Corporate Volunteer Program

Providing companies based in Greater Houston and visiting conferences of all sizes with completely customized and fully managed service projects that align with their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals. We have over 50 years of experience serving the needs of volunteers, companies, and nonprofit organizations. Through our Corporate Volunteer Program (CVP) services, we support the missions of hundreds of local nonprofits by connecting our corporate clients to their needs. Our dedicated staff creates interactive and truly meaningful service projects and reflection experiences that lead to positive change not only among your team but also in our community where it’s needed most.

Clients Since 2018

Corporate Volunteers

Houstonians Received Services

Why CSR Matters

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Creates a corporate culture that is centered on relationships, not just the bottom line.
Increases brand awareness and sets you apart within your business sector or industry.
Empowers employees to give back through charitable acts, donations, and development of leadership skills.

Julie Falcon, Chief Advancement Officer at The Beacon, explains what corporate volunteers mean to their organization in this short video.

Annual MLK Mural Project

Each year we commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a truly collaborative community project that encompasses the concept of individual community members coming together for a greater cause – and we do it through art. Art bridges divides, opens dialogue, and creates understanding – all three of these are essential in working towards diversity, access equity, and inclusion. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” serve as the blueprint for volunteerism and learning through service.

Participating companies and their employees experience the importance of volunteering to support underserved and economically challenged communities who have been impacted not only by the pandemic but also by systemic inequalities. We believe this project unites our communities through volunteerism and honors the legacy of Dr. King.

WHAT IS YOUR ONE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

“Taking the time to honor important figures from the past is important in the present and for our future.”

“Even the smallest contribution adds to the larger movement toward change and awareness.”

“The power of community building.”

What is your one takeaway from this experience?

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE TO YOUR BEST FRIEND?

“It felt very meaningful and felt like I was making a change. Also, it was very fun and I recommend doing it with a friend.”

“My volunteer experience granted me a sense of joy and satisfaction that I am impacting children in the community by preventing the consequences of childhood food insecurity. It was also very well organized! I hope that the children who will receive these food sacks obtain healthy and nourishing meals every day.”

How would you describe your volunteer experience to your best friend?

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THIS ORGANIZATION’S SERVICES?

“It was humbling and inspiring. Doing this makes me want to further help end child hunger.”

“It was heartwarming to see people work so hard for others’ benefit.”

“It was meaningful to learn about the people benefitting from this organization because it was good to know who I was helping while filling up the bags and the difference I was making for the community.”

What was it like to learn about the people who benefit from this organization's services?

Service Reflections

We strongly believe in reinforcing the service reflection component of all service projects. Critical reflection is the most important component of any volunteer experience. In fact, it is the distinguishing difference between a volunteer experience and a service learning experience. We accomplish this by posing a series of three progressive reflection questions in one of three formats selected by the client. In all formats, participants can choose to remain anonymous. Responses should be returned to VH within a week of the project completion so VH can summarize responses and include them in your final Impact Report.

The goal is two-fold:

To aid the corporate client in strengthening their corporate social responsibility goals and culture among employees, and
To empower individuals to make positive changes in themselves and in their environments that extend beyond this project, beyond the workday, and beyond retirement.

Follow Employees' Volunteerism in the VH Portal

Use the VH portal (www.volunteerhou.org) to rally your employees together for a good cause. We can create a module within our portal specific to your group and assign group leaders who have the ability to manage group members, generate reports, curate local and remote volunteer opportunities, and customize reflection and joining questions. We can even customize a landing page specific to your company’s brand!

The VH team is available year-round to support your employee engagement goals and needs in the way of volunteerism and civic service. Our goal is to make the process of employee volunteerism not only fun and meaningful, but also as easy as possible for your team. Email us at cvp@volunteerhouston.org to learn more.

Our partnership with Volunteer Houston was key to coordinating the largest single day of service in our company’s history. We deployed more than 4,000 Tweeps across Houston to serve alongside local volunteers and community members. We leave Houston with heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome we received from the 49 community agencies we worked with. Thank you for showing us that the spirit of service and community is alive and well in your great city!

Karl Robillard, Twitter, Head of Philanthropy and Community Engagement

“We had a great experience working with Gayla from Volunteer Houston! They were exceptional in finding the right project for our group and keeping in contact with us during the entire process. We really had a great time and look forward to our next event with Volunteer Houston!”

Cole Sanches, EnCap Investments, L.P., Vice President, Financial Reporting

“The Volunteer Houston Team knocked it out of the park. Accolades continue to come in about the day of service.”

Justin Land Program Officer, Global Citizenship & Northeast Public Affairs, Dow Chemical

Service Project Coordination Services

Submit a Request

OPTION 1 | Fully managed, completely customized.

1. Understand your company’s CSR goals.
2. Determine number of corporate employees that will participate.
3. Determine your budget.
4. Pick a project!

Submit a Request

Shop the Kits

OPTION 2 | Service Projects 2 Go

We created Service Projects 2 Go (SP2G) for companies with limited resources and smaller budgets as a practical way to meet your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals for the community and for your employees. Each SP2G consists of any number of themed kits developed by Volunteer Houston in collaboration with hundreds of nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Houston area. The kits are designed to meet the needs of their clients.

Shop the Kits

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OPTION 3 | Referral

We will personally contact 3-5 local nonprofits to determine and confirm their capacities to accommodate your service project vision and group needs (group size and time frame). Of those who have the capacity, we will formally introduce you to each other via email and/or a brief phone or video call.

Cost | $500

This nominal fee supports our general operations and mission of connecting individuals and groups with local nonprofits and other volunteer opportunities. This is accomplished primarily through our web portal (www.volunteerhou.org) which is completely free to our 145K+ users in the entire Texas Gulf Coast Region. We encourage you to check out the other programs, services, and initiatives we facilitate for our collective friends and neighbors in our community.

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