Unite your team around simple moments of preparation, teamwork, and reflection.
Huddle Up! is Heart of Illinois United Way’s volunteer engagement strategy designed to transform team volunteering from transactional to meaningful and impactful. By adding simple moments of preparation, teamwork, and reflection to volunteer experiences, companies and nonprofits can strengthen relationships, deepen understanding of community needs, and increase long-term engagement.
The Heart of Illinois United Way provides Huddle Up! as a meaningful way to match company employee volunteer teams with area nonprofits.
Moving the Ball Down the Field: From Activity to Impact
Many volunteer projects focus primarily on completing a task. Volunteers arrive, work together for a few hours, and then return to their daily routines. While these activities are valuable and help nonprofits meet immediate needs, teams may leave without fully understanding the broader impact of their work.
Huddle Up! helps bridge the gap between activity and impact. By incorporating simple moments of preparation, teamwork, and reflection, volunteer experiences become opportunities for deeper connection and understanding.
Why Does Huddle Up! Matter? Volunteers will:
- Gain insight into the nonprofit’s mission
- Better understand the impact of their work and the community need(s) addressed
- Build stronger relationships as a team
- Feel more connected to the community
- Stay engaged beyond a single volunteer experience
These small moments of connection can transform a one-time service activity into a meaningful experience that encourages continued engagement, stronger partnerships, and a deeper sense of community. It's the difference between showing up to help and understanding why it matters.
Who Should Use the Huddle Up! Strategy?
Companies & Employee Volunteer Teams
- Strengthen team building through volunteering
- Increase employee engagement and purpose
- Create more meaningful volunteer experiences
Nonprofit Organizations
- Better engage and manage volunteer groups
- Share your mission and community impact
- Build long-term relationships with volunteers
The Huddle Up! Framework
The Huddle Up! provides a simple structure to guide volunteer teams before, during, and after a service experience. By preparing teams, encouraging purposeful engagement, and creating space for reflection, organizations can turn volunteer activities into meaningful team experiences.
At its core, Huddle Up! focuses on five key plays
- Game Plan: Assessment
- Kickoff: Preflection to Prepare the Team
- In the Game: Teamwork in Action
- Post-Game Huddle: Reflection and Connection
- Goal Line: Community Impact
New to the Huddle Up! Strategy? Start here:
- Download the Huddle Up! Company & Nonprofit Playbook (below)
- Utilize our quick play guides for companies and nonprofits
- Add a short kickoff and post-game huddle to your next volunteer project
- Try a few reflection questions with your next volunteer group (see ideas below)
Small steps can make a big difference!
Try a Huddle Up! Blitz with Your Next Volunteer Team:
At the end of your next volunteer project, reflect and ask:
- What stood out to you today?
- Why do you think this work matters?
- What will you share with others about this experience?
Even a 5-minute conversation can transform the experience.
Ready to Huddle Up?
Whether you are a company planning a volunteer experience or a nonprofit hosting a volunteer group, Huddle Up! helps turn volunteer experiences into real team building through simple moments of preparation, teamwork, and reflection.
Browse Volunteer Opportunities or Nonprofits
Download the Huddle Up! playbook or quick plays on this page
Request Our Help Coordinating a Team Project
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| Download a copy of our Huddle Up! Company & Nonprofit Playbook |
Ready to get started or learn more? Contact Gina Edwards, VP Marketing and Community Engagement for the Heart of Illinois United Way, at:
gina.edwards@local.unitedway.org.
Huddle Up! Turn Volunteer Experiences into Real Team Building is adapted for nonprofit and corporate partnerships by Heart of Illinois United Way.
