The hardest part of a team volunteer activity is getting people to come. On average, only about a quarter of employees take part in their company’s volunteer programs, according to CECP’s latest Giving in Numbers research (August 2026). Smaller companies tend to see higher participation than large ones.
The logistics are the easy part. Most of the work happens when you order, and once the box arrives there isn’t much left to plan. This guide covers both: how to get people in the room, and how to run the session once they’re there.
A few weeks before
Get a headcount first. Kits are ordered per participant, with a minimum of 10, so ask who’s in a week or two before you order and order only for the people who said yes.
Then pick the kit. Each one is built around a cause, and the number of items each person builds depends on the kit:
| Kit | Each person builds | What the team does |
|---|---|---|
| Teddy Bears for Children | 1 | Builds a bear and fills out a profile card for the child |
| Learn-to-Code Kits for Kids | 1 | Puts together a binary bracelet, a card game and an intro guide, and writes a message in binary |
| AI Exploration Kits | 1 | Packs the “Ready, Prompt, Go!” card game and learning zines, with a handwritten note |
| Seasoning Essentials Kits | 2 | Fills spice containers, labels them, and writes down a food memory tied to one of the spices |
| Essential Food Pack | 3 | Packs non-perishable food and a decorated note |
| Hygiene and Basic Needs Kit | 4 | Packs travel-size hygiene essentials |
The kits where each person makes one item leave everyone with something to hold up at the end. The ones with three or four per person send more items out.
Order about four weeks before your date. Kits ship within three weeks of your order, and you want a few days for delivery.
The week of
Book a room with tables. People build at the table, so a meeting room or the kitchen works better than an auditorium, and everyone should be able to sit down at once. Keep food and drinks on a separate table.
All kits ship to one U.S. address. If part of the team works from home, have the box sent to the office and mail kits to them a few days early. They can build on a video call with everyone else.
Send a calendar invite for the activity itself. When it’s tucked into another meeting, it’s easier to skip.
A few things from Visit.org’s own advice on participation help here. Ask a senior leader to open the session with a minute of welcome, and to send a short thank-you afterward with what the team made. Ask each person who signs up to bring one colleague. In the invite, say who the kits are for and what the nonprofit does.
During the session
Start with a couple of minutes on who the kits are for. The kit page explains the need and lists the nonprofit partners, which is all you need for a short intro.
Hand out the materials, one set per person. The instructions are in the box, and there are no tools or extra supplies to bring, so people can work at their own pace.
If your kit includes cards, save time for the notes. In the Teddy Bears kit, for example, each person fills out a profile card for their bear. Don’t leave it for the last two minutes, so it doesn’t get rushed if the session runs long.
Before everyone leaves, take a photo of the team with the finished kits. It’s useful for an internal post or the next all-hands. Then pack the kits back in the same box and attach the prepaid label.
After
Make sure someone owns the box. Drop it at a carrier location or schedule a pickup that week, so it doesn’t sit in a corner of the office. Once the box ships back, Visit.org delivers the kits to a nonprofit partner.
When you hear where the kits went, send the team the photo and one line about who got them.
When you’re ready to plan the next one, Visit.org’s free 2027 Social Impact Calendar lists awareness days and observances to plan around.
The short version
Confirm the headcount, order about four weeks ahead, and book a room with tables. Send a calendar invite and mail kits to anyone remote. On the day, start with the cause, leave time for the notes, and take a photo. Afterward, make sure someone drops off the box, then tell the team where the kits went.
Questions
Do we need to bring anything? No. The materials, instructions, packaging and return label are all in the box.
What’s the smallest group? Ten people. There’s no maximum.
What if our date is less than four weeks away? Message us in the chat before you order.
See all the kits and the price per participant for each one.
