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Volunteer grants, also known as Dollars for Doers programs, are a type of corporate philanthropy that rewards employee volunteering. When an employee gives time to your nonprofit, their employer donates money to your cause. Many organizations leave this revenue unclaimed because the research, eligibility rules, and request steps can feel like a lot to manage.

This guide to volunteer grant research walks you through each step. You will learn how to find eligible volunteers and help them request more Dollars for Doers funding for your mission.

Here is the process we will cover:

• Understanding the Volunteer Grant Opportunity 🧠
• Identifying Your Organization’s Needs & Goals 🎯
• Collecting Employment Information from Supporters 💼
• Uncovering Eligible Volunteers in Your Network 🔎
• Encouraging Volunteers to Pursue Corporate Grants ✍️
• Bonus: Enlisting a Volunteer Grant Database Tool 🦾

Whether you manage volunteers every day or are new to corporate volunteerism, this guide will help you find more funding and put it to work for your cause.
Plus, we’ll answer frequently asked questions at the end.

Let’s get started!

Understanding the Volunteer Grant Opportunity 🧠

Companies donate volunteer grants to nonprofits where their employees regularly volunteer. Thousands of businesses of all sizes and sectors offer these programs, including IBM, Google, Home Depot, Starbucks, Microsoft, Disney, and 40% of the Fortune 500.

Many teams and supporters still do not know these programs exist, so a lot of funding goes unclaimed. Before you promote volunteer grants, make sure your team understands these basics:

• Awareness drives participation. A well-informed team can explain the benefits with confidence. That encourages more volunteers to participate and boosts your grant revenue.

• Every program is different. Companies set their own eligibility rules, hour thresholds, and request steps. Knowing the details helps you tailor your outreach to each supporter.

• The right information saves time. Tools like �ԹϺ����� Volunteering put all the program details you need to know in one place, so you can spend less time searching and more time securing grants.

See how �ԹϺ����� Volunteering can give you the information you need to secure more volunteer grants:

 

To dive deeper and master volunteer grant strategy, explore �ԹϺ�����’s free downloadable .

Identifying Your Organization’s Needs & Goals 🎯

Start by finding out what holds your volunteer grant program back. A clear answer shows you where to focus first. Common roadblocks include:

• Missing employment data: You do not know where your supporters work. You can add employer fields to volunteer sign-up forms and run email domain screening to fill in missing details.
• Unclear eligibility: You have accurate employer information for your volunteers, but you cannot tell which individuals qualify for volunteer grant programs. A corporate giving or volunteer grant database tool can help you quickly check company program guidelines and minimum hour requirements.
• Request drop-off. Supporters start but then abandon the process before completing all the steps needed to secure the grant. Providing step-by-step submission instructions, friendly follow-up reminders, and encouraging volunteers to log their hours before corporate deadlines pass can help this.

Once you name the roadblock, make a plan to fix it. Clear goals give you a path to the volunteer grants that will help your cause the most. We recommend creating SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example: “Secure $1,000 in volunteer grant funding by the end of the fiscal year.”

Detailed goals also help you write stronger volunteer grant content. You can show how each volunteer’s time helps your organization reach real results, which makes a better case for taking part. They also keep your staff, volunteers, and supporters working toward the same aim: more volunteer grant success.

Collecting Employment Information from Supporters 💼

Collecting from supporters shows you which companies employ them and which may offer volunteer grants. That makes it much easier to find your best opportunities.

You have several ways to gather this data. For the best results, combine these methods:

• Volunteer sign-up forms: Ask volunteers to share their employer’s name when they register.
• Email domain screening: Conduct email domain screening (or use a tool that does it for you!) to scan for corporate email addresses.
• Employer search tool: Add one of these tools to your donation pages. Volunteers and donors often overlap, and so do companies with volunteer grants and companies with matching gift programs.
• Online research: Use social media and other public resources to look up employment details by hand.
• Data enhancement: Use a third-party service, like an employer append, to fill in the gaps.

Once you have this information, use it to tailor your outreach. For instance, if many of your volunteers work for one company with a grant program, focus on building a relationship with that business.

Uncovering Eligible Volunteers in Your Network 🔎

Volunteer grants are usually tied to an employee engagement program that a company runs. The employer then donates to the nonprofit based on the number of hours its employees volunteer.

When you know which volunteers work for participating companies, you can pursue the grants that are within reach.

This targeted approach turns your existing volunteer efforts into more funding, which helps your nonprofit grow its programs and services.

Scan your entire database for opportunities, too. Include current volunteers, donors, and prospects, then follow up with each group:

• Current volunteers: Let them know they may be eligible for a grant.

• Donors and other non-volunteers: ��Show them how volunteering can add a new way to support your cause.

• Prospects: Reach out to people who are not officially supporters yet, but have shown interest or fall into your target audience, to introduce volunteering as a way to get involved.

Top tip: Jump to the section on volunteer grant databases below to learn the best way to find volunteer grant-eligible supporters in your network!

Encouraging Volunteers to Pursue Corporate Grants ✍️

Once you know who qualifies, encourage them to apply. Many volunteers have no idea their employer offers a grant program, so sharing eligibility details can be enough to inspire action. To help your supporters follow through:

• Share the basics: Tell eligible supporters which company program they qualify for and what it offers.
• Guide the request: Walk them through the submission process step by step.
• Send reminders. Nudge them to apply before the program deadline passes.
• Ask them to log their hours. Logged hours are what turn volunteer time into grant dollars.

When volunteers apply, their employers send more funding to your cause. Volunteers also see their time create more impact, which keeps them engaged and coming back.

Bonus: Enlisting a Volunteer Grant Database Tool 🦾

Our final recommendation is to leverage a specialized tool designed specifically for managing and growing volunteer grants: a dedicated corporate giving or volunteer grant database.

Adding a volunteer grant solution like �ԹϺ����� to your engagement strategy is one of the most efficient ways to manage and grow volunteer grants.

A database tool can:

• Centralize information: Keep program details in one place.
• Link to the source: Provide direct links to online submission forms and eligibility criteria.
• Simplify the process: Make applying easier for volunteers.

With everything in one place, your team and your supporters save time and effort. Volunteers can check current grant details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements on their own, and the right information makes them more likely to finish the request.

Volunteer Grant Research: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a volunteer grant?

A volunteer grant, also called a Dollars for Doers program, is a corporate donation to a nonprofit based on the time employees volunteer there. Companies use these programs to reward employee service, but also to help their employees provide more support to the causes they care about and encourage social good, and the nonprofit receives the funds.

How do you find companies that offer volunteer grants?

Start by collecting your supporters’ employers through sign-up forms, email domain screening, and an employer search tool on your donation pages. Then check each company’s volunteer grant program. A volunteer grant database saves time by showing which employers offer programs and what they require.

Who applies for a volunteer grant?

In most cases, the volunteer applies. After reaching the required hours, the employee submits a request through their employer’s form or giving portal. Nonprofits can help by telling eligible volunteers about these programs, sharing the steps, and reminding them to apply.

How much is a volunteer grant worth?

Amounts vary by company. Some pay a flat grant after employees reach a set hour threshold, and others pay a rate for each hour volunteered. Many also cap the yearly total per employee. Check each company’s program rules, or use a volunteer grant database, for current amounts and limits.

How can a nonprofit tell which volunteers are eligible?

Match each of your volunteers’ employers against a list of companies with volunteer grant programs. Then check that company’s rules, which often cover required hours, employee status, and eligible causes. Scanning your full database of volunteers, donors, and prospects can also reveal supporters who qualify but have never been told.

 

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Next Steps & More Volunteer Grant Resources

Volunteer grants give your nonprofit a new stream of corporate philanthropy revenue and encourage more engagement from volunteers.

With this guide, you can research and pursue grants with more confidence and less guesswork. Success comes down to three things: thorough preparation, a clear view of the opportunity, and a story that resonates with your audience.

Use this guide as your plan for making a bigger difference in the communities you serve. Good luck!

Interested in learning more about volunteer grant research and other workplace giving programs? Check out these recommended resources:

• Watch the webinar replay for tips on getting the most from corporate programs like volunteer grants, and see how your team can grow its strategy!
• Use this checklist to jump-start your matching gift strategy and start raising more funds today.
• Blog: Top Volunteer Grant Companies Offering Dollars for Doers. Browse standout volunteer grant programs and see if your volunteers work for these employers.