If you could predict the success of your corporate volunteer program, would that help you make key decisions on how to manage it?

Center faculty member Linda Gornitsky has developed a sophisticated mathematical model that she believes can predict the success of corporate volunteer programs with a 99% level of accuracy.

The model was created as part of the study, Measuring Corporate Volunteerism, which provides companies with the knowledge to measure the success of their corporate volunteer programs and identifies the "key components" community relations and volunteer managers should focus on to achieve the greatest results.

Specifically, the study explains how community relations and volunteer managers and senior executives define success and how they evaluate the success of their programs; outlines the "key components" necessary to build and maintain a successful corporate volunteer program; explores the intricacies of many of those "key components" and highlights what, specifically, about each contributes to the success of volunteer programs; and identifies the value and benefits of corporate volunteerism, from the perspectives of community relations and volunteer managers, senior executives and the non-profit community.

To achieve the greatest results, the study shows that managers with limited time, money and human resources with which to run their programs should focus their efforts on volunteer recognition, how their programs are structured, increasing budget levels, enhancing internal communications and establishing work-release policies.

"We found that the success of a corporate volunteer program cannot, nor should not, be based solely on the level of employee participation, but rather on how well the program is managed against its goals and objectives," says Gornitsky, who is president and founder of LBG Associates.

"To help CR/volunteer managers predict or gauge the success of their volunteer programs, we have produced a model which is over 99% accurate and incorporates staffing and budget levels, program structures, employee and senior management participation, work-release and paid time-off policies and programs, volunteer recognition and training, internal and external communications, and measurement and evaluation," says Gornitsky.

According to Jared Skok, LBG Associates' vice president and author of Measuring Corporate Volunteerism, "By establishing a structure which makes it easy for employees to get involved, as well as want to get involved; by educating and informing them about the program, up-coming events and activities, and how to get involved; by providing opportunities for employees to get involved and/or volunteer during the workday; and by recognizing volunteers for their involvement and commitment of time and energy; companies will not only significantly increase employee participation, but they will visibly see a significant increase in the overall success of their corporate volunteer programs."

Some key findings from the 200-page report:

• 85% of companies now allow employees to volunteer during the workday.
  
  
• 45% of community relations and volunteer managers and 42% of senior executives believe their companies should provide employees with paid time-off to volunteer during the workday.
  
  
• Although community relations and volunteer managers may feel they are doing a good job tracking employee participation, over 50% have no idea how many, or how often, employees volunteer.
  
  
• Companies with at least 1,000 employees should maintain at least 1 FTE coordinator/manager to oversee volunteer programs, events and activities.
  
  
• Companies with at least 1,000 employees should budget approximately $12.34 per every employee in order to have and/or maintain a "Successful" volunteer program.
  
  
• Although personally asking employees to volunteer has always proven to be an effective means to recruit/motivate employees, managers, overwhelmingly, consider e-mail as the most effective recruitment tool.
  
  
• Over the past three years, the number of companies that actively provide volunteer-related education and training has nearly doubled from 35% to 64%.
  
  
• Generating senior management buy-in and support is not only key, but also imperative to the success of corporate volunteer programs. The most successful approach or technique for generating senior management support is to get them directly involved in a volunteer project or activity. Tracking and reporting the types of organizations employees volunteer with, volunteer-related corporate contributions and volunteer-inspired/related employee giving may help generate greater buy-in from senior management, as well.

For additional information on the study, go to www.lbg-associates.com.