Daan Utsav, India's week of giving, runs from 2 to 8 October, right after the Swachhata Hi Seva cleanliness fortnight (15 September to 2 October). Together they are the busiest weeks of many companies' CSR calendars. They are also when the WhatsApp-and-spreadsheet approach breaks down. Here is a simple plan that works whether you use CorpHands or not.
Six weeks before: agree the plan
- Pick one or two NGO partners you already work with, such as a children's home for a visit and an NGO that runs skills sessions. Check their registrations now, not in the middle of the week.
- Set a goal people can understand: hours, kits packed or children reached. One clear number works better than five.
- Agree the budget for supplies and transport, and who approves spending.
Four weeks before: design shifts people can fit in
Short shifts work best: two to three hours, near your offices or plants. Offer weekday and weekend slots, and keep groups small enough to manage on site. Collection drives (books, clothes, essentials) let everyone take part, even people who can't leave their desk.
Three weeks before: open sign-ups
- Announce the drive to everyone, with the goal and the dates.
- Let people join in one step from their phone and see what's left. Use a waitlist rather than overbooking.
- Send a calendar invite when someone joins, so the shift is in their diary.
On the day: make it easy
- Use a checklist for each shift: transport, T-shirts, a short safety briefing, water and food, the NGO contact and site confirmed, and photo consent.
- Record attendance as people arrive, for example with a QR code at the entrance, instead of a paper sheet that someone types up later.
- Agree in advance who may take photos, and don't photograph beneficiaries, especially children, without consent.
Afterwards: close the loop
- Ask the NGO for the number of people helped, and record it against each activity.
- Ask volunteers for a one-tap rating and one comment; you'll learn which shifts worked.
- Share results with everyone: hours, participation and what was achieved. Thank people by name only if they're happy to be named.
The rest of the calendar
The same plan works for Independence Day (15 August), World Environment Day (5 June), a blood donation camp around World Blood Donor Day (14 June), back-to-school kits in June and International Volunteer Day (5 December).
Doing it in CorpHands
Create a campaign from the Daan Utsav, Swachhata Hi Seva or Independence Day template with an hours goal, publish the suggested activities and notify everyone, check people in with the rotating QR code, and watch progress on the campaign page. The hours flow straight into your year-end reports. See campaigns.
Employee volunteering is not CSR expenditure under section 135, so CorpHands reports the hours separately from your 2%. If the drive includes giving, the company pays the NGO directly. Don't ask employees to collect cash.