Group Volunteering: Tips and Benefits
Category: News
April 12, 2024
Work Better Together with Group Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to get out in community and help local nonprofits while gaining valuable skills and rewarding experiences. There are many ways to volunteer in your community, including here at Any Baby Can. When you volunteer with your friends or coworkers, it can help you all work together better and make a big difference for those in need!
Benefits of volunteering as a group:
If you’re looking for a way to engage a group and bring out the best in people, consider volunteering together. These are four benefits of volunteering as a group:
- It’s a fun, casual way to get to know your coworkers outside of their daily jobs. You’ll learn about people’s passions and interests in a different way.
- A break in routine can be beneficial. You can all work towards a common goal that connects you to a greater cause or mission.
- Volunteering as a group can also promote team bonding or even cross-department connections that benefit everyone!
- Help your community in a big way! Just five people doing an hour of work can save a whole day of time and effort for a nonprofit staffer. That helps organizations focus on serving their clients and achieving their mission.
How to plan a group volunteer activity:
Are you thinking about volunteering with a group of friends, coworkers or classmates? Here are some things to consider when planning your volunteer activity:
Do you have a date in mind?
Consider whether your group needs to volunteer on a specific date or if you’re flexible. Some organizations are able to work with your group’s specific schedule, while others may have limited availability. Also, decide if you want a recurring activity (ex: every Thursday at 11am), or a one-time or as-needed opportunity.
Do you prefer on-site or off-site?
If you want to get your group out of the office and in the action, be prepared to coordinate transportation and timing. Otherwise, a volunteer activity that you can do from your home, office or school could be a good fit.
What do you want to do?
Consider your group’s abilities, needs and interests. Maybe you have a group who’s able and willing to do heavy lifting, or perhaps your group has more “indoor skills.” Consider any special talents your group has that would be beneficial to a nonprofit.
Are there any limitations from your group or company?
Some volunteer opportunities require background checks or non-disclosure agreements, especially if you’re working with certain populations. Be ready to coordinate with your group to complete any required forms or training.
Who should you volunteer with?
There are so many great nonprofits who can benefit from your group’s time and expertise! Ask your group what causes they care about and look for organizations that support those causes. Look at the organizations’ websites to see whether the cause and volunteer opportunities would resonate with your group.
Once you’ve picked a nonprofit, share information about their mission and the people they help. This can bring a sense of connection to the task. At Any Baby Can, we’re happy to come talk to your group in advance or provide fliers and materials.
Group volunteering opportunities at Any Baby Can
We have many ways to volunteer as a group with Any Baby Can, and we’re always happy to tailor activities to meet your needs. Here are some examples of the types of activities we offer:
Event Volunteers:
Whether it’s a fundraising event or a client graduation, groups can support staff in preparing for and hosting events. Prep before an event might include making goodie bags, decorating, organizing or calling participants. Volunteers also help us during events by greeting people, taking responsibility for certain activities, and helping staff or clients. If your group is flexible on the day or time you’re available to volunteer, this could be a great fit!
Administrative Support:
Help our staff focus on what they do best—serving families!—by picking up office or administrative work. This can be organizing a space and sorting materials, or working on another special project. Help us be good stewards of our time and resources!
Client Support or Childcare:
We often have opportunities for groups to watch kiddos, help with games during an event, make activities that our clients use, or just be an extra set of hands.
Donation Drive:
We have annual drives like Adopt-a-Family during the holidays and our backpack drive in the summer, both of which require a lot of volunteer support! You can help sort donations, distribute supplies, or contribute snacks. If you’d like to run your own drive for diapers, formula, or other baby supplies, we can help coordinate that with your office or group.
Whether you’re looking for a remote volunteer activity or want to come to us, we can help find something that works for you. Check out our volunteer opportunities (you’ll need to create a log-in to see activity details) or email us and we’ll help create a great volunteer experience for you.
Reach out and stay in touch! You can sign up for our monthly volunteer newsletter to hear about upcoming opportunities. We’ll also reach out to individual groups based on our conversations about your needs and interests.
Hear how two groups have built their volunteer relationship with Any Baby Can:
Spotlight on A+ Federal Credit Union
A+ Federal Credit Union has been volunteering with Any Baby Can since 2019. During their A+ Gives Day, they offer employees lots of opportunities to get out of the office and into the community. They participate in everything from food banks to park clean-ups throughout the Central Texas area. They also wanted to offer employees who live more remotely another way to give back. Any Baby Can helped them create activities that are used by kids in our pediatric programs. They created popsicle stick puzzles that staff and families use with their kids to make learning fun!
“We ask for ideas from employees about nonprofits they want to support. It shows we value their input and the causes they care about,” says Mary Gray, Director of Membership Engagement and Programs at A+ Federal Credit Union.
Having developed a close relationship with Any Baby Can, they now support our mission whenever they can throughout the year on an as-needed basis!
“We believe so heartedly in what Any Baby Can is doing and how they’re making a difference. We know it takes a village. And we’re continuing to do that through a financial contribution to Any Baby Can as well.”
Spotlight on Texas Mutual Insurance Company
In preparing for their week of giving in 2023, Texas Mutual Insurance Company looked at a list of their policy holders (clients) for ideas on who to support. Once connected to Any Baby Can, they worked with our Volunteer & Outreach Manager to prepare an on-site activity to compliment several off-site volunteer opportunities. They went through a few options and ended up making tote bags for the moms in our programs to carry donated goods. They also made popsicle stick puzzles (such a fun activity any volunteer can do!) which went to our early intervention teams to use with kids. We provided the exact materials and instructions, so it was a low-budget, easy way to volunteer.
They had 20 people sign up and made lots of beautiful things for the families we serve in just one hour!
“It was fun to see how creative people were, and the positive encouragement they provided these moms and kids. I got so much good feedback on the activity,” says Amanda Voigt, Claims Supervisor at Texas Mutual
After the success of that activity, they participated in more activities such as a program graduation for moms and kids, as well as helping deliver large donations directly to clients. Now several teams within Texas Mutual get our volunteer announcements and participate in smaller teams throughout the year!
Read more about our volunteers!
Whether you’re crafty or good with spreadsheets, whether you have one day to give or want to contribute regularly, find ways to contribute to this amazing community we share. Get inspired by reading about some of our volunteers.
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RELATED RESOURCES
Get a group, troop or team together and we’ll create fun, engaging volunteer opportunities for you.
View a full list of opportunities and stay up to date on our latest announcements.
Check out the amazing work of our volunteers in 2023!
THANKS TO OUR MISSION PARTNERS
Investments from our supporters create long-term benefits for thousands of families across Central Texas. Join us in building a community where all families and children thrive.
