How Small Charities Can Tap Into 140 Million Unused Corporate Volunteering Hours
- kmunn87
- Jun 4
- 7 min read
It's Volunteer's Week and the perfect timing to talk about some new research dropped by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), commissioned by the Royal Voluntary Service, revealing that a staggering 140 million volunteering hours went unused by UK employees last year even though 62% of businesses offer workplace volunteering schemes.
That's a lot of potential help just waiting for the right good cause.
Why Volunteering Hours Went Unused in the UK Last Year
Loads of UK companies offer their staff paid time off to volunteer. It's part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, and it sounds great on paper. But most of these hours never actually get used.
Research shows this unused volunteering time could be worth a massive £32.5 billion to the UK economy.
More importantly for your charity, it represents thousands of skilled, motivated volunteers who are already getting paid to help, they just can't find you.
Why Aren't These Volunteering Hours Being Used?
It’s not laziness or lack of interest. In fact, the appetite is there. According to the research, the most common barriers include:
A lack of flexible, one-off volunteering opportunities (28%)
Not enough team volunteering activities (17%)
Difficulty finding relevant volunteer roles (21%)
Simply not knowing where to start (12%)
And this isn’t just theory, I’ve seen it firsthand. My husband leads a team at a very, very large corporate. Every year, he tries to organise a team volunteering day not just to give back, but as a meaningful team-building exercise. Despite everyone having time approved and being keen, they hit the same roadblock: they can’t find opportunities that fit the team.
The Bigger Picture: Building Your Future Supporter Base
Those 140 million unused hours aren't just numbers, they represent real people who want to help but don't know how. More importantly, they represent your future supporters.
Research shows that people who volunteer for a charity are far more likely to become long-term supporters, regular givers, and advocates. According to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), volunteers are more than twice as likely to donate to the charities they support with their time, compared to non-volunteers (CAF UK Giving, 2023). They’re also more inclined to take part in fundraising events, share campaigns, and even leave legacy gifts in their wills.
The NCVO’s “Time Well Spent” report (2023) adds to this, revealing that volunteers report stronger emotional connections and higher levels of trust in the organisations they support. These relationships often outlast the initial volunteer role.
So while corporate volunteers might start by giving a day of their time, that one day could open the door to lasting, meaningful support. The key? Making it easy, welcoming, and impactful.
How to Attract Corporate Volunteers Through Your Charity Website
Your website is the first, and sometimes the only place corporates are going to check for volunteering opportunities. Here's how to make it work harder for you:
Add a “Corporate Volunteering” Page to Your Charity Website
Make it blindingly obvious that you welcome workplace volunteers. Give it its own page, and not a footnote on your main volunteering section. Label it clearly (e.g. “Team Volunteering Days” or “Corporate Volunteering”) and include:
A brief overview of who you are and why your work matters
The types of volunteering opportunities you can offer (even if it’s just a few ideas to start)
What’s in it for them (team-building, impact reporting, warm fuzzy feelings)
A simple enquiry form or contact email
No PDFs. No downloads. No making them work harder than they have to.
List a variety of ways Corporate Volunteers can support your charity:
Corporates typically offer employees between one and fives days of paid time off for volunteering each year. Some companies offer more flexible arrangements, allowing for a set number of hours per year or case-by-case considerations. So offer opportunities that would accomodate all of those scenarioes:
Group Volunteering Days
These are perfect for in-person teams who want to do something practical and hands-on together. They’re especially popular for CSR days because they double as great team-building experiences. Ideas include:
Painting and decorating: Refresh a tired community space, youth centre or family room. Add some colour, murals or child-friendly artwork.
Gardening blitz: Help tidy and plant up outdoor areas, whether it’s a community allotment, a sensory garden, or a memorial space.
Care package assembly: Pack essentials for new mums, families fleeing domestic violence, or children going into care.
Toy library or baby bank sort-outs: Help sort, label, and shelve donated items, ready for families to access.
Charity shop takeovers: Lend a team for a day to staff the till, steam clothes, or revamp displays.
👉 Pro tip: Make sure the day has a clear task, a visible impact, and plenty of tea. Bonus points for a group photo with your logo for their internal comms.
Remote / Virtual Volunteering
Don’t forget the thousands of employees working from home. Offering remote-friendly roles shows you're inclusive and flexible. Some easy wins:
Digital admin: Help with spreadsheet clean-ups, donor data entry, or organising Google Drive folders.
Online research: Compile lists of local funders, schools, or community contacts.
Content creation: Write blogs, newsletters or social media posts (from your brief or with light editing).
Virtual mentoring: Professionals can offer career chats or skill-building sessions for service users.
Website testing: Ask for feedback on your website's usability. Are things easy to find? Does your message come across clearly?
👉 You don’t need a formal remote programme, just clear asks and a way to guide people through.
Event Support
Fundraising events often need more hands on deck than you have, especially in the run-up. Corporate teams can step in to take the pressure off and add extra energy. Roles might include:
Event set-up: Put up banners, tables, signs and registration points.
Cheer station: Helping out at a cheer station helps boost morale of your fundraisers running in a marathon.
On-the-day roles: Marshalling, manning info stands, giving out water, running activity stalls.
Raffle or auction coordination: Help source prizes or run the raffle table.
Photography & social media: Capture the day or manage live posts if you’re too busy juggling everything else.
Follow-up support: Thank-you emails, donation processing, or evaluating feedback.
👉 Make sure there’s a clear lead on your team and a little structure so they know what’s expected.
Skills-Based (Pro Bono) Volunteering
This is the hidden gem of corporate volunteering. It’s low-cost, high-value, and incredibly impactful for small charities who don’t have in-house specialists. Tap into professional skills like:
Marketing and Comms: Help develop a campaign, design a poster, or review your messaging.
Finance: Build a budget template, help with forecasting, or review your financial processes.
IT support: Streamline your systems, improve security, or sort your email chaos.
HR advice: Develop policies, staff handbooks, or even recruitment strategies.
Legal: Review contracts, policies, or governance documents.
Fundraising expertise: Help write a bid, or create a donor engagement strategy.
👉 These volunteers often don’t think of their day job as volunteering but when framed right, it’s a game-changer.
Make the Process Simple and Clear
You've got their attention, now make it easy for them to take the next step.
Outline the Process: Provide a simple, step-by-step guide on how companies can get involved.
Clear Contact Information: Dedicate a specific email address or phone number for corporate partnerships. Consider an easy-to-use "Enquire Now" or "Partner with Us" form.
Anticipate Questions: Add a concise FAQ section to address common queries about costs, group sizes, or logistical preparations.
Simple Steps to Get Started
This Week (During Volunteering Week):
Add a "Corporate Volunteering" page to your website if you don't have one
Write a blog post about Volunteering Week and mention that you welcome corporate volunteers
Share on social media that you're looking for corporate partnerships
This Month:
Reach out to local businesses directly many small companies would love to help local charities but don't know where to start
Create a simple PDF that explains your corporate volunteering opportunities
Set up Google Ads targeting "corporate volunteering" in your area
Ongoing:
Keep your volunteering content up to date
Collect photos and stories from any corporate volunteers you do get
Ask your current individual volunteers if their workplaces offer volunteering days
Promote your opportunities on other platforms
Don’t just post on your own social channels and hope for the best. Use corporate-friendly volunteering platforms that match professionals with charities. A few UK-based ones include:
Some local councils also offer portals or business networks that connect charities with employers.
Corporate Volunteering Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
You don't need a fancy corporate programme or expensive systems. Start simple:
Make it clear on your website that you welcome corporate volunteers
Be flexible with timing and group sizes
Show the impact volunteers make
Make it easy to get in touch
The companies are out there, the willing volunteers exist, and the paid hours are already allocated. All you need to do is make the connection.
This Volunteering Week, why not commit to making one small change to your website that could help tap into those unused corporate volunteering hours? Your charity, and those 140 million unused hours - will thank you for it.
Let’s Not Leave Support Sitting on the Sidelines
Got a corporate volunteering page that’s a bit... meh? Or worse, none at all? You’re not alone and you’re definitely not stuck with it.
For £270, my Website Makeover package gives you a totally refreshed page: better structure, better words, and a layout that actually gets results (not just polite “we’ll think about it” emails).
It’s quick, easy, and wildly satisfying, like giving your website a good spring clean.
👉 See what’s included in the makeover Or pop me a message and let’s make your site work a bit harder.
PS: if you are a charity based in London and offer team volunteering options please let me know, my husband is always looking for great team bonding opportunities 😉
