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Corporate Volunteer Council

 

Overview

Corporate Volunteer Councils (CVCs) are "local" networks that businesses join to share effective practices and address community needs through workplace volunteering. CVCs are typically affiliated with local community-based agencies such as HandsOn Affiliates and Volunteer Centers or United Way agencies. Some CVCs have also incorporated as independent nonprofits. The term CVC is a general term and also refers to BVCs (Business Volunteer Councils), Corporate Community Relations Councils, Workplace Volunteer Councils and the like.

Corporate Volunteer Council Advisory Council

The HandsOn Network Corporate Volunteer Council Advisory Council provides guidance and support to various CVC and BVC’s across the country. The Advisory Council advises HandsOn Network and services the network of CVCs, helping them to be more effective and productive in their roles within their local communities.

Meet the 2011 - 2012 CVC Advisory Council

 

Upcoming webinars for our CVC members:

Best in Class: A Look at the 2012 CVC Award Winners

September 26, 2012 2 p.m. EST

Information: Best practices from 2012 CVC Award Winners: Central Indiana Corporate Volunteer Council and the Calgary Corporate Volunteer Council.

Register today.

 

Does your CVC Measure Up? ROI and Standards for CVCs

November 29, 2012 2 p.m. EST

Register Today.

 

Check other free webinars here. Past webinars are accessible on the Member Community.

Membership

Encourage your CVC to join the CVC Network today.  For a limited time, membership is free!

Benefits of Joining the CVC Network:

  • Annual CVC directory that includes member companies of other CVCs to facilitate networking
  • Customized assistance on basic operations and management, as well as links to peer support for in-depth issues
  • Start-up assistance for individuals or organizations seeking to establish a Corporate Volunteer Council
  • Toolkit for Developing and Strengthening Corporate Volunteer Councils
  • Online access to the Members Only Web site available to all CVC business members — including the online CVC Toolkit and Membership Directory
  • Quarterly e-newsletter that can be customized by your local CVC for distribution to your business members
  • Periodic topic-based conference calls for interested CVC leaders
  • Visibility on the HandsOn Network website
  • Use of HandsOn Network’s logo (guidelines apply)
  • Opportunity to participate in the National CVC recognition program
  • Discounts and/or free CVC trainings

How Does My CVC Join the Network?

Join the Corporate Volunteer Council Network in three easy steps:

Start-Up Information and Customized Assistance

If you are interested in establishing a CVC, contact us for customized assistance and resources. The Toolkit for Developing & Strengthening Corporate Volunteer Councils is available to start-up CVCs as soon as you join the CVC Network.

Recognition

The Corporate Volunteer Council Awards seek to honor the outstanding performance of Corporate Volunteer Councils (CVCs).  There are two categories of CVC Awards - CVC of the Year and the Fast Start Award.  Both awards recognize a Corporate Volunteer Council's success in employing the CVC Principles of Excellence, but the Fast Start Award is specifically for CVCs established within the past three years. 

The 2013 CVC of the Year Award will be presented during the Conference on Volunteering and Service to be held June 19 - 22, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Apply for the CVC of Year Award. 

Apply for the Fast Start Award.

 

About the 2011 Winners

About the 2010 Winner

About the 2009 Winners

Resources

It is central to Points of Light to offer our Corporate Volunteer Council Network members resources and assistance necessary to build and run strong programs and partnerships which address community needs through workplace volunteering. Our resources range from benchmarking reports and publications to toolkits and best practice compilations.

Please check back periodically as we will be updating this section when we create and/or identify useful resources. Please feel free to contact us with feedback on this section or for suggestions on new resource needs.

Public resources:

The Principles of Excellence for Corporate Volunteer Councils
The Principles of Excellence for Corporate Volunteer Councils serve as benchmarks for CVCs, guiding their work to improve and expand their organization.

The Role of Corporate Volunteer Councils
This is an overview of what a Corporate Volunteer Council is, how it works and how partnerships between Corporate Volunteer Councils and companies can solve community issues.

CVC Network Program Overview
Explore the benefits of joining the Points of Light Corporate Volunteer Councils Network.

Trends of Excellence Series
The Trends of Excellence in Employee Volunteering, a series compiled by the Points of Light Business Member Program, analyzes employee volunteer programs (EVP) to identify the practices associated with excellence. The full report focuses on a number of practices of excellent EVPs including company support, strategies, policies, activities and outcomes. The research indicates key practices and trends companies should consider when developing or enhancing an EVP.
Global Companies Volunteering Globally: The Final Report of the Global Corporate Volunteering Research Project
This new report was released by The Global Corporate Volunteer Council of the International Association for Volunteer Effort and is a qualitative piece of work, filled with inspiring examples of the myriad ways companies are carrying out corporate volunteering in all regions of the world.

Member resources:

Click here to enter the Member Community and have full access to member-only resources:
  • CVC Newsletters
  • CVC Recorded Webinars
  • CVC Discussion Board
  • Specialized CVC tools including:
Workplace Volunteerism Toolkit: A Trident United Way Toolkit
The Trident United Way Corporate Volunteer Council has produced a toolkit for its current and prospective members. This guide provides great information about the benefits of membership, the importance of employee volunteerism and great volunteer resources and tips.

CVC Business Case
A summarized list of benefits that both businesses and volunteer centers would receive by joining a Corporate Volunteer Council.

Building Partnerships That Work: Nonprofit Organizations and Employee Volunteers
This is a seminar outline which provides information on identifying the characteristics of successful partnerships, analysis of the similarities and differences in the working cultures of potential partner organizations, steps to beginning a successful partnership, application of management skills in various situations.

Toolkit for Developing and Strengthening Corporate Volunteer Councils
The Toolkit for Developing & Strengthening Corporate Volunteer Councils publication is a how-to resource in an easy-to-use format. Whether you are building or strengthening a CVC, this toolkit is for you. It provides useful tools, effective practices, ideas, and information that will help new and existing CVCs grow and prosper.

7 Basic Steps to Creating a CVC
This is a brief overview of basic steps which need to be taken to set up a Corporate Volunteer Council.

CVC Readiness Assessment Worksheet
This tool is designed to assess the readiness to start or strengthen a Corporate Volunteer Council. You can use this as a guide as you begin to outline, plan and build the Council’s mission and strategic goals.

Examples of Corporate Volunteer Council Mission Statements
A compilation of Corporate Volunteer Council mission statement examples provided by Central Arizona CVC, West Virginia BVC, Twin Cities CVC.

Topics for CVC Meetings
This document showcases possible topics that can be discussed during a CVC meeting.

Strategic Planning for CVCs
This one-page document highlights the several benefits of using strategic planning to focus the direction of a Corporate Volunteering Council.

Evaluating The CVC
This document provides a list of tips and steps that can be used to evaluate an existing Corporate Volunteer Council.

Guiding Questions on CVC Structure
This is a collection of questions that provide an introspective view into an already operating Corporate Volunteer Council, and how it can further develop and grow.

Corporate Volunteer Council Pathways to Success – Executive Summary
This executive summary focuses on a 2006 assessment of the current state of all Corporate Volunteer Councils (CVC) based on responses of CVC leaders. The document includes research, checklists and anecdotal evidence to help with the identification of effective CVC practices to increase the chances of future CVC success.

Volunteer Recognition: What's In It For Our Company?
This online workshop for employee volunteer managers outlines the benefits of employee recognition and is a great initial exercise for companies to determine desired outcomes of the recognition program and includes several company examples of implemented employee recognition programs.

A Sample of Effective Volunteer Recruitment Strategies
This is a compilation of various volunteer recruitment strategies and tips.

The Three R's: Recruitment, Retention and Recognition
This is an excerpt from Developing and Strengthening a Corporate Volunteer Council – Guidelines for Success, Third Edition, Points of Light Foundation, 2001 highlights several tips that can be used to help Corporate Volunteer Councils maintain organization and further their development.

Employee Volunteer Program Reporting Standards
As the prevalence of Employee Volunteer Programs continues to grow and corporate America reports their activities and impact, it is important to apply standard definitions to this work. Standards allow the corporate volunteer community to track trends, benchmark our programs and encourage better practices. Points of Light Corporate Service Council is proud to present the newly revised 2010 Employee Volunteer Program (EVP) Reporting Standards.

8 Steps to Start an EVP
These steps help to put processes and systems in place to ensure the employee volunteer program is successful and effective.

Group Volunteer Project Tips
This document outlines key steps to a successful company-sponsored project, and includes real life examples from companies engaging in group projects.

And much more!