Getting Your Workplace and Your Employees Involved: A How-To for Workplace Coordinators

Here are the basics of how to get your employees involved in United Way Day of Caring.

• Determine a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for communicating with United Way, the organization, and your employees.

• As many or as few of your employees may participate in United Way Day of Caring as you would like. We encourage large volunteer teams (25 or more employees) to break into smaller teams to participate in projects. You may choose to form teams based on department, interest or availability. As a smaller team, you’ll have more choices in projects.

• Designate a team coordinator for each small team–someone who can register the team, communicate with the organization, and make sure the team is ready for the project.

• Use the company email list or internal newsletter to announce your workplace's participation in United Way Day of Caring and to recruit volunteers.

• If everyone is unable to participate on the same day, United Way would be happy to work with you to arrange another day for your group to volunteer in the community. Please contact the United Way Day of Caring project manager (see below) to make special arrangements for your workplace.

• Determine your team's interest. Do they want to work with clients, provide landscaping or clerical assistance, or do something else? Do they want to work in the morning, in the afternoon, or all day? As you form your team, compile answers to these questions using the Volunteer Interest Form (below). This will help you select projects that will interest all members of your team. You can download and personalize this form for your convenience, too!

• Beginning in mid-June, you and your employees will begin to select projects for your workplace. Using Volunteer Solutions, our online registration system, you’ll be able to view projects, read about the agency, and make your choices for United Way Day of Caring.

• All employees are welcome to participate. Please contact our Community Engagement Manager for help in selecting a project for employees with special needs.

• People 18 and older are welcome to participate in United Way Day of Caring. If you would like to plan a family United Way Day of Caring, please contact our Community Engagement Manager to arrange a special day of volunteering for your employees and their families.