GIVE BACK KANSAS FAQ
1. What is Give Back Kansas?
Give Back Kansas is an eight-week challenge running from April 1 through May 31 to engage Kansans in employer-supported volunteering, both during and outside the workday.
2. How does it work?
Employers (including non-profits) register to participate in the Give Back Kansas Challenge. As part of registration, employers identify a point of contact who will log hours for the organization and give permission to participate. Volunteer hours completed during the challenge (April 1 through May 31) are reported through an online report form.
3. Who can participate?
The challenge is open to ANY employer in Kansas (for-profit, non-profit, and government). Employers may participate as one organization or by location if there are multiple sites (e.g., 123 Construction-Lawrence or ABC Insurance-Salina). Non-profits participating in the challenge are encouraged to invite the local businesses they connect with to participate.
4. Can organizations without a formal volunteer program still participate?
Yes! This is an excellent chance for your organization to start volunteering to see how it can positively affect your employees and business.
5. What are the benefits of participating?
Much research shows the connection between employer-supported volunteering and improved employee engagement, employee wellness, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention. There is also research connecting employee engagement with increased profitability and productivity. There are additional benefits to the community through the organization fulfilling its corporate social responsibility goals.
6. Where can group volunteer opportunities be found?
Statewide volunteer opportunities are available at https://www.volunteerkansas.org/. If you operate in a community with a Volunteer Center, you are encouraged to contact the Volunteer Center for information on group volunteer opportunities.
7. Where can individual volunteer opportunities be found?
Statewide volunteer opportunities are available at https://www.volunteerkansas.org/. If your employee lives in a community with a Volunteer Center, they may contact the Volunteer Center for information on individual volunteer opportunities.
8. How are organizations registered?
Complete the online registration form.
9. If an organization has multiple locations, do they register as one or separately?
Organizations with multiple locations can register as one by including those locations in Kansas or have each location, branch, or site register and participate individually. If registering as one company, please be sure the number of employees reflects all the employees in Kansas. If registering by individual location/branch/site, the number of employees should reflect only those at that particular location/branch/site.
10. Who should serve as the organization's point of contact?
The organization's point of contact should be authorized to register for the challenge, track and submit employee hours, and share information about the challenge within the company.
11. How and when are volunteer hours collected?
Organizations with a system to collect employee volunteer hours may prefer to use that system. Otherwise, they may develop simple internal systems, forms, or spreadsheets to gather the information or ask individual employees to track and submit their hours to the point of contact.
Each employer may determine the ideal collection periods for themselves. For example, an organization may request that employees track and submit hours each week or just once or twice during the challenge. We recommend that employees submit hours weekly to ensure no hours are forgotten; avoiding overlapping collection periods or double counting a volunteer activity or employee is essential.
12. How are volunteer hours submitted?
There is no login required! The point of contact will fill out and submit the online Volunteer Hours report available during the challenge period.
Submitting hours for the challenge weekly is recommended to help make sure the Leaderboard accurately reflects who's doing the most volunteering. All hours must be submitted by June 4, 2024, to be included in calculating the winners.
13. How can we see how many volunteer hours have been submitted?
Organizations should maintain documentation of the hours reported weekly. If questions arise, please get in touch with Kat Seely at 785-368-7436 or Email Us. The Kansas Volunteer Commission will maintain a spreadsheet of all hours entered through the Volunteer Hour Log.
As the challenge gets underway, the total hours per employee will be visible on the website on the Leaderboard page. This page will be updated every Wednesday.
14. How are the winners determined?
The online registration form asks for the total number of employees in the organization, which is then used to determine the average number of volunteer hours completed per employee. Categories based on company size will be created, and winners will be selected in each category.
After the challenge's conclusion, employers with the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee in each category will be awarded a $1,000 donation to a nonprofit of their choice.
15. What counts as volunteering?
All activities are performed willingly and without compensation. Volunteering may be through or for an organization (association, school, non-profit, or governmental entity). Using paid Volunteer Leave or volunteering on personal time outside of work may all be included. Examples of volunteer activities include, but are not limited to:
- Coach, referee, or supervise sports teams
- Tutor or teach
- Mentor youth
- Be an usher, greeter, or minister
- Collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food
- Collect, make, or distribute clothing, crafts, or other goods
- Fundraise or sell items to raise money for charity
- Provide counseling, medical care, fire/EMS, or protective services
- Provide general office services
- Provide professional or management assistance
- Serve on a non-profit board or committee
- Engage in music or other artistic performances
- Engage in general labor
- Provide transportation for people (to medical appointments, grocery stores, etc.)
For More Information
If you have questions, please email Jessica Dorsey at: jdorsey@ksde.org