Why work with Business Volunteers?
Business Volunteers helps to build the capacity, network, and resources of community organizations by connecting them to the time, talent, and support of the business community. Through our partnerships with regional companies and their employees, we provide nonprofits and schools FREE and facilitated connections to volunteers, consultants, board members, trainings, partnerships, and more!
In an effort to make our programs more accessible to community organizations we have done a major update to our Nonprofit Profile. It is now directed at better capturing the information that can best help us, help YOU.
As a result, we are requiring that every community organization who has ever worked with us, or wants to work with us in the future, submit a new profile.
Click here to access the new Nonprofit Profile.
How to Get Started
To leverage the most successful partnership with Business Volunteers Maryland, nonprofits need to understand the process of engaging with the corporate community. Here’s how to make sure your organization isn’t missing out:
Required first step to a partnership with Business Volunteers! We do not assist nonprofits who are not registered in our system. Nonprofits seeking board members must complete a Nonprofit Profile.
Please make sure you complete and update this profile at least once a year or after any major change.
Click here to access the Nonprofit Profile.
After completing an organizational profile, we encourage you to attend a monthly communityBUILD: Leveraging your Business Volunteers Partnership. This program is best suited for individuals and nonprofit organizations who have not worked with Business Volunteers Maryland in the last TWO years.
Once you have completed your organizational profile, express interest in one of the current special opportunities. These opportunities require a separate application and are updated regularly.
Scroll down to access available applications.
Leveraging your Partnership
Members of our staff may reach out with aligned ongoing opportunities available for your organization. This includes board member referrals, team volunteer project opportunities, and skilled volunteering opportunities.
To effectively leverage this partnership, provide timely responses to communication, apply early and often to opportunities, and take advantage of trainings and networking opportunities.
Please note that Business Volunteers staff works on behalf of our corporate partners and their employees to find and match them with community organizations that meet their needs and community engagement goals. Depending on the mission, location, engagement opportunities, size, scope, and stability of your organization, you may receive many referrals or none at all.
Current Special Opportunities
After you complete an organizational profile, your organization is eligible to engage in special opportunities. Special opportunities require a separate application and are updated regularly. Opportunities are updated on a rolling basis.
Board Matching
boardCONNECT is a round robin style, fast paced event to meet with several board candidates during once structured and facilitated evening.
boardCONNECT occurs semi-annually, usually in October and May. About 10 nonprofit organizations are selected to attend based on a variety of factors. Ultimately, we choose nonprofits that are diverse in cause area, size, geography, and stage of development.
Business Volunteers Maryland also works with businesses and corporations across the Region to host in-house boardCONNECT events. These special events are usually smaller and can happen at any time of year.
Express interest in boardCONNECT here.
The next public boardCONNECT event is taking place on December 9, 2021.
Skilled Volunteering
There are three different ways you can leverage skilled volunteers but just ONE application. Access the skilled volunteering application here. Learn more about the different programs, their timelines, and examples below.
skillCONNECT is a one-day work session in which nonprofits are paired with small groups of highly skilled employees, from a business, volunteering their time to serve as consultants. Participating nonprofits can expect to leave the session with fresh takes and ideas on problems they are facing, and guidance from experts on productive next steps.
Examples of skillCONNECT Projects
A pediatric health and research institution was seeking help to bolster their donor pipeline and engagement. The skilled volunteers helped guide their organization to identify the foundational elements of a young professionals’ affinity group.
A community-based organization supporting public schools was struggling to support principals and Parent Teacher Organizations. Volunteers provided perspective and feedback that helped the organization develop goals for a communication plan.
skillCONNECT Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The next skillCONNECT is scheduled for Fall 2021.
Business Volunteers Maryland is excited to announce an opportunity for nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations to host a group of GIVE Fellows for an Advisory Project, a core component of the GIVE Fellowship. The GIVE Fellowship equips skilled l professionals with the knowledge and resources to make a difference with Baltimore communities.
Teams of 4-6 GIVE Fellows are matched with a nonprofit. Each Advisory Team will immerse themselves in a collaborative process with their nonprofit between July and November 2021.GIVE Fellows engage thought-partnership to understand and address complex organizational challenges impacting nonprofit leaders.
Examples
A youth-services organization was seeking to help their young artists expand their business skills and the sales of the products they created. The Advisory Team created a comprehensive business development proposal to boost future revenue and brand awareness.
An organization focused on local history explored expanding participation in their walking tours and other programs. The Advisory Team piloted a corporate development and outreach strategy for the organization’s annual meeting.
An anti-hunger organization wanted to increase volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention. The Advisory Team helped the organization develop an “elevator speech” and refine the volunteer orientation and engagement process.
Applications for 2021 GIVE Advisory Projects have closed. You may submit challenges for an 8 week engagement with a business partner.
Business Volunteers Maryland is excited to announce an opportunity for nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations to engage skilled volunteers from one of our most generous business partners over a multi-month period.
One nonprofit will work with one Advisory Team over an immersive 8-12 week period. Advisory teams utilize a collaborative process to understand and address complex organizational challenges impacting nonprofit leaders.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply today!
Our Programs and Services
At Business Volunteers, we believe in three pillars for corporate community engagement. Explore how your organization can align with us in doing good. better.
Business Volunteers hosts a variety of free trainings to support nonprofits and their staff. In particular, nonprofits should consider the communityBUILD series aimed at building nonprofit operational capacity, and the skillBUILD series aimed at building individual professional skillsets.
Visit our events page for a complete annual listing of trainings.
Through our Team Volunteer Experiences we manage company team volunteering events. Our role ranges from basic support to full-scale management.
Organizations that can provide ongoing meaningful direct service volunteer projects for large groups are highly desired. We aim to ensure both a great experience for both the business and community partner, bringing a suite of best practices to support a smooth, rewarding, and impactful event with lasting benefits.
Skilled Volunteers
Through our skillCONNECT and GIVE Fellowship experiences, we support community partners by providing them with skilled volunteers to help bring their professional expertise to bear on challenges you might be facing.
Board Matching
A couple times a year we host boardCONNECT, a round robin style fast paced event to meet with several candidates during one event.
Board Matching
Through our ongoing boardCONSULT program, we match business professionals seeking nonprofit board service to organizations seeking board members through a concierge matching and training program. Over 1000 professionals have been placed on regional boards through this service. We also host boardCONNECT, a round robin style fast paced event to meet with several candidates a couple times a year.
Corporate Partnerships
In all of our connections and events we strive to build lasting relationships between companies and nonprofits. At times this effort is intentional, as we scope nonprofit or school partners that meet company interests and needs.
Resources
As opportunities arise, we assist our business partners with distribution and donations of office supplies, goods and services, tickets, gifts, and dollars.
communityCONNECT: Ways to Help
We have a profound appreciation for the ways in which individuals seek to engage in the community and a deep understanding of the variety of causes seeking support. We are leveraging that knowledge and experience to provide a platform that enables the connection of community organizations who need support and companies/volunteers who are looking to help.
