Catchafire Blog

3 ways your employees can support back to school season

Written by Gohar Chichian | Aug 12, 2024 9:00:35 PM
  

As the school year approaches, education nonprofits are ramping up their efforts to ensure students are prepared and supported. Companies can play a pivotal role in this mission by leveraging their employees' skills and enthusiasm. Our employee engagement software offers innovative ways to engage your workforce while meeting corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. These employee engagement activities outline ways your employees can support education nonprofits and students during the back-to-school season.

1. Skills-based volunteering

Skills-based volunteering is a powerful way for employees to share their expertise with education nonprofits. With a close link between employee engagement and retention, skills-based volunteering offers a way to retain talent, inspire personal fulfillment, and invest in professional development.

Our platform offers various opportunities to fit different schedules and skill sets.

Quick Advise

In as little as 15 minutes, employees can provide valuable insights to education nonprofits. Whether it's a quick review of a marketing strategy or feedback on a new initiative, these brief but meaningful interactions can significantly impact nonprofits.

One-hour consultation calls

For those looking to delve deeper, one-hour consultation calls allow employees to engage in more detailed discussions. These sessions can cover various topics, including IT solutions, financial planning, and database management.

Full-length projects

Employees can also take on full-length projects, offering their expertise in areas like marketing, IT, and finance. These projects provide substantial support to nonprofits, helping them enhance their operations and better serve students

Nonprofit board service

Encourage your employees to join nonprofit boards, where they can offer strategic guidance and governance support. This long-term commitment can be incredibly rewarding and impactful for both the employee and the nonprofit. Read about Madeline’s journey from volunteer to board member for More Than Bootstraps, which supports first-generation college students. 

2. Host an event

Hosting community service events is another excellent way towards improving employee engagement and supporting education nonprofits. Our platform enables companies to organize various events, from ERG engagements to company-wide campaigns. Our platform supports various volunteering formats, allowing employees to participate in person, virtually, or through hybrid events. This flexibility ensures that everyone can get involved, regardless of location or schedule.

Our customers are using Catchafire's employee engagement software to mobilize their workforce through efforts like: 

  • Annual company conferences, team retreats, and annual celebrations: Organize large-scale events that bring together employees from all levels. These events can include day-of-service activities, conferences, or team retreats focused on supporting education nonprofits.
  • Team-wide engagements: Encourage departments or teams to host events in support of education nonprofits. These activities foster team bonding while supporting a good cause.
  • ERG engagements: Employee resource groups can host events that align with their missions, such as supporting underrepresented students or providing STEM education resources.
  • Manager training and new hire onboarding: Incorporate community service into manager training or new hire onboarding. This not only introduces new employees to the company culture but also sets a positive tone for their time at the company.

3. Charitable giving

Charitable giving is a cornerstone of corporate philanthropy. Our platform offers several ways for employees to donate to education nonprofits, fostering a culture of giving and increasing employee engagement.

Workplace giving campaigns

Companies can distribute funds to employees to donate to an education nonprofit of their choice. This empowers employees to support causes they care about and enhances their connection to the company's mission.

Direct donations

Employees can directly donate to education nonprofits, allowing them to support specific causes and initiatives. This direct engagement fosters a deeper connection between employees and the communities they support.

Dollars for doers

Reward your employees for their volunteerism by providing funds to donate when they reach specific company volunteering benchmarks. This incentive encourages ongoing engagement and community involvement.

Rewards and recognition

Recognize employees' work-related achievements by providing funds for donations. Whether it's exceeding company benchmarks or as part of an annual bonus, this gesture demonstrates the company's commitment to social impact.

Education nonprofits on our platform

With over 13,000 nonprofits and thousands of volunteer opportunities on our platform, there’s something for everyone. Here are a few of the education nonprofits and causes employees can support: 

1. U.S. Dream Academy 

U.S. Dream Academy’s mission is to inspire and invest in the lives of children of incarcerated parents and families in communities harmed by systemic inequities. They provide in-school, afterschool programs and mentoring to youth K–12, with the goal of supporting the next generation to reach their full potential.

Open volunteer opportunities include creating a press kit and supporting the organization with succession planning and leadership development.

2. First Graduate

First Graduate helps students become the first in their families to graduate from college ready to pursue meaningful careers. They provide coaching, academic instruction, tutoring and continued guidance as students navigate high school, college, and career pathways.

Open volunteer opportunities include translating organizational materials to Spanish. This is essential for families so they can select the best schools for their first-gen students in their native language.

3. Bridges to Science

Bridges to Science provides STEM programs to underserved communities with students in grades 5th-12th.

Open volunteer opportunities include creating a press release for an upcoming event, as well as graphic design. They are also accepting donations on Catchafire to support their programs and further their mission.

Get started with our employee engagement software

As the back-to-school season approaches, there are countless employee engagement strategies to mobilize your employees in support of education. Our employee engagement software provides the tools and opportunities to support education nonprofits, improve employee engagement, and meet your CSR goals. Whether through skills-based volunteering, hosting events, or charitable giving, your company can reap the benefits of employee engagement and create a meaningful impact in the community.

Ready to bring our employee engagement solution to your workplace? Book your demo today and discover how we can help your employees support education nonprofits as they prepare for the new school year.