Every year Pilotlight surveys its business members, ‘Pilotlighters’, to find out about their experience of volunteering with us. This year, we asked them about their motivation, whether they had benefited from being a Pilotlighter and whether it has changed their attitude towards the voluntary sector.
An effective way to give something back
Eighty-nine per cent of business people join Pilotlight because they want to give something back to the charity sector. Given this motivation, we are delighted to report that 75% of our business members think Pilotlight offers them a better opportunity to make an effective contribution to charities compared with other volunteering or CSR programmes.
Professional development and learning
The second most important reason given by business people for joining Pilotlight is professional learning and development. Again Pilotlight compared well with other professional development programmes, 61% said their experience with Pilotlight was more satisfying.
In terms of skills and attitudes, 54% of Pilotlighters said their experience of working with charities had made them more ready to see things from different perspectives. Nearly half said their experience had improved their coaching and mentoring skills. A similar amount said that they were now better at working with limited resources – possibly a key skill in this time of economic austerity.
As a side benefit, forty-five per cent say they have made useful contacts through working with teams of other senior business people and attending our events.
High levels of satisfaction with Pilotlight membership
The decision to join Pilotlight has certainly paid off. Ninety per cent said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their Pilotlight membership. Sixty-seven per cent thought Pilotlight’s project management was good, the highest rating possible.
Danny Friel, Head of Operational Model Transformation at HBOS, who works with Pilotlight Scotland, says: "I feel enriched by the Pilotlight experience."
Increased volunteering
The experience of working with Pilotlight has changed business people’s overall commitment levels to the voluntary sector. Before joining Pilotlight, nearly 60% of Pilotlighters did not spend any time volunteering. However, now, over 70% volunteer outside of their commitment to Pilotlight. This means that 20% of Pilotlighters becoming trustees while the number volunteering more than seven days a year has trebled.
Pilotlighters become voluntary sector champions
Not only are Pilotlighters giving more time, they have become voluntary sector champions. Over 70% have encouraged colleagues or their company to change their approach to volunteering or corporate social responsibility since working with Pilotlight.
Going forward
Our aim is to make sure business people continue to derive satisfaction from their work with Pilotlight by providing an efficient and effective way of donating time and skills to the voluntary sector. This in turn will encourage others to help more charities to become sustainable and reach more people.
Find out more about becoming a Pilotlighter.