Skills-based volunteering is increasingly popular among companies, but developing strong, effective skills-based partnerships with nonprofit organizations can be very challenging. Nonprofits can be unsure of the expertise they’re receiving and how much effort it will require from their typically capacity-constrained organization. Companies can be unsure of what specific skill or type of skills based volunteering would be of most benefit to the community and their employee-volunteers. By speaking to the “other side of the aisle”, both companies and nonprofits will better understand how to think about, message and launch their skills based initiatives. This session at the 2015 VolunteerMatch Summit brought together companies and nonprofits who want to take that second step with their skills-based volunteer programs, through a fun, interactive speed dating session. Companies had the chance to hear what services would be particularly helpful to nonprofits in their communities – and nonprofits had a chance to “pitch” their skills-based project in a low-risk, low-pressure environment and get feedback on what will make their project even more attractive to potential corporate partners.

2. What are they key goals of your company’s community
engagement strategy?
What are the talents and skills unique to your company
that you can offer?
How do you ensure that these programs deliver real
value to your nonprofit partners?

8. Infrastructure gap:
The average nonprofit reports
spending only of its
total budget on overhead,
compared to the private
sector’s
 nonprofits across the US
 of the national workforce and of GDP

10. What are they key goals of your
company’s community engagement
strategy?
What are the talents and skills unique to
your company that you can offer?
How do you ensure that these programs
deliver real value to your nonprofit
partners?