Getting your staff involved in the community is good for business.
Keep your people connected and inspired through volunteering.
Want to volunteer with your staff team?
Working together for a better community
With the impact the pandemic has had on workplaces, it’s never been more critical to find creative and rewarding ways to engage employees.
United Way Winnipeg is pleased to offer a range of hands-on opportunities, that will build awareness, inspire action, and offer your workplace a tangible way to improve the lives of Winnipeggers.
We can work with you to create customized employee engagement strategies that boost morale, build teamwork, and deepen connections with each other and our community. We offer a variety of in-person and virtual opportunities to help your team stay engaged, connected, and inspired throughout the year. You can even choose to focus on a need that meets your team’s vision for a better Winnipeg.
The health and safety of our volunteers and community partners is our top priority. Many of our employee engagement activities have been modified to be offered virtually or remotely, and we are committed to ensuring that public health protocols and safety measures are in place for all in-person activities.
Volunteer your time and talent in Winnipeg
Day of Caring
A Day of Caring is an unforgettable opportunity for employees to come together and make an invaluable difference in our community. Teams participate in a variety of meaningful, hands-on volunteer projects with local community organizations. Opportunities vary throughout the year based on the needs of agencies. Projects range from a few hours to a few days.
2-8 hours In person or virtual 5-10 people Free
Koats for Kids
Each year, Koats for Kids collects and distributes over 6,000 winter coats, ski pants, and boots (plus thousands of hats, mitts, and scarves) to children and families in Winnipeg. We couldn’t do this work without the support of our amazing volunteers and corporate partners. From September to January, gather your colleagues and join us for a few hours so we can get this essential winter gear out to kids quickly!
3 hours In person 4-5 people Free
United Way Winnipeg Scavenger Hunt
Take part in a real-world interactive scavenger hunt that engages, activates, and educates workplaces and their employees. Using the free GooseChase mobile app, participants complete Photo/Video, Text, and GPS challenges or quizzes – aka ‘missions’ – about United Way Winnipeg, our network of agency partners, Indigenous learning, acts of kindness, and more, earning points along the way.
Varies In person/Remote Unlimited Free & Customized Options Available
Kindness Cards
Help brighten someone’s day by writing cards filled with messages of kindness and encouragement. Cards will be included in kits (such as personal care kits and meal kits) that are distributed to children, families, and older adults facing various challenges throughout Winnipeg.
1-2 hours Remote Unlimited Free
Agency Volunteering
United Way Winnipeg agency partners are seeking individual volunteers to connect with program participants, mentor and tutor youth, help deliver essential items to community members, and more.
1-2 hours Remote 1 person Free
What’s Next
United Way Winnipeg’s What’s Next program offers retirees opportunities to put their skills and experience to meaningful use in our community. What’s Next has almost 100 members who take part in a variety of exciting activities throughout the year that help strengthen our community.
1-2 hours Remote Unlimited Free
Gather Essential Items for Fellow Winnipeggers
Collection Drive
Your workplace can help families who are struggling to meet their basic needs by hosting a Collection Drive. Encourage your team to collect donations of new and gently used items such as children’s coats, school supplies, non-perishable food, and personal care items. A United Way Winnipeg agency partner will ensure these items go to the homes of Winnipeggers who need them the most. We can arrange for an agency speaker to share about the need for these essential items in our community and help coordinate a time for your staff to deliver the items.
1-2 weeks In Person/Remote Unlimited Free
Pop Up Day of Caring
We’ll bring a Day of Caring to you! Based on a set budget, we will coordinate a Pop Up Day of Caring in your workplace. Employees will assemble kits of essential items – such as personal care kits, extreme weather kits, food hampers, or activity kits – for individuals and families who otherwise can’t afford them.
1-2 hours In Person/Remote 5-20 $2500
DIY Kits
Do-It-Yourself Kits offer fun, creative, and flexible ways for your team to support fellow Winnipeggers from the comfort of your home or office. Employees can assemble personal care kits, activity kits, or family meal kits to help individuals and families living on a low income. We’ll provide you with a list of supplies needed, instructions on how to assemble the kits, and directions on how to donate completed kits to a United Way Winnipeg agency partner in your community.
1-2 hours Remote Unlimited $10-$40
Learn About Important Issues in our Community
Brain Architecture Game
What happens to us in life, particularly in the early years, can have long-term impact—both positive and negative. The Brain Architecture Game is an innovative, hands-on opportunity for participants to learn how a child’s brain develops in response to life experiences. A great in-person or virtual activity for collaboration, experiential learning, and team building.
2 hour In Person or Virtual 8-80 people $250
Living on the Edge: Taking a Look at Poverty
United Way Winnipeg’s Living on the Edge: Taking a Look at Poverty is a unique, interactive group experience that provides a glimpse of what it might be like for Winnipeg families struggling with poverty. In this three-hour experiential session, 40-90 employees are provided with roles and scenarios that depict what it might be like to live in a low-income situation. A facilitated discussion concludes the session and explores how participants’ experience relates to current Winnipeg realities.
3 hours In Person 40-90 people $750
Make the Month – Coming Soon!
It’s a digital poverty simulation that poses typical choices faced by people living in poverty. Participants are challenged to get to the end of the month facing a variety of life challenges while on a fixed, poverty-level budget. It can be done individually or in a facilitated group setting. Can you Make the Month?
1 hour Virtual Unlimited Free
Natural Supports Simulation
An online interactive experience that helps participants develop their skills of being a mental health support to youth that may be experiencing mental health challenges. In a facilitated Natural Supports session, individuals will learn about the mental health landscape in our community, and will leave with a new understanding of the crucial role they play in the lives of children and youth.
1 hour Virtual Unlimited Free
Community Tours
Ever wonder what United Way Winnipeg’s donor-supported network looks like in action? This is a unique, interactive opportunity for your team to see how our partners actively respond to the needs of Winnipeg neighbourhoods. Join us for a facilitated Community Walking Tour or take a self-guided walking tour through a Winnipeg neighbourhood, learning firsthand how your support for United Way Winnipeg is changing lives.
1 hour In Person/Remote 10-15 people Free
Agency Visit
Employees can learn more about United Way Winnipeg’s network of donor-supported agencies without leaving their desk! Our collection of prerecorded Agency Visit videos allows employees to ‘meet’ staff working on the front lines and learn about the incredible work happening in our community.
10-20 minutes Virtual Unlimited Free
Speakers Bureau
United Way Winnipeg’s Speakers Bureau features individuals whose lives have been impacted by a United Way Winnipeg agency or agency staff members. These community members can share about the impact made by your team or group. Invite a speaker to join your virtual or in-person campaign event.
10-20 minutes Virtual/In Person Unlimited Free
Employee Survey
A United Way Winnipeg Employee Survey will offer a clear picture of how your employees see your organization through the lens of sustainability and social responsibility. You can also discover what types of volunteer and learning opportunities they’d like to explore through the workplace.
Virtual Unlimited Free
Get Started!
Check out all the opportunities we currently have available on our online volunteer portal, eVolunteer! You can filter your search based on activity type and even choose to focus on a need that meets your organization’s vision for a better Winnipeg.
For more information on United Way Winnipeg’s engagement activities, email us at engagement@unitedwaywinnipeg.ca or call 204-477-5360.