Today’s post comes from Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light Institute and co-founder of HandsOn Network. It is the second of two posts about her trip to Greece and participation as an “All Star Fan” in the Special Olympics World Games. You can read the first post here.

The trip also gave me the opportunity to see skill-based volunteers in action through the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program, which has galvanized more than 90,000 medical professionals to volunteer their time to treat more than one million Special Olympics athletes since 1996. In the process, they have created new data about the health of people with intellectual disabilities and new processes and systems to inform the overall health care provision for these individuals.

As I walked around the Healthy Athletes venue with my family and observed the real-time care of thousands of athletes, I was dazzled not only be the stories of transformation for the patients, but also by the evident joy and fulfillment of the volunteers. They were having the times of their lives. Jumping up, laughing and dancing with the Iranian Special Olympics team to demonstrate the ill-effects of smoking, fitting a pair of glasses on the nose of an athlete from India who will see clearly for the first time, or pulling out an abscessing tooth causing chronic pain from an athlete from Morocco.

It was hard to know who was more delighted, the athletes or the volunteers. Imagine if everyone received the opportunity to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion, and had the opportunity to be their best, most healthy selves. And imagine if we all had all the opportunity to give our unique gifts to others in such a tangible, meaningful way.

One of the great joys of being with children is the gift of seeing the world through their eyes. In bringing my children to the Special Olympics World Games in Athens, I hoped they would discover solidarity and respect for the athletes, learn lessons of perseverance and bravery, and experience a global movement. I thought that they would experience all of this from the sidelines, but I did not suspect how they would be brought “into” the Olympic movement. (See the above picture of my son, Vinson, experiencing the healthy athletes hearing test.)

They did watch from the bleachers, marveling at the finesse of the handball players, the good sportsmanship of the volleyball players and the endurance of the runners. But they also really rubbed elbows with the athletes. My son, Vinson, sat glued in attention as he rode the bus next to an Olympic gold medalist gymnast from England who talked about how Special Olympics had changed his life and the lives of so many others. When recounting the athletes he met, Vinson recited the names of Apollo Uno, Olympic speed skater, Michelle Kwan, figure skating gold medalist, and Greg Silvester, Special Olympics gold medal gymnast. Vinson saw them all purely as heroes, equal in achievement, strength and courage.

This proximity to the Special Olympics athletes and events gives fans a real sense of inclusion – of literally being a part of something – not just as witness, but as participant. And you never know what event or what athlete will pull you in, in some unexpected way.

For our family, it was powerlifting. We watched with admiration, if not full technical understanding, as athletes from around the world victoriously lifted and wrenched up heavy weights time and again. We saw them triumph, not so much against one another, as against their own personal best, living out the true ancient Olympic creed to strive to be “better, stronger, faster.” They celebrated their individual victories with varying demonstrations of joy, exuberance and quiet gratification.

As a special treat, our family was invited to give out medals at the powerlifting medaling ceremony. My husband and son stood on the podium giving each of the athletes a medal for their accomplishments. Eight-year-old Vinson stood, shyly, to the side, but in the final presentation was coaxed to walk with his father up to the athletes and assist in placing the medal around the athlete’s neck. The bronze medalist proudly shook hands and held up his medal. The silver medalist from Kyrgyzstan exuberantly brought all of the medalists together in a hug of shared celebration. As Vinson stepped toward him, the medalist reached down, pulled Vinson to him, lifted him up and powerlifted all 65 pounds of Vinson in the air.

It was a moment of pure spontaneity and joy.

The look on Vinson’s face of surprise and giddiness, the athlete’s broad grin and the crowd’s roar of approval created one of a thousand Special Olympic moments. Uniquely, these athletes pull fans into a shared celebration of triumph. They create a sense of inclusion and they invert our sense of the strong and the weak reminding us all of our shared solidarity.

The Special Olympics, its athletes, fans and volunteers, demonstrate how strong we all can be when we come together in the spirit of hope, inclusion and reaching to be our best selves.

 

* Powerlifting photo courtsey of Diego Azubel 

As a heat wave grips much of the nation, it’s important to remember that sever weather like this is a lot like any other sever weather situation. While most types of severe weather or disaster have little to no warning that they are about to happen, heat waves can be forecasted ahead of time and heat-specific preparations can be made before the worst of the weather hits your area. Here are some tips to help you, and your neighbors, stay cool during some of the hottest parts of the year.

Drink plenty of water. Water helps to keep your body cool, even if it’s not too cool. Even if you’re not thirsty, keep water near you to drink throughout the day. If you feel thirsty, you’re already on your way to being dehydrated. Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Slow down. Planning on doing some yard work? Want to go for a run? It’s very important to be aware of the effect that heat has on you. Try to limit outdoor activities to cooler parts of the day – first thing in the morning or in the evening. Children, seniors, and people with respiratory problems should stay in the coolest places they can.

During the hottest part of the day, try to find somewhere with air conditioning. We understand that not everyone has air conditioning in their homes, but when temperatures start peaking over 100 degrees it’s important to try to move somewhere cooler. Your city may have cooling stations set up where people can go to find relief from the heat. Shopping centers, museums, movie theaters, and libraries are all great places to go to get a little bit of relief during the hottest parts of the day.

Try to avoid sunburn. Sunburns reduce your body’s ability to get rid of heat. If you have to be out in the sun, don’t forget your sunscreen and other sun protection.

Know the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Your body cools itself by sweating but if you can’t cool yourself enough the heat can have a serious effect on you. Heat exhaustion occurs when you can’t cool yourself enough even though you’re sweating. You can become dehydrated from water loss through sweating and that can lead to muscle cramps, weakness and nausea. Heat stroke an abnormally high body temperature and can be fatal if not treated quickly. The most important thing to do to a victim of heat stroke is to cool them down. If someone’s body temperature reaches 104 degrees or higher, call 911 and try to cool the person down. The most important measures to prevent heat strokes are to avoid becoming dehydrated and to avoid vigorous physical activities in hot and humid weather. NOAA has description of heat exhaustion and heat stroke on their heat safety page.

Be a good neighbor. Don’t forget to check on your neighbors to make sure they’re staying cool in the extreme heat. This is especially important for elderly neighbors and neighbors that might not have air conditioning. Even if you’ve never talked to your neighbors, just walk over and knock on their door. Let them know that you wanted to make sure they’re ok. Even if you don’t think you have anything to talk about, you can always talk about the weather!

Related links:

• How to Recognize and Treat Heat Emergencies (from the Red Cross)
• 7 Tips for Summertime Projects
• Heat Wave Threatens Older Americans (from AARP)

 

 

Our guest post today comes from Melvin Freeman, Jr., PCI Chair of Columbia University’s chapter of The National Society of Black Engineers, whose national nonprofit mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.

Columbia University’s National Society of Black Engineers chapter has made valiant strides in their Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Program, designed to stimulate the interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM) in students grades K-12. Our goal is to encourage students to attend college and pursue technical degrees by providing activities to help them discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them, while engaging in the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork.

Because NSBE serves both local and international chapters, last year through
Facebook and Skype, we were able to provide students of the Ghana PCI chapter, with books, supplies, and computers through our fundraising endeavors.  Our hopes are to redirect some of the energy of our international initiatives toward more local efforts through our partnership with the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy and the support of its students.

The young PCI Pals at the Academy serve as mentees and are the foundation of the program. Because our NSBE chapter mentors are responsible for developing the students’ short and long term goals and holding the students accountable, they must first undergo a training series to ensure their mentoring methods are most effective. Recent college graduates also share on their careers, the educational path they took, and lend advice to the young aspiring engineers.  Our college-based workshop sessions include:

• Careers in Engineering
• SAT Prep
• Applying for a Scholarship
• How to Pick a College
• Financial Literacy
• Interviewing Skills
•  Leadership: In Your School, Community, and the Workplace

As we continue to strive to achieve PCI chapter of the year, the program’s focus on raising student achievement in the state of New York is channeled through the art of mentoring, tutoring, and monthly interactive STEM workshops.  We are excited to challenge students to think outside of the box, dream big, and remain motivated to work hard.

Does your organization or someone you know work to close the achievement gap and raise level of academic excellence for all students? We invite you to share your story!

Today’s post comes from Chris Jarvis, Co-Founder and Senior Consultant for RealizedWorth and appeared on Realizing Your Worth on June 16.

Case #1 – Employee Engagement

Many companies have employee volunteer programs, but for many companies in Europe, Canada and the US these programs are underfunded, underdeveloped and underutilized. This blog series is meant to offer a number of compelling reasons why your business needs to invest (a bit more) in employee volunteering.

Employee Engagement: The direct connection to business success

The evidence supporting the importance of employee engagement is incontrovertible. Beyond the reports and analysis, even common sense will tell you that an engaged workforce is important to a company’s well-being and profitability.

But let’s start with the bad news – According to a recent Scarlett Survey, on average, it’s safe to assume that at least 31% of your employees are disengaged. Worse yet, 4% of those who are disengaged are probably hostile. That means that they are speaking poorly of your company to all their friends and family and most likely stealing office supplies. (Seriously.)

On the other hand, according to , companies with high levels of employee engagement enjoy a significant uplift of every business performance number. Gallup performed a meta-analysis across 199 studies covering 152 organizations, 44 industries, and 26 countries. They discovered that for companies where employees were more engaged than not, their profitability jumped by 16%. Not only that, general productivity was 18% higher than other companies. Customer loyalty was 12% higher and quality jumped up by an incredible 60%. (Harvard Business Review)
But what’s the connection between employee engagement and volunteering?
First, it’s important to establish that there is, in fact, a connection. In Ireland, a recent study found that 87% of employees who volunteered with their companies reported an improved perception of their employer. More importantly, a whopping 82% felt more committed to the organization they worked for.

In another study conducted by VolunteerMatch and UnitedHealthcare entitled “”, researchers found that employees who volunteer through their workplace report more positive attitudes towards their employer as well as colleagues. An interesting benefit to employers is the improved physical and emotional health of employees who volunteer. That means that if companies want to decrease their health costs, they should be looking to volunteering as an affordable and accessible solution.

Why is there a connection between employee engagement and volunteering?

Specifically, employee volunteering programs increase engagement levels at work when it connects to an individual’s need for meaning and accomplishment. This was first demonstrated in 1968 when Frederick Herzberg article “” was published. The article was so popular, that by 1987 it was the most requested article from the Harvard Business Reviewhaving sold 1.2 million reprints.

Frederick Herzberg, was a psychologist who suggested that, based on his data, what made people happy at work was not the same thing as what made people unhappy at work. What makes us unhappy at work is lousy pay, lousy work conditions (like your cubicle space or no windows), and a lousy boss. If you fix those it makes a better working condition but it actually won’t make you happy at work.

What makes you happy at work are things like achievement, recognition, more responsibility, the chance to advance, personal growth, etc. These concepts all have to do with personal fulfillment  and our humanity. When a company takes time to formally offer an opportunity to get involved in community, what they’re doing is creating the right kind of space for people to express their personal interests and personal desires that go beyond what they’re doing as part of the company. And so it integrates their life inside that building, or that assembly line, or those sales calls with the rest of the world.

If you are more satisfied with who you are as a person, you simply do better in life. People with a purpose outperform those of us wandering around wondering what it all means. Companies that are able to connect people to passions and interests where they feel they’re making a significant contribution as a human being, will see a direct correlation to significant benefits.

Assuming it’s true that employee engagement is increased through volunteering, the business benefit is crystal clear. Companies satisfied with low participation rates or only annual activities, are missing huge financial benefits.

How huge?

According to the 2008/2009 study, , companies with engaged employees experience 26% higher revenue per employee, 13% total higher total returns to shareholders, and a 50% higher market premium.

Think about it. What is your company’s earnings per employee? Microsoft’s is currently at $244,831 per employee. Increasing that number by 26% equals a $63,656.06 increase in revenue per employee. To ignore that potential would be bad business.

For an outstanding discussion on this topic, I recommend setting aside 10 minutes of your day to watch the following video by Daniel Pink, the author of . It’s already been viewed by nearly 6 million people – I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out more from The Business Case for Volunteering Series:

Case #2 – Better Talent

Case #3 – Employee Development 

Today’s post comes from Shari Ilsen, Online Communications Manager at VolunteerMatch. It originally appeared on Volunteering is CSR on June 15th, and is an introduction to an eight-part series on social media and employee volunteering programs. You can follow the series here.

Do you use social media to engage employees in your corporate volunteer program?

At this year’s Client Summit in Chicago, we wanted to hear your answers. We had three packed Best Practice Café sessions about social media and employee volunteer programs.

When our robust conversations created more questions and sparked more discussion, we realized this is an area that’s relevant for anyone coordinating employee volunteers, and that the conversation is only just beginning.

Below is a short description of the topics we covered during the sessions. Over the next couple weeks we’ll be diving more deeply into each of these topics in a special blog series entitled “Social Media and Employee Volunteering.” Think of this as a jumping-off point to explore how social media could impact your employee volunteer program.

• Who’s Using Social Media, and Why Should Your Employee Volunteer Program Join In?

Studies show that the demographics using social media the most are Millennials, minorities and city-dwellers. Chances are these make up a pretty big chunk of your employee population. Which means chances are your employees already use social media, even if it’s not with official company sanction or on company time. Why should you embrace it as a tool to help your employee volunteer program? It’s all about storytelling and the power of authentic relationships to help your EVP thrive.

• Making the Case to Execs for Social Media in your Employee Volunteer Program

The biggest obstacle faced by volunteer programs is getting executives and other decision-makers to agree to open social media up to employees in the first place. Many companies block social media sites on work computers for confidentiality and/or productivity reasons. Address the concerns of your CEO and others by tailoring your proposal to allay their concerns and show them how the use of social media will help you reach your goals for your employee volunteer program.

• Social Media Policies for Your Employees and Your Employee Volunteer Program

A social media policy is the answer to a very important question: How do you ‘guide’ your employees to say the things you want them to say on social media (and not say the things you don’t), while still allowing them their personal voices? In addition to crafting a policy for social media use by your employees, it’s important to provide them with the training necessary to follow and make the most of this policy. There are some great examples of social media policies used by other companies in the full article.

• Fitting Social Media into the Workflow of Your Employee Volunteer Program

The most important thing to remember when it comes to integrating social media into the workflow of whatever else you have to do in your job role is one simple phrase: social media is just a tool. Coupled with excellent internal communications among departments, social media will quickly feel like just another (small) part of your routine.

• Getting Followers and Participation in Social Media for Your Employee Volunteer Program

There are two golden rules for building a following and getting participation in your social media channels, which will work especially well with a cohesive target audience like your employees: Integrate and Incentivize.

• Great Examples of Social Media and Employee Volunteering

It’s unfortunately fairly difficult to find examples of companies using social media as part of their employee volunteer programs, and even harder to find any that empower their employees to do so. We’ve found a few for you that provide a look at how you can take advantage of this powerful tool and the difference it could make for your employee volunteer program.

• General Social Media Tips for Your Employee Volunteer Program

General best practices shared at the Summit by our client community for setting up and using social media tools for your employee volunteer programs

Don’t forget – this is an ongoing series! The remaining posts will be on VolunteerMatch’s Volunteering is CSR blog soon! You can .