Toolkit

The key to getting started is simply taking the first step in the right direction.

Every business has the ability to significantly improve the lives of their employees and make a positive impact in their communities as a whole. Most business leaders know this and have a desire to make a difference. However, it’s hard to know where to start.

This toolkit contains best practices that have been used successfully by small and medium sized companies.

The key to starting down this road is to take an initial step in the right direction. Pick one of these tools that fits your context and stick with it over the course of the next year. Then consider adding more initiatives over time in order to build out your company culture. 

  • Overview & Benefits

    Intentional hiring is a powerful way for companies to impact individuals and entire families in need. Providing job opportunities enables people looking for a second chance to move into a new season of life and become self-sufficient. Work also provides individuals with new relational networks. This is important as our vulnerable neighbors are often in need of healthy relationships just as much as financial resources. Practicing second chance hiring is not always easy, but it's worth it as it holds the potential to transform lives and your company’s culture.. As author Bob Lupton says, “a good job is the antidote to poverty." 

    Getting Started

    1. Partner Up: Identify a local non-profit or organization that is helping people working to rebuild their lives or who are transitioning out of the department of corrections. Ask them for candidates who they believe in and who are motivated to work. 

    2. Skills over Credentials: During the hiring process, value skills and motivation over traditional accreditation.

    3. Mentorship: Match up intentional hires with a mentor on your existing staff. This will significantly increase the retention rate of new hires. Mentors should make it a point to meet with the new hires once a month to connect on both a personal and professional level.

    4. Stay Connected: Maintain communication and connection with a point person at the non-profit after making the hire. They will be a valuable resource along the way and can be a huge help if/when things come up with your new employee.


     

    Resources

    Real World Examples

    Here are a couple of video stories of companies that are already doing this and having success finding quality employees. that will encourage and inspire you to try intentional hiring:


    Books and other resources

    • Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community by Jeff Korzenik

    • REDF Workshop business resources: https://redfworkshop.org/ 

  • Overview & Benefits

    An emergency benevolence fund serves as a financial safety net for employees facing unforeseen financial challenges. These funds offer support for various expenses, including medical bills, minor car repairs, or counseling for employees and/or family members who are in need of help. Establishing a benevolence fund demonstrates generosity and concern for your team. Additionally, it reduces workforce disruptions and boosts employee retention.  


    Getting Started

    1. Establish a Budget: Determine the financial resources you can allocate each year to your benevolence fund. This budget should strike a balance between providing meaningful support and aligning with your company's financial capabilities. 

    2. Define Expense Types: Identify the types of expenses that the benevolence fund can be used to cover. These guidelines will help employees manage their expectations and ensure that the fund’s resources will be used appropriately.

    3. Identify the Right Model: Select the best way to organize and to administer your emergency benevolence fund. There are 2 primary options: 

    • Partner with a third-party organization that specializes in employee assistance programs (see resource section below) 

    • Establish an internal review committee made up of employees who will evaluate benevolence fund applications. Their role will be to assess applications and make informed decisions regarding fund disbursements. 

    1. Communicate the Plan to Your Team: Transparency is key. Communicate clearly concerning the purpose of the program, the types of situations it covers, the application process, and any eligibility criteria. Be sure to share this information when onboarding new employees. 


    Resources

    Potential Partners

  • Overview & Benefits

    Employee Volunteer Programs offer a valuable avenue to impact your community, but achieving high participation rates requires key principles from organizations with successful, long-term programs. Such initiatives allow your organization to make a tangible difference in the community, showcasing your commitment to a larger purpose. Additionally, they foster employee connections and strengthen relationships beyond the workplace, broadening team members' perspectives on others' experiences. Ultimately, these programs contribute to increased morale and higher employee retention rates, benefitting both your company and the community you serve.

    Getting Started

    1. Launch The Program: Provide each employee with 1-3 paid days off of work to volunteer with an organization of their choosing or as a part of a group service project. Communicate the minimum hours they need to volunteer in order to take off a day from work for a day.

    2. Employee Survey: Conduct a simple survey of your employees in order to learn their interests and passions when it comes to causes and volunteering. 

    3. Group Service Projects: Use the information from the employee survey to schedule a service project that fits with the interests of your team. Work with a non-profit and invite your team to participate.  Partnering with a local non-profit that you or an employee already have a connection with is ideal. 

    4. Debrief: What you do to debrief and celebrate after a volunteer days is crucial to ongoing engagement. Have participating employees write up a brief overview of how it went and what they experienced. Share stories about serve day experiences on a regular basis in your company wide meetings.


    Resources

    Potential non-profit partners

    • Ask your team if they’re already volunteering or involved somewhere that could use additional support.

    • Altruist,  VolunteerMatch and Engage are great websites for finding volunteer opportunities.


    Video Story of a high functioning employee volunteer program: 

    Prime Trailer: vimeo.com/115020022


  • Overview & Benefits
    Establishing regular meeting times that facilitate personal connections is a practical way to create a strong sense of belonging in your organization. Equipping your leaders to ask insightful questions and prioritize active listening in these meetings is essential. This approach creates a sense of purpose for staff members, and promotes personal and professional growth across the board. Setting aside consistent times for employees to connect leads to increased overall trust and a thriving workplace culture.

    Getting Started

    1. Set the Stage: Communicate that the goal of these meetings is to build deeper connection and community among your staff. Encourage your leaders to approach these meetings with a desire to listen and learn about the people they are leading. Remind them often that the goal is for supervisors and managers to connect at a heart level with team members. 

    2. Calendar Regular Meetings: Have every employee with direct reports identify a specific day and time to have each monthly one on one meeting. Encourage both parties to protect this appointment on their schedules. 

    3. Provide Questions: Encourage your leaders to ask questions such as these during their one-on-ones; How are things going at home? What was the most life-giving part of your job last month? What was the most life-draining part? What is something that you want to do in the next month to grow either personally or professionally? 

    4. Provide Ongoing Resources & Training: Offer simple resources and/or training sessions to your managers on active listening and goal setting strategies (SMART goals are an effective option). Equipping your leaders with these skills will enhance the quality and impact of these meetings.


    Resources

    Real world examples

    Potential partners

  • Overview & Benefits

    Employee matched giving encourages and supports the generosity of your employees. It enhances engagement by granting team members a voice in directing company funds toward the common good. This approach multiplies contributions to nonprofits, making a significant impact without substantial administrative overhead. Employee matched giving programs can be done in-house or through a third party.


    Getting Started


    1. Identify Program Parameters: Decide on a budget for the matched giving program and identify how much you are willing to match per employee each year. Set the thresholds for minimum and maximum donations eligible for matching. This can encourage both small and substantial contributions. Finally, outline the types of nonprofit organizations that are eligible for matching.

    2. Establish Clear Guidelines and Instructions: Create a one pager that explains the program's rules, eligibility criteria, submission process, etc. Provide step-by-step instructions on how employees can participate, including registering their donations and submitting matching requests. Include information on who to contact if employees have questions about the program.

    3. Periodic Review and Adaptation: Regularly assess the program's performance, taking into account employee feedback, participation rates, and impact on both employees and the community. Consider making adjustments to program parameters, communication strategies, or platform choices based on your evaluations.

    4. Recognition and Celebration: Celebrate milestones and achievements of the program, such as reaching donation goals or impactful outcomes. Recognize and appreciate employee involvement through regular communication. 


    Resources


    Potential partners