Days of Caring
Customized Project Request Guidelines
Customized Project Requests
United Way has made a commitment to the Southeastern
Pennsylvania corporate community by guiding companies through the often-unfamiliar
territory of
volunteer and community service project planning.
Utilizing our vast network of agency partnerships and planning expertise,
United Way is able to custom-design an ongoing volunteer program or one-time
event, specifically tailored to the needs and interests of your company.
United Way works with corporations and community partners to design projects
that address critical community needs including poverty, literacy, health,
homelessness, community enrichment, revitalization, the environment, mentoring,
and education for children and youth.
Customized Services Include:
- Identify and recruit agencies across the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region
that can utilize the volunteer support of employee volunteers
- Assist in project
scoping and provide technical assistance with logistics including site
inspection, and on-site volunteer orientation and leadership
support
- Provide support to company’s staff members who are coordinating
all logistics such as recruitment, internal communication,
acquisition
of project materials and ways to track employee volunteer hours internally
Cost
Customized projects and programs can range from $100 to $100,000 depending
on complexity, project requirements and materials required (i.e. large ticket
items and events) to perform tasks, number of participants and time of year.
Recurring programs are also available.
Time Frame
- Customized projects for groups of 10-30 volunteers require 4-6 weeks
planning time.
- Customized projects for groups of 30-60 volunteers require
5-7 weeks planning time.
- Customized projects for groups of 60 or more volunteers
(including banner-wide and/or regional events) require 8-10
weeks planning time
Internal Preparation
- Assign an internal project manager
who will accept the operational responsibility for the implementation
of the overall project
including communications
and logistics.
- The project manager should be available for an overall
orientation at United Way and/or agencies base of operation.
- Communication
between the agenc(ies) selected, United Way, and the company
is extremely critical.
Let sites know what you expect to get out of working
with them and
what your group is prepared to do. Ensure the coordinator
has enough time to follow up with the site to form lasting
relationships.
- Determine transportation
to the project(s) and parking requirements.
Proper preparation of the company and agency volunteers is essential. Therefore
the following process is proposed for handling customized project requests.
Step
One: Project Request
The first step in facilitating a customized corporate/company
volunteer project request is to provide the requesting company liaison with
a Customized
Project Request Form.
- During the initial stages of a corporate request all communication
with the requesting company should be handled by the Manager of Corporate
Engagement.
- Customized
Project Request Forms should be completed and submitted
to the designated United Way Civic Engagement staff in electronic format
within
two (2) working
days from the date of original request. Once the Civic Engagement staff
receives a completed Volunteer
Project Request Form an acknowledgement will
be provided
to the campaign staff and the company and the matching process will
begin. Please keep in mind that the time to match a volunteer project may
vary
based upon the scope, magnitude and proposed project dates of the request (i.e.
larger
volunteer groups require more planning and capacity building assistance).
Step
Two: Matching
- United Way Civic Engagement Staff will facilitate the matching
process by reviewing existing volunteer project proposals and by reaching
out to community
organizations/agencies
to identify potential volunteer opportunities that meet the needs of
your organization. Once a potential match is identified, Civic Engagement
staff will contact the
agency informing them that a volunteer group may be interested in completing
a project with their organization. If the organization/agency is interested
in proving a volunteer opportunity, Civic Engagement staff facilitates
communication between the interested parties focused on securing a match.
Step
Three: Project Selection
-
Once a community organization/agency agrees to be a potential host for a volunteer
request and their Project Host Form is received, Civic Engagement staff will
generate an Assignment Proposal detailing the the match. Civic Engagement staff
will send a copy of the Assignment Proposal to the requesting company’s
liaison and the assigned United Way Campaign Manager.
Final Confirmation
- If a match is successful then Civic Engagement staff will contact
both company and agency liaisons to confirm agreements, expectations, and
play
a supportive role in solidify logistics for the project.
Important Considerations
for Customized Volunteer Projects
United Way staff will do everything within
reason to meet the request so long needed information is received in a timely
manner from the parties
requesting
the project.
- A Customized
Project Request Form must be submitted according to the timeline above
prior to the date of anticipated service. This process ensures that there
will be maximum participation by all parties and proper planning prior
to the scheduled date of service.
- Keep in mind that great diversity exists within
our community organizations and an agency’s capacity may affect their
ability to participate as a volunteer host site on more fixed requests. The
more flexible a project request
is the more likely a successful match will occur.
All customized project requests and communications regarding requests must
be submitted to Civic Engagement staff in writing along with the subject
title “Customized Project Request” to daysofcaring@uwsepa.org or at:
Days of Caring
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Voice: 215-665-2501
Fax: 215-665-2531
daysofcaring@uwsepa.org