Corporate Volunteering: Everybody Wins!

Feel like your corporate team or small business staff is in a rut? Looking for something different to reinvigorate your crew? Why not volunteer? You may think anything not directly related to “work” isn't a good use of time but think again. Volunteering with your colleagues has plenty of long-term benefits for clients, employees, and the company itself.

1. Your employees and managers will become a more effective team

Organized corporate volunteer events often have company employees working in smaller groups to coordinate with each other on relevant tasks. Your cubicle cohorts will often learn to work in a team environment and develop stronger communication with each other. You can help emphasize this point by tackling a group opportunity such as organizing the  Kaleidoscope Ball Auction at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children.

What's more, volunteering also allows employees and managers at different levels of the corporate ladder the opportunity to interact without the pressures of the workplace. When people are able to chat casually outside the office it can be very effective in helping managers communicate better with their employees long after the volunteering is done.

2. Employees can sharpen their existing skills and add new ones

While critical tasks, volunteering isn’t always envelope-sealing and data entry. Nonprofit agencies need volunteers to fill important roles that can involve copywriting, accounting, marketing, information technology and even management. Even while off the job, your employees will sharpen the skills they need to excel in the workplace. For instance, Domus in Stamford is looking for graphic designers, handymen (and women), and nutritionists.

3. Happy employees are productive employees

This one’s no secret: Happy employees are productive employees! Volunteering has been shown  to make people happier and provide people with purpose, fulfillment, and the sense of making a difference in other peoples’ lives. Volunteering can also lead to  more engagement, increased job satisfaction and overall office morale.

4. Be socially responsible 

Employees increasingly value corporate social responsibility, especially among the  Millennial generation entering the workforce. By engaging in regular volunteer programs, the company can increase employee retention and be able to attract more top talent. Many employees are as interested in making a difference as making a dollar. Just take one look at our member forums to see how many busy employees work volunteering into their days!

What’s more, whether the company works with businesses or consumers, people are also more  likely to do business with companies they see as authentic and involved in their community. Corporate volunteering encourages closer ties with communities, consumers, and even other businesses.

At VolunteerSquare we’ve seen for-profit businesses and volunteer agencies develop close relationships that have lasted throughout years and been mutually beneficial to everyone. It’s true that corporate volunteering is, in the eyes of one executive,  “good business” for everyone.

Corporate volunteering may not have the immediate financial return of a marketing campaign, but it’s a win-win situation for everybody. If you don't see an opportunity on VolunteerSquare right now that works for your group, sign up for our free e-alerts or give an agency a call directly. They may be able to work with you. PLUS, Be sure to share your volunteer success story with us by posting your photos, video and more in our Community section on VolunteerSquare!