{"id":4275,"date":"2026-03-24T11:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/?p=4275"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:35:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:35:27","slug":"the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Corporate volunteers logged 23.7 million approved hours last year but the average program participation rate was only 13.6% (<a href=\"https:\/\/benevity.com\/press-releases\/state-of-corporate-volunteering-2026-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benevity<\/a>) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s surprisingly low, especially considering how much companies invest in volunteering as part of their CSR strategies. Many offer paid volunteer days, run team events, and encourage staff to support their communities. Employees often say they want work that feels meaningful, yet most still don\u2019t get involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what\u2019s getting in the way? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many cases, the issue isn\u2019t lack of interest. It\u2019s how the programs are designed and communicated. Here are five common mistakes companies make when building corporate volunteering programs and what to do instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-contents\">Contents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#h-1-designing-programs-around-the-company-instead-of-employees\">1. Designing Programs Around the Company Instead of Employees<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Requiring-Large-Time-Commitments\">2. Requiring Large Time Commitments<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Making-Participation-Complicated\">3. Making Participation Complicated<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Focusing-on-One-Time-Events-Instead-of-Ongoing-Impact\">4. Focusing on One-Time Events Instead of Ongoing Impact<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Not-Showing-the-Impact-of-the-Program\">5. Not Showing the Impact of the Program<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#A-Simpler-Model-Micro-Volunteering-With-Be-My-Eyes\">A Simpler Model: Micro-Volunteering With Be My Eyes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-designing-programs-around-the-company-instead-of-employees\">1. Designing Programs Around the Company Instead of Employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/corporate-volunteering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">corporate volunteering<\/a> initiatives start with a top-down approach. Leadership chooses a cause, organizes a volunteer day, and invites employees to participate. But what sounds good in a boardroom doesn\u2019t always translate into meaningful engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees are far more likely to volunteer when they care about the cause, have flexible ways to participate, and feel a personal connection to the impact. Programs that succeed give employees genuine choice and autonomy rather than a single predetermined option handed down from above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The fix is straightforward: <\/strong>design flexible programs where employees can volunteer in ways that align with their own interests and schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Requiring-Large-Time-Commitments\">2. Requiring Large Time Commitments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Employees contributing fewer than five hours per year now account for roughly 60% of all volunteers, signaling a shift toward short, flexible activities over long\u2011term commitments. (<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/benevity.com\/press-releases\/state-of-corporate-volunteering-2026-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Benevity<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional volunteering often assumes employees can dedicate an entire day (sometimes even multiple days) to an event. In reality, most professionals are balancing meetings, deadlines, travel, and family responsibilities, which means that even employees who genuinely want to volunteer may struggle to commit large blocks of time. When the ask feels too big, participation drops dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The better approach? <\/strong>Offer short, flexible opportunities &#8211; often called micro-volunteering &#8211; where employees can contribute in minutes rather than hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com\/web-interactives\/public\/v1\/track\/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLmPzQCeYePTNg2PCx8ubnfEAW7myWmrtEx5iGN6CU4oQamuv12yHeshzGm4Gd%2FmP2iVLs3kckzfddsKZGvZRUryifbtIfnNBomp6iq7%2FdWq9X6ypBYHn72n0eYeuFMbCVAXierqwrWt42zYK1IEM%2B09prn3h3UjTLvGXD5CqMSmxXZ2wjnvZBXKgzyniJvkFHd7g%3D%3D&amp;webInteractiveContentId=196887673272&amp;portalId=6577197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/6577197\/interactive-196887673272.png\" alt=\"Download the FREE eBook\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Making-Participation-Complicated\">3. Making Participation Complicated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another common barrier is complexity. Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/corporate-volunteering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">volunteer programs<\/a> require employees to sign up through multiple systems, complete onboarding steps, coordinate with external partners, and navigate unclear instructions before they can do anything useful. Every extra step reduces participation, and when volunteering starts to feel like another administrative task rather than a meaningful break from one, employees are far less likely to engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What to do instead: <\/strong>The programs that work best are the ones where employees can get started quickly, with minimal resistance standing between intention and action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Focusing-on-One-Time-Events-Instead-of-Ongoing-Impact\">4. Focusing on One-Time Events Instead of Ongoing Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many companies organize a single volunteer day each year. While these events can be meaningful, they often fail to create lasting engagement. And, they come with real logistical headaches, from coordinating schedules to finding local partners to ensuring that activities feel worthwhile for large groups. More importantly, once the event ends, the momentum disappears entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What works better?<\/strong> Build programs that enable continuous volunteering opportunities throughout the year and ensure these are as flexible as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Not-Showing-the-Impact-of-the-Program\">5. Not Showing the Impact of the Program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees want to know their time is making a difference, but many organizations struggle to track or communicate what their volunteer programs actually accomplish. Without visibility into outcomes, volunteering can feel symbolic rather than meaningful; a box checked rather than a contribution made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Communicate impact:<\/strong> Companies that clearly communicate their impact, whether through the number of people helped, communities supported, hours volunteered, or real stories from beneficiaries, consistently see higher engagement. When people can see the difference they\u2019re making, they\u2019re far more motivated to keep showing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"A-Simpler-Model-Micro-Volunteering-With-Be-My-Eyes\">A Simpler Model: Micro-Volunteering With Be My Eyes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your team wants something that feels immediate, human, and easy to get started, micro-volunteering can be a powerful alternative to traditional programs. At Be My Eyes, we\u2019ve seen how this model can transform corporate volunteering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We connect people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers through live video calls. Requests typically involve simple everyday tasks like reading mail, identifying products, sorting laundry, checking expiration dates, troubleshooting a device, or locating something that has fallen on the floor. Volunteers answer when they\u2019re available, help for a few minutes, and return to their day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizations such as Zain have incorporated our corporate volunteering solutions into their employee volunteering programs, enabling teams to support blind and low-vision people around the world in real time. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/zain-case-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read the full case study<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a volunteering program that is flexible, meaningful, and easy to launch across global teams, Be My Eyes can help. Find out more about our solutions and organize an event <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/corporate-volunteering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com\/web-interactives\/public\/v1\/track\/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLmPzQCeYePTNg2PCx8ubnfEAW7myWmrtEx5iGN6CU4oQamuv12yHeshzGm4Gd%2FmP2iVLs3kckzfddsKZGvZRUryifbtIfnNBomp6iq7%2FdWq9X6ypBYHn72n0eYeuFMbCVAXierqwrWt42zYK1IEM%2B09prn3h3UjTLvGXD5CqMSmxXZ2wjnvZBXKgzyniJvkFHd7g%3D%3D&amp;webInteractiveContentId=196887673272&amp;portalId=6577197\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/6577197\/interactive-196887673272.png\" alt=\"Download the FREE eBook\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Corporate volunteers logged 23.7 million approved hours last year but the average program participation rate was only 13.6% (Benevity) That\u2019s surprisingly low, especially considering how much companies invest in volunteering as part of their CSR strategies. Many offer paid volunteer days, run team events, and encourage staff to support their communities. Employees often say they<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Be My Eyes for Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemyeyesapp\/?loc\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lou Cooper\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@BeMyEyes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BeMyEyes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lou Cooper\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lou Cooper\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8\"},\"headline\":\"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\"},\"wordCount\":822,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\",\"name\":\"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8\"},\"description\":\"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"A group of coworkers in an office raising their hands together in a group high-five. Several hands meet in the center of the photo, forming a stacked high-five. On the right, a woman with long dark hair smiles, wearing a white top. On the left, a bearded man in a light shirt is in the foreground, slightly out of focus. In the background, an older man with gray hair and a gray beard smiles, leaning forward behind a laptop. Another person with dark skin and short dreadlocks is partly visible behind the woman on the right. A bright window and a whiteboard or flip chart stand are in the background, suggesting a meeting or teamwork moment. Described with Be My AI\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/\",\"name\":\"Be My Eyes for Business\",\"description\":\"Making good business accessible\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8\",\"name\":\"Lou Cooper\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1a5361e756c36e82b9994329b5ad4bcbcca1909ee4f24ac939bd6293ce7c0d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1a5361e756c36e82b9994329b5ad4bcbcca1909ee4f24ac939bd6293ce7c0d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lou Cooper\"},\"description\":\"Lou is our Customer Success Manager at Be My Eyes, where she has spent over four years championing accessible technology for blind and low-vision people around the world. A key part of her role involves running and hosting corporate volunteering events, connecting organizations with the Be My Eyes mission and helping businesses engage their teams in meaningful, impactful ways. With a career spanning more than two decades in telecommunications, unified communications, and account management, Lou brings deep expertise in building and sustaining meaningful client relationships.\",\"jobTitle\":\"Customer Success Manager\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/author\/loucooper\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs","description":"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs","og_description":"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/","og_site_name":"Be My Eyes for Business","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bemyeyesapp\/?loc","article_published_time":"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lou Cooper","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@BeMyEyes","twitter_site":"@BeMyEyes","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lou Cooper","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/"},"author":{"name":"Lou Cooper","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8"},"headline":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs","datePublished":"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/"},"wordCount":822,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg","articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/","name":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-24T11:07:01+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-05T10:35:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8"},"description":"Corporate volunteering programs often struggle with low participation. Discover 5 common mistakes companies make and how to design flexible, engaging initiatives that employees actually join.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/03\/The-5-Biggest-Mistakes-Companies-Make-With-Volunteer-Programs.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"A group of coworkers in an office raising their hands together in a group high-five. Several hands meet in the center of the photo, forming a stacked high-five. On the right, a woman with long dark hair smiles, wearing a white top. On the left, a bearded man in a light shirt is in the foreground, slightly out of focus. In the background, an older man with gray hair and a gray beard smiles, leaning forward behind a laptop. Another person with dark skin and short dreadlocks is partly visible behind the woman on the right. A bright window and a whiteboard or flip chart stand are in the background, suggesting a meeting or teamwork moment. Described with Be My AI"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/blog\/the-5-biggest-mistakes-companies-make-with-volunteer-programs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The 5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Volunteer Programs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/","name":"Be My Eyes for Business","description":"Making good business accessible","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/c7f31d998eb508d1a41aacd06c783dc8","name":"Lou Cooper","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1a5361e756c36e82b9994329b5ad4bcbcca1909ee4f24ac939bd6293ce7c0d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1a5361e756c36e82b9994329b5ad4bcbcca1909ee4f24ac939bd6293ce7c0d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lou Cooper"},"description":"Lou is our Customer Success Manager at Be My Eyes, where she has spent over four years championing accessible technology for blind and low-vision people around the world. A key part of her role involves running and hosting corporate volunteering events, connecting organizations with the Be My Eyes mission and helping businesses engage their teams in meaningful, impactful ways. With a career spanning more than two decades in telecommunications, unified communications, and account management, Lou brings deep expertise in building and sustaining meaningful client relationships.","jobTitle":"Customer Success Manager","url":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/author\/loucooper\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}