Ramadan is the busiest month of the community calendar in the Gulf. It is also when employees most want to take part, and 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 partners you already know are licensed, such as a food bank for iftar boxes and a blood bank for a donation day. Confirm licence details and expiry dates now, not in the middle of Ramadan.
- Set a goal people can understand: hours, boxes packed or families reached. One clear number works better than five.
- Agree the budget for supplies and transport, and who approves spending.
Four weeks before: design shifts around the fasting day
Short shifts work best: two to three hours, ideally in the afternoon before iftar or after taraweeh for evening activities. Offer several shifts per week so people can choose, and keep groups small enough to manage on site.
Three weeks before: open sign-ups
- Announce the campaign to everyone, in Arabic and English, 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, waiver forms, water and dates for iftar, 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 without consent.
After Ramadan: close the loop
- Ask the partner 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.
Doing it in CorpHands
Create a Ramadan campaign with an hours goal, add activities from the iftar template, publish and notify everyone, check people in with the rotating QR code, and watch progress on the campaign page. Volunteers earn the Ramadan helper badge, and the hours flow straight into your year-end report. See campaigns.
If your campaign includes giving, the company should pay a licensed charity directly. Don't ask employees to collect cash.