bQNs7mR

A couple of the corporate models offer lessons for involving business volunteers
In the Raising Money section, it was suggested that a key factor behind the considerable corporate giving in the
Twin Cities was the engagement of chief executives and other senior managers in the civic life of the city, nonprofits,
clubs, and such like. A couple of the models, outlined in Table 4.6, are good at doing this. While not
specific to assets, they could be applied to them. Both are compared and contrasted in the table.
Table 4.6: Engaging business managers in local non-profits — examples from the case study areas
Habitat for Humanity’s CEO Build
Business Volunteers Unlimited
Geography National Mainly Cleveland and Baltimore
Key aspects
Funding model
Benefits
Dozens of corporate executives, their
partners, and civic leaders help to build
homes alongside trained construction staff
(and prospective low-income homeowners
putting in sweat equity hours).
Charge the CEO volunteers for the
privilege and to cover program admin
costs, and encourage a company matched
donation.
• Involves CEOs with poor areas and is
very hands-on.
• Allows CEOs to network with each other
in an informal setting.
• Some companies can also make needed
building material contributions, which
helps draw attention to what they do as
companies.
Board-matching program that finds volunteering
opportunities with non-profits (in particular boards and
committees) for executives, trains the volunteers, and helps
structure the work they do.
BVU Maryland also has a GIVE program directed at local
executives in the 25-40 age bracket.
Membership fees and local foundation funding.
• Business and non-profits both want this skilled
involvement rather than unskilled work.
• Ongoing involvement rather than temporary.
• Uses detailed forms to tease out skills and skill needs.
• The GIVE program networks the next generation of civic
leaders.
Drawbacks
Summary
• Once a year.
• Does not draw on the volunteers’ core
CEO skills.
• Good potential to apply to asset context,
very similar to barn-raising.
• Typically middle managers (or, more positively,
tomorrow’s senior managers).
• Demand for volunteers greatly outstrips supply
• Larger non-profits may approach companies directly
rather than go via BVU. 114
• Genuine matching of asset needs and corporate skills.
• Also builds a civic leader network, so has an important
social/professional element.
114
Some companies are very organized in terms of the ways in which they are geared up to receive such requests for volunteer help. See, for example, http://www.
thecarecenter.us/bah-cares.html.
153 | The New Barn-Raising