I attended WomenOnCall.org’s Fifth Annual Meet & Match in downtown Chicago—an event designed to match business professionals with volunteering opportunities at local non-profits. Arianna Huffington was the guest speaker and from the moment she stepped up to the podium, the audience was captivated.
“Life is not truly meaningful if we don’t do something for others,” she told the crowd, adding that public empathy is growing worldwide.
“We are living in a time of transition,” she said. “Any little thing we can do can transform someone’s life. If you ever doubted the power of a small thing to have a big impact, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.”
As the crowd released a wave of laughter, I started wondering…how can small businesses give back and start their own volunteering programs?
In late 2008, the staff at New Directions, a career-consulting firm based in Boston, were wondering the same thing, so they decided to change an end-of-year tradition. “Instead of having a holiday party, we decided to do something altruistic and volunteer at our local Salvation Army,” says Mary Westropp, spokesperson for New Directions. “The activity was optional, but pretty much everyone participated and loved it. We organized piles of outerwear, and put them into racks for adults, teens and kids.”
Holiday volunteering quickly became the company’s new tradition and since then, the staff has gone to the Greater Boston Food Bank to help stock shelves instead of a planning a party.
Here are Westropp’s top tips for starting a corporate volunteering program:
Identify interests
First, it’s important for a leadership team to discuss what causes they find important, then research a reputable agency that can accommodate an onslaught of incoming volunteers, she says.
Frame as an experiment
“Wonderful outcomes are not guaranteed, so take it as a try-and-see approach,” Westropp suggests. “If it doesn’t work, try something else next time.”
Schedule during the workday
By taking time out of a normal workday, it sends the message that a cause is integral to a company’s priorities. “If you schedule a volunteer activity at night, everyone can be justified in saying they are busy,” she says.
Take it seriously
Westropp recommends taking a volunteer activity as seriously as work in the office by listening to instructions from the volunteer site and giving it your best.
Volunteering is also an important part of the corporate culture at Point B, a Seattle-based management consultancy.
According to co-founder Tim Jenkins, the firm has a program that connects employees to non-profits fitting their interests. In addition, once per quarter, each of the firm’s seven offices adopts a charity and invites someone from the organization to come in and talk to Point B employees.
"Our people are really passionate about giving back to communities,” Jenkins says.
Here are his top tips for creating an in-house volunteer program:
Lead by example
“From the moment when you start your company, you need to create a culture of caring—for your community and for others,” Jenkins advises. “Don’t just volunteer because it is politically correct. Management has to lead by example. Your people need to feel that you genuinely care about people. If the top leaders in the firm embody that caring, the idea will spread quickly throughout an organization.”
Do it on the cheap
Volunteering doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. At Point B’s Chicago office, Jenkins says the company sponsors employees interested in doing a charity bike ride together. “Those who want to do it, do it after work,” he says. “Also in Chicago, we have a group that volunteers at a homeless shelter after hours and then goes out for beer afterwards. You don’t have to have a lot of money to volunteer; you just need the right attitude.”
Inspect your hiring processes
“Since community involvement is so important to us, we really look at resumes to make sure candidates have a well-rounded view of life,” Jenkins says. “We want to make sure we carry on a culture of caring and service and hire like-minded people.”
Not sure where to start? Check out Volunteer Match, One Brick, Idealist.org, and Serve.gov to find volunteering opportunities near you.