fastest-growing trends in corporate citizenship is skills-based volunteering (SBV), where teams of corporate employees work with nonprofit organizations to resolve complex operational problems. This approach has seen more than 50% of companies now engaging in these programs to leverage their employees’ expertise for the benefit of nonprofits. Key benefits include increased employee engagement and retention, and enhanced skill development for employees, making it particularly attractive to millennial workers.
SBV programs can take various forms, such as “skilled days of service” or “project consulting.” The skill day of service involves corporate employees working for a short period, typically one to three days, to address specific challenges faced by nonprofits. An example is the Charles Schwab Pro Bono Challenge, which engages hundreds of employees across multiple regions to tackle strategic issues for nonprofits.
The project consulting model is more extended, typically lasting from six weeks to six months. It involves teams working in-depth on nonprofit projects that range from strategic planning to technology development. This model, integrated into corporate talent and leadership development initiatives, often demands significant preparation and collaboration for success.
Despite its potential, SBV faces implementation challenges. Nonprofit organizations often find it difficult to integrate the influx of corporate talent due to the complexities involved. There are concerns about the time commitment required from nonprofit staff, the need for precise project scoping, and sometimes the misalignment between nonprofit needs and the skills offered by corporations.
Both nonprofits and companies need to be well-prepared for SBV—nonprofits must accurately assess their needs, and companies must align these projects with their strategic goals. Often, intermediaries like Common Impact or Taproot Foundation help manage these collaborations by ensuring projects are well-scoped and manageable.
Overall, when effectively implemented, skills-based volunteering can transform traditional corporate-nonprofit relationships, providing long-term benefits and sustainable solutions while fostering a strong sense of purpose and engagement among employees.
