Top Volunteer Grant Companies for Nonprofits to Know

In the nonprofit world, the old adage “time is money” takes on a literal meaning thanks to volunteer grant companies. While you likely already know the immense value your volunteers bring through their hard work and dedication, you might be missing out on the financial contributions their employers are willing to make in recognition of that service. Volunteer grants—also known as “Dollars for Doers”—are corporate giving programs where companies provide monetary donations to eligible nonprofits as a reward for the time employees spend volunteering. It is essentially free money waiting to be claimed, yet billions of dollars in corporate philanthropy go unclaimed every year simply due to a lack of awareness. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to start tapping into this revenue stream, including:

• What volunteer grants are and how they work
• Why companies offer these generous programs
• A list of top volunteer grant companies to know
• How to secure these grants for your organization
• Best practices for marketing these opportunities

Let’s dive in and explore how you can turn volunteer hours into essential funding for your mission.

What Are Volunteer Grants?

Volunteer grants are a specific type of corporate giving program that supplies monetary grants to organizations where employees volunteer. They effectively bridge the gap between volunteerism and financial support, allowing organizations to drastically increase the ROI of their volunteer programs. The concept is simple: Companies want to support the causes their employees care about. To do this, they set up programs that donate a specific amount of money per hour volunteered, or a lump sum once a certain threshold of hours is met.

How Do They Work?

While every company has its own specific guidelines, the general process typically follows these steps:

1. Volunteer: An individual volunteers with a nonprofit or school.
2. Verify Eligibility: The individual determines if their employer offers a volunteer grant program.
3. Submit Request: The individual accesses and submits the appropriate forms to their employer (usually through an online CSR portal).
4. Review: The employer reviews the request and validates the hours with the nonprofit.
5. Disbursement: The employer approves the request and cuts a check to the organization.

Did You Know? 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs. Furthermore, 80% of companies with these programs offer between $8 and $15 per hour volunteered.

Why Do Companies Offer Volunteer Grants?

You might wonder why a corporation would pay your nonprofit for time their employees spend away from the office. The answer lies in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Workplace giving programs, including volunteer grants, help companies differentiate their brands and appeal to employees, consumers, and stakeholders. By incentivizing volunteerism, companies foster meaningful relationships with their communities and improve employee satisfaction.

Benefits for the company include:

• Enhanced CSR: Demonstrates values-driven leadership to customers and investors.
• Employee Retention: Employees are more likely to stay with companies that support their philanthropic interests.
• Team Building: Group volunteer events (often eligible for grants) build camaraderie and morale.

Top Volunteer Grant Companies

Thousands of companies offer generous volunteer grant programs. To help you identify potential opportunities within your own volunteer base, we have compiled a list of standout companies known for their contributions.

Verizon

Verizon is a leader in corporate philanthropy with a robust “Volunteer Incentive Program.”

• Grant Amount: They provide a $750 grant to charitable organizations where employees volunteer for 50 hours.
• Eligibility: This program is available to eligible employees who want to support 501(c)(3) organizations and schools.

Microsoft

Microsoft has one of the most flexible and generous programs in the corporate world.

• Grant Amount: $25 per hour volunteered.
• Details: There is no minimum hour requirement to unlock the grant, making it incredibly accessible for volunteers who may have limited time but still want to make an impact.

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil encourages its employees and retirees to get involved in their communities.

• Grant Amount: $500 for every 20 hours volunteered.
• Details: This program applies to both individual volunteering and team events, incentivizing groups of employees to go out and make a difference together.

Allstate

The Allstate Foundation is well-known for its “Helping Hands” grants.

• Grant Amount: Generally between $500 and $1,000, depending on the employee’s role and engagement.
• Focus: Allstate places a heavy emphasis on community empowerment and safety.

WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia supports the passions of its employees through a straightforward hourly grant.

• Grant Amount: $10 per hour an employee volunteers.
• Impact: For employees who volunteer regularly, this hourly rate can add up to a significant contribution over the course of a year.

Apple

Apple is known for its incredible generosity when it comes to employee giving.

• Grant Amount: Apple donates $25 for every hour an employee volunteers with a nonprofit.
• Minimum Hours: Unlike many other programs that require a significant time commitment before payout, Apple has no minimum hour requirement. This flexibility makes it one of the most accessible programs for volunteers who may only be able to give a few hours at a time.
• Eligibility: This program is open to both full-time and part-time employees.

State Farm

State Farm’s “Good Neighbor Grant” program is a staple in corporate philanthropy, designed to reward employees who are active in their local communities.

• Grant Amount: The company offers a $500 grant on behalf of an eligible employee who volunteers 40 hours in a calendar year.
• Focus: State Farm is particularly supportive of safety, education, and community development initiatives.

Intel

Intel actively encourages its current employees and retirees to get involved through its “Intel Involved” program.

• Grant Amount: The Intel Foundation donates $10 per volunteer hour to eligible schools and nonprofits.
• Minimum Hours: Volunteers must log a minimum of 20 hours annually to trigger the grant.
• Retiree Inclusion: Intel is one of the few major corporations that extends its volunteer grant program to retirees, allowing them to continue generating revenue for their favorite causes long after their careers have ended.

Chevron

Chevron’s “Humankind” program is designed to support the communities where its employees live and work.

• Grant Amount: Chevron provides a $500 grant for every 20 hours an employee volunteers with a single nonprofit.
• Cap: Employees can request up to two of these grants per year, potentially generating $1,000 annually for your organization through a single volunteer.

Boeing

Boeing’s “Gift Match” program includes a robust volunteer component that rewards both individual and team efforts.

• Individual Grants: Boeing donates $100 for every 10 hours of volunteering, up to $10,000 per year.
• Team Volunteering: If a group of five or more employees volunteers together, the company increases the impact by donating significantly more based on the collective effort.
• Flexibility: This program is great for nonprofits that can host group service days, as it incentivizes teams to come out and work together.

3M

3M’s “Volunteer Match” program is straightforward and generous, focusing on education and community vitality.

• Grant Amount: 3M offers $20 per volunteer hour.
• Cap: The program allows for a total grant of up to $500 once an employee hits the 25-hour mark.
• Impact: This high hourly rate makes 3M volunteers particularly valuable for organizations looking to maximize the financial return on volunteer time.

CVS Health

CVS Health offers “Volunteer Challenge Grants” that reward employees for consistent service.

• Grant Amount: Grants range from $500 to $1,500 depending on the number of hours served. For example, 15 hours of service can yield a $500 grant, while 100+ hours can unlock higher tiers.
• Team Grants: Teams of colleagues who volunteer together can also earn grants of up to $2,500, making CVS a prime target for group volunteer activities.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget about retirees! Companies like Intel and Chevron explicitly include retirees in their volunteer grant programs. These individuals often have more time to give and can be some of your most consistent volunteers. Always ask your older volunteers about their former employers!

Other Notable Companies

Many other major corporations offer similar programs. If you have volunteers working for any of the following, they may be eligible to request funds for your nonprofit:

• Disney: Offers grants ranging from $100 to $2,000 depending on hours contributed.
• Dell: Known for offering low minimum hour requirements.
• CarMax: Offers a generous volunteer grant program in addition to matching donations.
• Google: Matches employee time with monetary donations to eligible nonprofits.
• Thomson Reuters: Offers two paid days (16 hours) of volunteer time off, which often aligns with grant incentives.

Quick Tip: Don’t just look for national brands. Many regional and local businesses also offer volunteer grants or “Civic Time Off”. Reach out to professional service providers in your area—such as law firms or accounting agencies—to see if they have programs you can tap into.

How to Secure Volunteer Grants

Securing these grants ultimately relies on the volunteer taking action, but your nonprofit plays a critical role in facilitating the process. Since organizations typically have limited information on where their volunteers work, and volunteers often lack awareness of their eligibility, you must bridge the gap.

Here is a strategic approach to securing these funds:

1. Collect Employment Information

You cannot identify opportunities if you don’t know where your supporters work. Start collecting employment information as supporters engage with you. We recommend adding an optional form field or search tool to your online giving and volunteer registration forms.

2. Educate Your Volunteers

Awareness is the biggest hurdle. Many volunteers don’t know these programs exist. You need to inform them that their time could be worth double to your organization. Simple educational campaigns can lead to thousands of dollars in “found” money.

3. Simplify the Process

If a volunteer has to dig through their HR handbook to find a form, they might give up. Make it easy for them. Provide direct links to their company’s submission portals if you have them, or give them a simple one-pager explaining the general process of “Volunteer -> Verify -> Submit.”

4. Verify Hours Promptly

Once a volunteer submits a request, the ball is in your court. The company will likely reach out to verify that the volunteer actually completed the hours claimed. Ensure you have an organized system for tracking volunteer hours so you can validate these requests immediately.

Smart Ways to Market Volunteer Grants

To maximize participation, you need a multichannel marketing strategy that meets your volunteers where they are. Here are several smart ways to promote these opportunities:

Leverage Your Website

Your website is the central hub for your supporters. Add comprehensive and clear information about workplace giving opportunities here. Consider placing this info on:

• Your “Ways to Give” page
• A dedicated “Corporate Volunteerism” page
• Volunteer registration forms
• Event sign-up confirmation screens.

Social Media Campaigns

Social media is perfect for quick, engaging reminders. Whenever you post photos from a volunteer event, include a snippet about volunteer grants. Link back to your corporate giving page to drive traffic and educate followers.

Email Newsletters

Email has the highest ROI of any marketing platform. Include a section in your volunteer newsletters highlighting a “Company of the Month” that offers grants, or simply include a recurring reminder: “Did you know your employer might pay us for the hours you just volunteered?”

Personalized Follow-Ups

Don’t let the engagement stop after the volunteer shift ends. Send personalized thank-you messages to volunteers that explicitly explain how they can apply for volunteer grants. If you know they work for a grant-offering company (like Verizon or Microsoft), send them a specific email with the exact steps they need to take.

Quick Tip: Use automation software to send these emails. Tools like Double the Donation can automatically identify eligible volunteers and send them the correct forms and guidelines for their specific employer, saving your team hours of administrative work.

The Role of Technology

Managing volunteer grants manually can be complex and time-consuming. From identifying eligibility to tracking hours and following up, there are many moving parts. Investing in dedicated workplace giving software can streamline these processes.

Comprehensive databases allow volunteers to search for their employer and immediately see:

• If the company offers volunteer grants.
• The minimum hours required.
• The dollar amount per hour.
• Direct links to the submission forms.

By embedding a tool like this into your website and volunteer forms, you empower supporters to take action immediately, without requiring your staff to research every individual corporate policy.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Volunteer grants represent a significant opportunity to monetize the generous time your supporters already give. By understanding which companies offer these programs and actively marketing them to your base, you can unlock a sustainable stream of unrestricted revenue.

Remember, the easier you make it for your volunteers, the more likely they are to participate. Start by surveying your current volunteers to see where they work, and then use the strategies outlined in this guide to encourage them to submit their requests.

Ready to start?

• Audit your data: Look at your top 50 volunteers and try to identify their employers.
• Update your forms: Add an “Employer” field to your volunteer sign-up sheets.
• Spread the word: Add a blurb about volunteer grants to your next newsletter.

With a little effort and the right strategy, you can turn volunteer hours into significant funding for your cause.