Apply for Your Team

This application is open to the HR community. Please be sure to read the important information below before applying.

First steps

Before you apply for funding for your Cardinal at Work Cares for Teams project, make sure you’re part of the group prioritized for that cycle. The HR community is invited to apply for the spring application cycle from April 8 through May 30. Please note that only the person submitting the application is required to be an HR community member. You’ll want to get approval from the head of your department to organize a group volunteer experience. Inform your department head that your team meets the following requirements:

The minimum group size for a project-in-a-box is seven members, including the applicant, and 15 for an off-site volunteer activity. There is no maximum size for groups. (As long as the minimum number of employees is registered, you will still be able to move forward with the project, even if some are unable to attend.)
All participants must have safe and reliable transportation to group volunteer activities.
Your department is responsible for the service and/or cancellation fee to HOBA if it does not adhere to the two-week cancellation policy.
If your group includes students, they must have staff affiliation.
Your team activity will occur during standard work hours and will be treated as regular paid time.
Standard policies related to non-exempt employees, such as required rest breaks, meal periods, and overtime, apply during the activity.

Information you’ll need for the application

Name and contact info for the head of your department, who will be asked to approve your participation
Confirmed interest from your team (you can copy, paste, and send this email to your team to gauge their interest)
Volunteer opportunities your team is interested in
A brief statement of purpose about why your team is interested in this opportunity

Include everyone

Make sure that anyone on your team who wants to participate in the activity is invited to participate. Consider polling your team to ask which two or three activities appeal most to them.
If someone on your team has a known disability, make sure that their needs can be accommodated at the event site, that they will be able to do the activity, and that they will be able to get to the site without difficulty. If not, choose another activity for your group that everyone can do.
Some activities may be physically challenging, emotionally difficult, or triggering to some of your team members. When you talk with your team about choosing an activity, invite any team member to reach out to you if they are uncomfortable doing a chosen activity and listen to their concerns without judgment.

Application Selection

Applications meeting all of the outlined criteria will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis while funds are available.

Applications will not be accepted if they are incomplete, do not meet all of the criteria, or if there is not enough funding to cover your project. If your application is not accepted because it does not meet all criteria, you may submit another application once you meet the criteria.

You are welcome to submit another application after you’ve been selected. However, applicants who have not previously been approved for an activity will be prioritized.

Deadline to apply and project duration

Applications are approved on a first-come, first-served basis. The spring cycle is from April 8 to May 30, 2024. Groups are expected to complete their volunteer activity within seven to 10 weeks of their application being approved.

Applicant notification

You can expect to receive an email from someone on the Cardinal at Work Cares team within one week from the date you submit your application.

If your application is accepted, you will receive further instructions about how to work with HOBA with other important details. If your application is denied, a staff member will contact you with an explanation.