Create Impactful Employee Engagements
The corporate sector plays an important role in supporting communities. When companies give time, skills, and resources, they help nonprofits meet real needs and strengthen neighborhoods. HandsOn Twin Cities helps turn that commitment into volunteer experiences that are well planned, meaningful, and easy for employees to participate in.
How We Work With Companies
HandsOn Twin Cities partners with companies of all sizes to design, develop, and implement comprehensive volunteer programs that go beyond simply “showing up.” We provide end-to-end support, including strategy, project design, logistics, onsite coordination, and post-event impact measurement—for both hands-on and pro bono engagements. Our approach ensures volunteer experiences align with your business goals, energize and inspire employees, strengthen your nonprofit partners, and create measurable, lasting impact across the community.
Examples include:
General Mills
We support year-round volunteer engagement for General Mills, including hands-on events and their GoodWorks skills-based volunteer program, and have completed more than 30 long-term projects since 2020. Together, we plan meaningful opportunities that align with their CSR goals, from MLK Day and Global Volunteer Week to food-focused initiatives and Employee Resource Group activities. Our partnership ensures employees can engage in impactful, community-centered service throughout the year.
Target
We partner with Target on 50 on-site volunteer projects each year, integrating volunteering into team meetings, celebrations, and intern programming. Our team leads planning, facilitation, and project management for year-round activities that strengthen Target’s community impact. Since 2020, we have also managed more than 300 pro bono engagements supporting emerging brands and diverse founders, equating to over $12 million in capacity-building support through Target’s commitment of 10,000 skilled volunteer hours each year.
Boston Scientific
We coordinate Boston Scientific’s annual Week of Caring, engaging around 800 employees in up to 18 hands-on projects that transform spaces, support environmental efforts, and prepare nonprofits for seasonal needs. For remote or in-office volunteers, “Project in a Box” options provide accessible ways to participate. HandsOn Twin Cities manages all logistics—site visits, supply procurement, event oversight, and impact reporting. We also facilitate annual pro bono Connected Day events, supporting nonprofits with finance, HR, operations, and change management needs.
Through our Hands-On Corporate Projects Program, we design and deliver fully managed volunteer experiences at your worksite or in the community for groups of 25 to 1,000+. These projects include assembling toys for animal rescues, packing food or hygiene kits, and outdoor beautification. We handle all logistics, project materials, planning, and onsite coordination to ensure a smooth, engaging experience that aligns with your company’s impact goals and meets real community needs. Service fees support project materials and comprehensive project management.
Below are examples of this work:
The 3M Experience
3M offers many ways for employees to engage year-round, but in May 2025, we created a standout volunteer event for more than 800 employees. Together, we planned an outdoor, three-hour open-house engagement with two hands-on projects assembling school supplies and STEM kits for Kids in Need Foundation. HOTC coordinated all logistics, prepared materials, staffed the event, and hosted a volunteer fair—resulting in a seamless, high-energy day of learning, connection, and meaningful community impact.
Geronimo Power (formerly National Grid Renewables)
We support Geronimo Powers year-round, but they truly shine during the holiday season! During their 2024 all-staff Holiday Party, Geronimo Power expanded their celebration into a day of service supporting St. Therese of Oxbow Lake, Oasis for Youth, and VA Fisher House. Employees made blankets, wrapped gifts, cooked breakfast, hosted activities, and prepared meaningful contributions for each partner. HOTC managed project design and logistics, helping Geronimo Power bring joy and connection.
HB Fuller
We coordinate with HB Fuller annually for their day of service. Our team assesses community needs, prepares materials and tools, and manages on-the-ground logistics for various projects throughout the day, including making adoptee kits for The Bond Between, landscaping at The Salvation Army, painting with Hearts & Hammers, and recycling flower arrangements for Bluebirds & Blooms.
Target Intern Project
HandsOn Twin Cities helped Target design a large-scale intern volunteer experience benefiting the Division of Indian Works. Our team coordinated site needs, prepared materials, and managed on-the-ground logistics as 100 interns transformed the facility in just three hours—landscaping, cleaning, painting, and organizing key spaces. The event highlighted what’s possible when planning, partnership, and volunteer enthusiasm come together.
We partner with your company to design hands-on volunteer projects that arrive fully prepared and ready for immediate engagement—whether for an individual employee, a local team, or a nationwide workforce. HandsOn Twin Cities identifies a focus area based on your goals and manages materials, nonprofit coordination, and logistics to ensure a smooth experience from start to finish. Projects are customizable and scalable, supporting in-person, multi-site, event-based, or remote participation. Each project is tailored to your goals and budget, making it easy for employees to volunteer and make a meaningful difference anywhere, anytime.
Below are examples of this work:
No Sew Fleece Tied Blankets
In the cold Minnesota months, warmth is more than comfort—it’s a lifeline. No-Sew Fleece Tied Blankets provide cozy protection and a sense of care to individuals experiencing crisis, transition, or trauma. Volunteers work in small groups of 3–4 to craft these blankets using soft fleece fabric and fabric scissors provided. Each blanket becomes a tangible expression of compassion, helping someone feel safe, supported, and remembered during challenging times. This hands-on project is simple, creative, and deeply meaningful—perfect for making a real difference in the heart of winter.
Snack Packs
Volunteers help fight hunger and support kids and families in need by creating personalized snack packs. Each participant decorates a paper snack bag with markers and stencils, then fills it with nutritious snacks that provide an essential boost between meals. These simple, hands-on packs help fill gaps in food access and bring a tangible sense of care to those experiencing food insecurity—giving volunteers the chance to make an immediate, meaningful difference in their community.
Sock Bundles
Socks are one of the most requested items at homeless shelters and by nonprofits supporting low-income and resettling communities. Volunteers create sock bundles by pairing a warm pair of socks with snacks and essential hygiene items, providing both comfort and practical support to individuals in need. Each bundle becomes a tangible way to help someone stay warm, cared for, and supported—making a meaningful difference in their daily lives.
Hygiene Kits
Access to basic hygiene products is a daily challenge for many experiencing homelessness, low-income households, or resettling into a new community. Volunteers assemble hygiene kits with essential items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and other personal care products. Each kit provides dignity, comfort, and practical support, helping individuals stay healthy and cared for while navigating challenging circumstances. By creating these kits, volunteers make a direct and meaningful impact on the well-being of people in their community.
Offering pro bono opportunities empowers your employees to apply their professional skills in ways that benefit the community while fostering their own growth. These engagements play a key role in attracting, retaining, and developing top talent by providing real-world problem-solving experiences, collaboration across teams, and opportunities to build leadership skills. Through our Pro Bono Advisory Program, we work closely with your company to design, develop, and implement tailored experiences, from day-long projects to long-term sustainable engagements, that create measurable impact for nonprofits while helping employees grow professionally and personally.
Learn more
Long-Term Engagements
Multi-week programming is customized to fit a company’s needs robust volunteer and community-centered goals. We take a consultative approach to be sure that the opportunity we design fits within your business objectives and company values, is within budget, is captivating for employees, reaches organizations the company or foundation already supports, or provides space to meet partners' needs, and – ultimately – makes an impact in the community.
Short-Term Consultations
Short-term consultation sessions allow volunteers – functional area experts – to give the organization undivided attention. Whether they seek thought partnership, support in troubleshooting a specific challenge, or a deep brainstorm on a new strategic initiative. This engagement provides the space to do just that. Many nonprofits are unable to staff roles in all (or sometimes any) foundational functional areas, such as marketing, technology, human resources, finance, etc., and greatly benefit from being able to consult with trained, seasoned professionals.
1-Day Projects
Connected Day is a day-long, hackathon-style event that brings volunteers and teams together to solve real challenges for nonprofits. The event matches organizations needing capacity-building support with skilled volunteers who offer expertise pro bono.
1-Day Plus
Connect& is similar in format to a Connected Day, but book-ended with a deep Scoping session and a Finalize session to review the deliverables after implementation. Pairing nonprofits with corporate volunteer teams in multiple ways allows for more robust deliverables and stronger relationships than just offering one day.
Sponsorship
Connected for Change events are an opportunity for professionals to help create solutions to pressing challenges faced by nonprofits. HandsOn Twin Cities connects nonprofits needing capacity-building support with a team of experts who give their time pro bono to collaborate with the nonprofit and develop tangible deliverables to activate solutions to their challenge. We partner with companies to prioritize their nonprofit partners for projects and create space for their workforce to participate in meaningful engagements.
HandsOn Twin Cities hosts quarterly gatherings for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders to connect, learn, and share insights. Whether volunteerism is part of your day-to-day role or an additional responsibility, these convenings provide a space to exchange best practices on topics such as program evaluation, making the business case for employee volunteerism, storytelling, volunteer recruitment, tracking software, and aligning volunteerism with giving strategies.
These meetings offer CSR professionals the opportunity to build meaningful connections, gain new perspectives, and share both successes and challenges in a supportive, collaborative environment—strengthening the impact of your corporate volunteer programs and advancing your professional growth.
If you’re interested in participating in upcoming gatherings, reach out to Tracy Nielsen at tracy@handsontwincities.org
Utilize our nonprofit opportunity database
Companies can leverage HandsOn Twin Cities’ extensive nonprofit database to discover and connect with community organizations in meaningful ways. Our database hosts thousands of volunteer opportunities from over 750 nonprofits, easily searchable by team size, interest area, geographic location, and more. Whether you’re looking to engage employees in a one-time project, a recurring program, or a skill-based opportunity, we make it simple to find the right match—helping your team make a deeper, lasting impact in the community.
Connect directly with our team
If you’re looking for personalized guidance, HandsOn Twin Cities’ staff is here to help. Companies can reach out directly at info@handsontwincities.org to receive curated nonprofit referrals and volunteer opportunities tailored to your team’s size, skills, interests, and community goals. Our team works closely with you to identify the most impactful ways to engage employees and strengthen your connection to the community.
Past & Present Corporate Partners include:
Our impact in 2024-2025:
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13,500+ corporate volunteers engaged
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299 custom corporate projects delivered
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23,500+ service hours
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120+ nonprofits supported through corporate hands-on projects
Why corporate volunteerism?
Corporate volunteerism is a proven driver of employee engagement, skill development, and organizational culture. Employees who volunteer report higher job satisfaction, stronger trust in leadership, and a greater connection to their organization’s mission. Volunteer programs also support professional growth by building skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and leadership—benefits that directly transfer back to the workplace.
To be effective, volunteer programs must be intentional. Employees value choice, flexibility, and leadership involvement, with Gen Z in particular seeking opportunities that build skills and align with causes they care about. Programs are most successful when leaders actively participate, barriers to engagement are addressed, and contributions are recognized. When designed with purpose, corporate volunteerism strengthens teams, reinforces values, and delivers meaningful community impact.
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Employee Engagement
79% of volunteers are satisfied with their job compared to 55% of non-volunteers
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Skills Development through Volunteerism
Key skills developed include teamwork, responsibility, communication, and problem-solving.
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Leadership Involvement
70% believe leadership involvement is essential for success.
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Impact of Purposeful Engagement
96% express gratitude and a desire to help others through workplace volunteer programs.
Interested in partnering with us?
Let us know how our team can support your company and make a huge impact on the community!