Starting a Philanthropy Program - A Checklist

Starting A Philanthropy Program

Here are a few ideas and considerations before rolling Selflessly out to your company. These are all optional!

Quick Start

Free to Company / Management to Start

1.     Determine Point of Contact / Owner of the Philanthropy program

a.     Could be a person / or title of a role

                                               i.     People may change but the title should stay relatively the same

2.     Create Mission Statement / Purpose for Philanthropy Program

a.     Helpful to align mission in some manner w/ type of business you run or considering the company mission

b.     Is there a specific issue facing the community/world that you want to support?

3.     Create Guidelines and Outline of the program

a.     Consider all points to follow (even if you don’t have a budget)

b.     You and employees can refer to this and revise, as needed

c.      Will provide a reference point

4.     Determine Budget

a.     If there is one 

5.     Confirm Executive Support

a.     If having to start with no budget, that’s ok!

6.     Create Internal Employee Volunteer Team

a.     5-7 people (what’s optimal # on a team? – google)

b.     Employee Ambassadors (not just Executives or HR)

7.     Survey Employees

a.     Understand what is important to employees

b.     What do employees expect (Selfless.ly can offer gated survey – refer to onboarding document for more questions or ways to create survey)

                                               i.     What are your thoughts on our current (if one) company philanthropy

                                              ii.     If we volunteered, what would you be interested in?

                                             iii.     Is there a cause you really care about?

                                             iv.     What issue in our community could use the most help to you?              

8.     Inter-Office Drive

a.     Clothing, Food, School Supplies, etc.

9.     Determine Measurement & Timelines

a.     What makes a successful program?

b.     Think about benchmarks / Goals

                                               i.     % Engagement

                                              ii.     Total Hours / Total Dollars

c.      What is the Timing

d.     How will you track these benchmarks

                                               i.     What will the process be

                                              ii.     What team members need to be included

10.  Review Program and allow employees to provide feedback

a.     Annual? Biannual?

Consider Cost to Company when implementing

11.  Create VTO Policy

a.     # of Volunteer Time Off Hours given per employee (per Month, per Quarter, per Year)

b.     Define parameters for taking time off (any volunteer exclusions)

12.  Determine if company will sponsor Group Volunteering

a.     # of events / year

b.     What type of events

c.      Define parameters for taking time off (any volunteer exclusions)

13.  Percent of Product / Service to donate (generally what your business creates / does)

a.      

14.  Matching Donations

a.     State the $ Amount of Matching Donations

b.     Decide parameters around which nonprofits will be matched (any exclusions)

15.  Nonprofit Grants & / or Sponsorships

a.     State the $ Amount or number of Grants and Sponsorships

b.     Decide parameters around which nonprofits will be awarded grants / sponsorships (any exclusions)

                                               i.     Guidelines / vetting / process

16.  Marketing Campaigns

a.     Internal marketing to employees and executives

b.     External marketing

                                               i.     Social media

                                              ii.     Cause Marketing

c.      Any other communication strategy

“Engaged employees will go the extra mile to ensure your company keeps winning.”

-        Alessandra Cavalluzzi