We are excited to coordinate the annual challenge, an eight-week competition to engage Iowans in employer-supported volunteering.
As an employer, you are in a perfect position to encourage your employees to participate. Research on employer volunteer programs has shown a positive impact on businesses and organizations, including improved employee engagement, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and retention.
Competing in the Give Back Iowa Challenge is a great chance for you to see how volunteering can positively affect your employees and company.
It doesnβt matter how many employees you have β ANYONE can participate!
Give Back Iowa is an opportunity for employees who volunteer to receive recognition by tracking and reporting their hours, as well as for employees that may be first-time volunteers to try something that could help them develop additional skills or enthusiasm for their work. Employers with the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee will be recognized with a press release and a glass award.
In order to increase overall participation, we encourage you to register for the challenge in advance and to show your leadership by sharing the information with your networks. Employers may register any time each spring through May 31.
List items for Participating Employers
Alliant Energy
Bankers Trust
City of Dubuque
CL Tel
Community Youth Concepts
Corda Credit Union
Deere & Company
Farm Bureau Financial Services
Grace for Addictions
Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort
Green Valley Pest Control & Lawn Care
INVISION Architecture
Iowa Healthiest State Initiative
Iowa HHS
ITA Group
Lessing-Flynn
Lincoln Savings Bank
Master Builders of Iowa
Praxis Girl PC
Riverside Casino and Golf Resort
Rhythm City Casino
Simpson College
Strategic America
Team Midwest Paint LLC
United Way of Central Iowa
Volunteer Iowa
Wells Fargo
Give Back Iowa Challenge FAQs
Explore the frequently asked questions for the Give Back Iowa Challenge, an 8-week challenge to promote volunteerism among Iowa businesses and employees.
Employers (including nonprofits and government entities) register in advance to participate in the Give Back Iowa Challenge. As part of registration, employers identify whether they wish to be included in pre-challenge promotions and whether one point of contact will log hours for the organization overall, or if employees will individually log their own hours. Volunteer hours completed during the Challenge (April 1-May 31) are reported through a simple online report form.
It doesnβt matter how many employees you have β ANY employer in Iowa can participate (for-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations). You can participate as an entire organization or by location if you have multiple sites (e.g. 123 Construction or ABC Insurance-Anamosa).
Nonprofits are welcome to participate in the challenge as employers and are encouraged to share information about the challenge with corporate volunteers, encouraging them to register. Lastly, nonprofits can continue to provide quality volunteer opportunities in your community for employees participating in the challenge.
Yes! This is a great chance for your company to get started with volunteering to see how it can positively affect your employees and company.
The online registration form asks for the number of company employees, 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 conclusion of the challenge, employers with the highest average number of volunteer hours per employee will be recognized through social media and a statewide press release and are given a glass award to display.
If you operate in a community with a Volunteer Center, you are encouraged to contact the Volunteer Center for information on group volunteer opportunities.
You can also search for volunteer opportunities through our statewide volunteer portal Get Connected.
Get Started
Register for the Give Back Iowa Challenge
Any employer can participate! It's a great way to get started if you've never hosted a volunteer program before.
