That's not Volunteering!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain something that often gets muddled: volunteering and team building. While they can happen at the same time, they’re not the same thing. The key difference lies in why you're doing the activity — what’s driving it. Is the activity about providing skills or time for an organisation that genuinely needs this support, or is the driver more about engaging your people at work? The starting point matters.

Volunteering benefits everyone involved

For individuals, it’s a fulfilling way to support causes you care about through hands-on action or valuable skills you use at your normal place of work. For charities, volunteers are often the backbone of their operations. Many rely on consistent, dedicated support to deliver services. For beneficiaries, the impact is deeply felt. Whether it’s a sick child receiving a lovingly packed gift, an op shop kept afloat by volunteer staff, or cleaner oceans thanks to beach clean-up crews. 

Bravo! More of this, please.

At Workplace Giving Australia, we’re beneficiaries too. As a not-for-profit, we thrive thanks to pro bono support. Our Workplace Giving Partners generously roll up their sleeves and help us do what we do best, with legal, consulting, venue space, event support, and more. 

Volunteering at work: A worthwhile challenge 

It’s not always easy to integrate volunteering into the workplace. My colleagues and I speak with organisations regularly about the opportunities and hurdles. The good news? We’re seeing fantastic outcomes from volunteering, both unskilled and pro bono — when it’s part of a broader workplace giving program that has a strategic approach. 

In fact, we celebrate these efforts annually in our Workplace Giving Excellence Awards, with a category specifically dedicated to volunteering and pro bono programs that are impactful, engaging, and well-executed. 

Here are a few key takeaways from my time working closely with employers and charities

It must be the right fit. Successful volunteering partnerships align the needs and capacity of both the charity and the corporate. Good governance is crucial to ensure a sustainable relationship for all parties. Objectives, measurement of impact, risk, insurance, brand alignment, and more should all be thoughtfully considered.

Don’t confuse volunteering with team building. They may look similar, but they serve different purposes. Volunteering is about impact for the charity; team building is about engagement and connection. Keep the distinction clear so that impact reporting is accurate. 

Success factors include a robust volunteer leave policy and process - support your people in giving their time by matching time with donations - businesses can donate money to match employee volunteer hours. A reasonable starting point is $20–$45 per hour.

Tracking, reporting and feedback - record volunteer hours and matched donations to help tell an important story.

Inclusion within workplace giving - Connect giving activities for a more holistic program. Identify charities that employees already support through giving. Encourage collective fundraising efforts for charities where employees are volunteering. Use platforms like Good2Give that let employees submit volunteer hours that are eligible to be matched by their employer. 

Useful Resources 

2024 Awards case studies: See how Origin Foundation, EY, and Intrepid Travel built outstanding volunteering programs. 

Workplace Giving Insights (2024): Includes commentary on volunteering ‘Dollar Match, Not Matchmaking’. 

To attract more workplace givers and increase employee engagement, explore great options like the RSPCA QLD’s corporate days. 

Charity-led holistic programs: Examples like Redkite and UNICEF Workplace Givers demonstrate how charities are creating workplace giving programs that provide multiple giving options to employees and work with businesses in partnership to achieve program goals. 



This blog article was written by Bronwyn Wood, Partnerships Manager at Workplace Giving Australia. Bron is a passionate advocate for workplace giving and community engagement. 


Do you need support to integrate your volunteering activities into your workplace giving program? Speak with our Advisors here.