Volunteer grant programs, also known as “Dollars for Doers” programs, are charitable giving programs set up by companies to reward employees for giving back to their communities.
Companies provide monetary donations to eligible nonprofits like ours as a way to recognize employees who volunteer. These grants enable corporations to give back to their communities and support organizations that employees are already passionate about.
Although volunteer grants are a relatively new form of corporate giving, they’re widely offered among Fortune 500 companies and are catching on at smaller companies, too. Search here for your company.
One of our favorite success stories involves ConocoPhillips employees. Casa has been fortunate to benefit from the volunteer efforts of ConocoPhillips Houston Hispanic Network since 2010, receiving nearly $100,000 from their incredible programs, including employee volunteer matching. ConocoPhillips supports eligible employee and retiree volunteer efforts at eligible 501(c)(3) organizations by donating:
- Individual grant: $500 for every 20 hours an employee or retiree volunteers.
- Team Grant: $1,000 for a team of four or more working a combined total of 40 hours on a specific project in a single day.
- Employees and retirees can receive two individual grants per year for eligible non-profit organizations. An organization can receive up to $6,000 per year from the company.
To get inspired, read more about this partnership: Pooling together: How ConocoPhillips’ Hispanic Network supports Houston’s most vulnerable children | spiritnow stories
Hundreds of companies offer volunteer grant programs with donations generally ranging from $10-15 per hour volunteered. This means that Casa de Esperanza will not only receive the help provided by our amazing volunteers, but we’ll be given monetary support from their employers as well!
How do volunteer grant programs work?
Volunteer grant programs are an easy way for volunteers to secure an additional monetary contribution for our organization without having to take out their checkbooks. Volunteer grant programs consist of five steps:
- Employee volunteers with nonprofit organization
- Employee volunteer determines if their company offers volunteer grants — you can search for your employer’s volunteer grant guidelines at this page to find company-specific program guidelines, requirements, and forms.
- Employee volunteer submits the grant request, either electronically or using a paper form.
- Nonprofit validates the grant request — we confirm for the individual’s employer that the individual is in fact a volunteer with our organization.
- Company sends Casa de Esperanza a gift!
If you’re already volunteering with us, please take a few minutes to check if your employer (or your spouse’s employer) offers volunteer grants — grants that could equal hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for us to put toward ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect.
