Non-profit Job Perks
Perks of the Job for Non-profit Employees and Volunteers
Non-profit organizations can often make themselves more attractive to would-be employees and volunteers by offering low-cost job perks.
Whether a non-profit organization can afford to offer competitive salaries and robust work benefits or not, chances are the non-profit can provide work perks to make the job more worth-while. Here are some of the possibilities:
Free Membership: Member organizations should provide employees and volunteers with free or extremely reduced membership, and reduced membership offers for their families. An organization’s workers should be its biggest ambassadors; providing a membership perk is an easy way to help ensure worker’s good will.
Paid Training: One of the biggest perks for many people working at non-profits is the ability to learn more about a particular subject matter. In-depth training at the job site is a good perk, but it is also important to subsidize conference attendance, continuing education credits, etc. to the extent possible. Not only will this increase employee satisfaction, but it will help ensure that the organization’s workers are as knowledgeable as possible.
Program Discounts: Non-profits that offer programs (such as classes or special event) should have reduced rates for volunteers and staff. If possible, an additional perk could be that volunteers and employees can buy tickets or sign up for events before everyone else.
Merchandise Discount: Non-profits that sell merchandise through gift stores, thrift stores, or however should offer employees and volunteers a discount – pricing things at cost, if possible. Organizations can think of this particular job perk as advertising. Volunteers and employees wearing the non-profit’s logo out in the community, or making gifts from the merchandise help increase the organization’s name recognition in the community.
Food Discount: Non-profits that have cafeterias or snack carts should offer discounts to employees and volunteers. Often, an outside contractor runs the food facility, so it is important to outline this job perk in the service contract. If an organization has no food service available, it is often still possible to offer employees a discount: local restaurants sometimes agree to provide a 5-10% discount to people with an employee badge or volunteer nametag.
Free Food: This can take a variety of forms, depending on a non-profit’s budget. Some organizations can afford to have little snacks and drinks during all-staff meetings, for instance. Another good job perk would be springing for cake on employees’ birthdays. Even if an organization’s budget is tight, it is usually possible to create a system where people take turns buying and bringing in bagels on Monday morning, for instance. Even though the employees are paying for the treat, it is still a nice way to start the week.
Free/Reduced Rate Parking: If free parking is not readily available at an organization’s location, a parking subsidy can be more than a job perk – it can be crucial to making the job or volunteer time affordable. Non-profits should find out if third-party parking lots can offer discounts to employees, and/or the non-profit can defray the cost directly.
Subsidized Mass Transit: Many cities have employer discount programs. Non-profits should look into joining the program and/or paying for a portion of the monthly transit pass for interested employees. This is not only a nice job perk, it is also a good environmental practice.
Gym Membership Discount: Many gyms, recreation centers, wellness centers, and the like offer discounts for the employees of certain businesses. Non-profits should investigate the possibility of joining a corporate program at a local gym.
Credit Union Membership: Credit unions tend to offer better interest rates than commercial banks – but they are only available to qualifying members. Non-profits should approach local credit unions to see if they would be willing to expand their membership to the non-profit’s employees and their families.
