Corporate Volunteering

Corporate Volunteering

Companies have realised that an important part of their employees’ sense of engagement is in fostering the opportunity for staff to feel that they make a difference and are able to give  to the community.  As commitment to a company’s “triple bottom line”  a Corporate Social Responsibility agenda is established, which may include a blend of workplace giving, pro bono work or skillanthropy, as well as volunteering activities for the company employees.

Some approach this as a once per year type of team building concept.  Where once a group of employees may have gone paint balling, abseiling or played games as a team building day, they may now find themselves with paint brushes and rollers, painting the outside of some crisis accommodation buildings, or helping to establish a community vegetable garden.

In the area of education, social impact is delivered by corporate volunteers spending time with school students – assisting with literacy development and mentoring, as well as role modelling and developing social skills in a corporate environment. * Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) currently works with forty of Australia’s leading companies and numerous public primary and high schools identified as high need.  Mentors and corporate volunteers often express that they feel fulfilled at being able to directly and positively contribute to a younger persons’ wellbeing through the facilitated mentoring ABCN offers.

Of course, you can always volunteer outside your work, if you wish.  Voluntary work can be very rewarding, help you to enhance your skills and connect you with other like-minded people.

More information: Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN)  and Volunteering Australia

* Disclosure: Author is employee of ABCN and Director of Career Wisdom