Corporate Social Responsibility

Posts Tagged ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’

12 Benefits from Employee Volunteer Programs

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

Employee volunteer programs are a great way to not only benefit your community, but also your workplace environment and employees. It is easy to begin one of these programs within your office environment. By serving your community as an organization, the community will get to know your business and their employees. Establishing a personal connection with the community will improve the overall attitude that your community has toward your business.

Do you still not believe that an employee volunteer program is worth the time and energy? Check out the top twelve benefits reported by companies who have employee volunteer programs as part of their business plan.

Helps create “healthier communities:” Concepts such as corporate social responsibility create more vibrant and thriving communities because it allows business to practice greener methods and sustainable business measures.
Improves corporate public image: When your business chooses to give back to the community, it is often viewed as a sign of generosity and appreciation from those living in the community. Volunteering shows that your business truly cares about the community and the people with which it operates.
Enhancing impact of monetary donations: Organizations will be more appreciative of your donations when they link a personal value to the donation. Do not just throw money at an organization, but rather help enhance that organization through volunteerism.
Improving relations with community and/ or government: The overall community will think more highly of your business when they see the good that it does for the entire community.
Building employees’ teamwork skills: The best way for your employee to get to know each other outside of a work environment is to serve together. It allows employees to interact with coworkers they may never communicate or work with.
Improving employee morale: Volunteering boosts motivation and allows employees to work with each other outside of an office setting. When employees have the chance to give back in a meaningful way for something they care about, they will feel more positively connected to the organization.
Attracting better employees: Your business will have a better chance at recruiting more motivated and driven employees when it offers the chance to give back to the community in addition to work benefits.
Enhancing employee training: Great way to teach your employees useful skills, through volunteer work.
Improving employee retention: Your employees will feel more connected to the company and want to continue their work there when they feel the issues they care about are also important to their company.
Enhancing corporate strategic goals: You can model your volunteer program strategy to accomplish your overall mission statement goals.
Enhancing employee productivity: When employees get a break from the office, they become better workers when they return.
Enhancing company productivity: Get your company’s goals accomplished through volunteering!

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, Donation, Employment, mission statement, Organization, volunteer
Posted in Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Improve Business with Corporate Volunteering

Friday, March 9th, 2012

Time-crunched employees are increasingly looking to their jobs to provide opportunities for the good deeds that they don’t have the hours for outside of work, and companies are responding. Corporate social responsibility programs are no longer an afterthought in corporate planning, but garner big payoffs.

Volunteering offers participants the opportunity to strengthen their skills, broaden their networks, break out of a career rut, and find new meaning in their job. These benefits return to employers in the form of increased engagement and retention. A strong employee volunteer program can also increase company loyalty, develop ties to the community, and spur innovation.

The vast majority of college graduates want to amplify their commitment to good causes through their employer. Generation Ys employees who frequently participate in their company’s volunteer activities are more likely to be very proud to work for their company, feel very loyal, and are very satisfied with the progression of their careers. In fact, for many recent college graduates, a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandate makes a crucial difference in where they choose to work, with 77% of respondents in a recent study (PDF) indicating that “a company’s commitment to social issues is important when I decide where to work.” This sentiment crosses generations, with the majority of people polled acknowledging the importance of contributing to their community or the wider world through work.

Corporate volunteer programs can range from one-day community service activities to mini-sabbaticals that send top performers to developing countries to lend their expertise to nonprofit organizations and proven entrepreneurs. Moody’s Afternoon of Service is a good example of a once-a-year opportunity for people who want to dip their toes into volunteering. The program takes place during the workday; employees sign up for a variety of team-based activities, including sorting library books at a public school in a poor neighborhood, planting flower bulbs in a city park, lending a hand at an organization that gathers clothing for and coaches disadvantaged women going out on job interviews, and preparing lunch at a community soup kitchen.

Such volunteer assignments can do more than inject excitement into a humdrum job; they can ignite a career. Despite the growing prevalence of corporate volunteer programs, placements are super-competitive — Intel, for example, says that only 5% of applicants win spots in its Education Service Corps. It’s also high-profile, with blogs and videos of participants’ experiences distributed throughout the company and on the internet. Who knows what kind of connections could result?

Corporate volunteer programs benefit employers, employees, and service recipients alike! By providing a practical bonus for both participants and employers, they’re not just a “nice to have” perk but a retention tool, leadership development opportunity, and strategic business initiative.

Have you participated in a corporate volunteer program? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

Twelve Tips for Planning an Employee Volunteer Event

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, employee volunteer programs
Posted in Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Twelve Tips for Planning an Employee Volunteer Event

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Employee volunteer programs are starting to become important parts of companies’ business plans instead of just an afterthought in corporate planning.

Starting an employee volunteer program shouldn’t happen on whim. While it may seem easy enough to get a group of employees together for a volunteer event, some planning needs to go into your employee volunteer program or it won’t be as successful as it could be.

Try building a relationship with a local nonprofit and partner with them on planning your employee volunteer events. Work together with them to plan volunteer events where employees can have fun and can see that they’ve had an impact.

Make sure that resources are in place to support an employee volunteer program. Having a staff member whose responsibility it is to work with a nonprofit partner to ensure successful volunteer events is essential to the program’s acceptance and growth.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when planning an employee volunteer event.

Planning

Verify all of the logistical information before sharing the information
Be sure to choose a task that doesn’t require any special skills, or plan time to train the employees before the event
Communicating with the partner agency is essential to a successful and enjoyable event

Project Design

Work with organizations that have projects where employees and their families can see and experience the impact of their work
Make sure the project meets a real community need and is seen as a benefit to the community
Don’t simply have the employees and their families do a task, turn the project into a learning experience

Management

Provide an orientation to the families prior to the project
Provide opportunities for the families to interact with one another
Explain to your volunteers the mission and goals for the organization and what is hoped to be accomplished as a result of the project

Risk Management

Assess the project site before the event for safety
Identify any equipment or areas of the project site that may be unsafe or a liability concern
Inform family members that they must report any accident or injury and to whom they should report

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Employee Volunteer Program, EVP
Posted in Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Four Benefits of Employee Volunteer Programs

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Yesterday, the Points of Light Blog looked at emerging trends in the workplace and their potential impact on the amount of time people can volunteer.

The outlook looks positive. With businesses starting to move towards a decentralized office and workers working from their homes on flexible schedules, more time can be made available for workers to spend with their families and in their communities.

The move to a decentralized work place will require traditional employee volunteer programs to adapt to new working conditions. Employee volunteer programs will have to adapt to the 21st century volunteer who gives not only of their time and talent, but lends their voice and dollars to the causes they believe in.

While community volunteering will likely remain an important part of employee volunteer programs, payroll giving programs and fundraising opportunities should become part of a business’ social responsibility planning.

Businesses with robust employee volunteer programs gain more than just a boost to their public relations. A strong employee volunteer program can make a company develop employee skills, develop customer loyalty, improve relationships with the community, and spur innovation and creativity.

When a company invests in a community through its employee volunteer program, employees gain access to new networks and perspectives that help them keep in touch with rapid social change. The company can gain insight into new market needs, explore different ways of working and encourage employees to use their initiative and foster inter-departmental cohesion by enabling new teams to work together and create a sense of common purpose.

The public expects companies to give back to their communities, and often has a negative view of companies that don’t actively support the communities around them. In the long run, community investment helps build community capacity, creating a stable, sustainable and healthy local community that will often supply a large proportion of the company’s employees and customers.

As the price and quality of products and services become increasingly standardized across many industries, community investment can help to differentiate a company from its competitors and make for more loyal customers. Consumers are increasingly using their dollars to support causes, not only through direct donations, but by purchasing products from companies that support causes that they are passionate about.

Many employee volunteer programs can help to increase employees’ skills. Volunteering and other forms of employee involvement can help to develop a variety of competencies, including teamwork, planning, communication, project management, problem solving, budgeting, listening skills and customer focus. Volunteering can challenge employees by taking them outside the confines of their usual 9-5 job, encourage innovation and creativity, promote respect for difference and affirm their personal contribution and confidence.

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, employee volunteer programs, volunteer
Posted in Mobilize | No Comments »

7 Basic Steps to Create a Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC)

Monday, November 8th, 2010

1. Obtain Leadership and Form a Planning Task Force.

Regardless of who takes the initiative (a Volunteer Center, another nonprofit organization or a business), the first step or idea for forming may come from a couple or a group of people who decided that they want to pool their efforts when responding to a specific community need.

2. Identify Goals and Strategies.

The magic ingredient for success is to identify goals and strategies and integrate the desired benefits of all (business, employee, and community) into the CVC’s strategic plan, thus creating a win-win-win.

3. Develop the Structure.

The structure of a CVC depends on how the council itself defines its overall mission, purpose and objectives. Much like its purpose, the structure is dependent upon the local community and the composition of the council’s membership.

4. Develop the Programs.

Ask yourself, what types of programs and services should the CVC sponsor (ongoing, one-time, joint etc)? Should the CVC focus on one or several issues throughout the year? Should the CVC provide professional development opportunities to its members?

5. Develop Partnerships with Community Organizations.

Community organizations know the community’s needs and have specific skills or experience in helping to organize others. The selection of the council’s nonprofit partners should be based largely on the mission and purpose of the CVC.

6. Develop an Evaluation System.

The most important thing when planning for the evaluation process is to do it! Plan for the processes to be in place during the first stages of development, decide when and how it should be done and who will administer the evaluations process. Lastly, report the findings and use the data throughout the planning cycle.

7. Join the CVC Network!

For more information or for assistance in developing and strengthening a Corporate Volunteer Council, contact the CVC Manager at .

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Get HandsOn Tag Challenge Update!

Yesterday’s Get HandsOn Tag Master was Dana Friedman! Dana has won a pair of round trip tickets on JetBlue, $25 for herself, and $100 for his favorite charity!

Today’s Celebrity Tag is Sir Elton John! Tag Elton for swag!

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate volunteerism, CSR, employee volunteer programs
Posted in Equip, Mobilize, Service, Tools You Can Use, Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Management, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

C&S Wholesale Grocers Makes A Difference

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Today’s post about a Make A Difference Day project comes from , Director of Community Involvement – C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.

With so many pressing needs in our communities, can one day of volunteering really make a difference? You bet it can. And C&S volunteers are living proof. Each year, hundreds of our employees take action on “Make a Difference Day.” They pack groceries at food banks, clean up parks, paint recreation centers, stock shelves at a community kitchen, and more. And at the end of the day, the world is a just a little better.

I’ve rolled up my sleeves alongside my colleagues on Make A Difference Day since 2003 and have seen the connections and have felt the celebration that happens when neighbors help neighbors. Some of our projects have been small, some of them have been transformative. All of them have brought us closer as a team, and given us the sense of accomplishment that comes when a group of people lend a hand together and get things done. Our projects have involved sweat, concentration, laughter and purpose.

This year we tackled 19 different projects at community-based organizations where we do business. To name a few of the organizations we partnered with: Habitat for Humanity in New York, a homeless shelter in Hawaii, a children’s hospital in Alabama, food banks in Maryland, Pennsylvania and California, and a Ronald McDonald House in South Carolina.

Another wonderful aspect of our participation in Make A Difference Day is that our company covers the cost of all supplies needed to accomplish projects….it wouldn’t be right if the nonprofit groups were impacted financially, now would it? So we reimburse for items like paint and rollers, bushes and flowers, lumber or whatever was needed to make the project happen.

While it means a lot to me to give back on this special day of service I know we are also having a business impact. Our volunteerism initiatives like Make A Difference Day and Dollars for Doers offer the following business benefits:

Create healthier communities
Attract talented employees to C&S
Strengthen relationships with regulatory officials
Improve employee morale and satisfaction level
Enhance pubic image of C&S
Provide training and teamwork opportunities for employees
Align with C&S brand and values
Establish community networks

We all have talents, skills and time to give. I believe we have the opportunity to make a difference by volunteering and getting involved whether in groups, as families or as individuals. Let’s keep the momentum going to make a difference, to serve, and to be hands on!

Gina Goff has the wonderful job of creating the vision, strategic direction and alignment of community involvement initiatives across C&S Wholesale Grocers, the largest wholesale food distributor in the United States. She leads pro-active philanthropic investments including financial, in-kind and service-based in four core focus areas: HUNGER, Children & Community, Environment, and Volunteerism-Civic Action.

Tags: C&S Wholesale Grocers, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Volunteers, CSR, Make A Difference Day, USA Weekend, Volunteering
Posted in Volunteering, Volunteerism | 2 Comments »

Change Notes: HandsOn Network and Education Nation

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Friends,

With education at the forefront of NBC News programming this week and online at www.educationnation.com, and with the release of Waiting for Superman, a documentary that follows a handful of promising kids through the education system, millions of individuals are asking themselves, what is their role in supporting reform and change in our public schools?

During the education plenary at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in June, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, paraphrasing Horace Mann from a century ago,

“Education is the great equalizer, no matter your race, creed, or zip code.” He added, “Education is not just a pathway to success; it is a prerequisite to success.”

Here at Points of Light Institute, our HandsOn Network affiliates are creating innovative in-school and after-school programming for volunteers. We are partnering with companies to help them mobilize their talent and assets to create educational change, and our newest enterprise, generationOn, is infusing service learning into the schools and inspiring young people to make their mark in the world.

I would like to highlight just a few examples that demonstrate the power of citizens making a difference in powerful ways to create stronger schools and successful students.

HandsOn Network

HandsOn Atlanta is partnering with the public school “Success for All” program, sending AmeriCorps members to tutor elementary students in reading and math, and to help high school students with college readiness, both during and after school. Since 1994, more than 1,600 AmeriCorps members and volunteers have directly served more than 115,000 students in school-focused programs in Atlanta.

An innovative program at our affiliate, New York Cares, pairs volunteers and students ages 5-12 to read and write together on weekday evenings. The goal is to encourage a love of reading outside of school. In another NY Cares program, volunteers work with tweens and teens who develop personal memoirs and other writing, which is published at the end of the semester.

The story of Tonya Ingram exemplifies the power of such programs. For the first 12 years of her life, Tonya rarely left her apartment in a violent neighborhood. When she was 12, a neighbor told her about the Read to Me program at NY Cares, where volunteers take kids to the library to read. She joined them. That program was Tonya’s gateway to the world, not just to reading, but also eventually to museums and parks, with volunteers by her side. Today, Tonya is a freshman at New York University, and a volunteer herself with NY Cares.

generationOn and Hasbro

generationOn, our newest division which officially launches on Make a Difference Day, October 23, will be a powerful resource for children and their families. It will provide service learning tools, curricula, and programs to enable young people to make their mark using their energy, creativity, and compassion. The Hasbro Children’s Fund has generously made a large financial commitment to allow generationOn to realize its potential, including creating an upcoming interactive and innovative website for kids, teachers, nonprofits and communities.

Key initiatives include:

- A national youth leadership program– Hasbro Community Action Heroes.

- An expanded Kids Care Club model that will allow kids to participate in service around the globe.

- Significant support for the nonprofit and education field to ensure that all youth have the opportunity to discover their potential through service.

Corporate Partners Making a Difference in Education

American Express

In conjunction with NBC Universal’s weeklong series “Education Nation,” American Express has announced the week-long Action for Education Challenge, inviting the public to make a pledge to take action to help local schools. In addition, HandsOn Network will partner with American Express to engage 2,000 volunteers across five cities to help improve the quality of classroom education. Those cities are New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tampa, and Cleveland.

From now through October 1, Members Project® from American Express and TakePart are encouraging people to help improve education within their communities by making a pledge to take action — from volunteering at a local library to donating supplies to a local school and more. If 100,000 people make the pledge, American Express will donate $1 million to DonorsChoose.org, an organization that empowers people to help students in need. American Express will donate $10 per pledge if the challenge does not receive the full 100,000 pledges. Pledges can be made online at MembersProject.com/Pledge.

Fidelity

HandsOn Network and Fidelity Investments have partnered to revitalize the learning environments in 11 middle schools across the nation. In locations ranging from Nashua, NH, to Albuquerque, NM, Fidelity employees have worked with HandsOn affiliates and partners on local Transformation Days, executing projects chosen with each school’s teachers, students, parents, and community.

Projects have ranged from launching Career and College Resource Centers, to building outdoor science classrooms and labs. Beyond this one day, Fidelity employees will act as mentors throughout the school year and bring tangible resources into the school, such as new and gently used books.

This effort will be Fidelity’s largest employee volunteer project and will total more than 30,000 hours of community service donated by 3,000 of its employees.

Education as the Gateway to Civic Engagement

Education is key to a vibrant economy, personal and individual fulfillment, and our civic health. The recently released report on the civic health of America, from the National Conference on Citizenship and the Corporation for National & Community Service, found that the higher the level of people’s education, the more likely they are to participate in civic activities, such as voting, volunteering, and working with their neighbors to fix a community problem.

Just as it takes an entire village to raise a child, it will take corporations, individuals, and nonprofits partnering in innovative ways to create an education system where every child has access to a quality education, the ultimate goal of school reform. As part of that effort, HandsOn Network, generationOn, and our corporate partners are supporting meaningful projects to assure student success and, in the process, creating engaged citizens for the future.

In Service,

Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light Institute and Co-Founder, HandsOn Network

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Service Learning
Posted in Change Notes, Education, Impact, Michelle Nunn, News & Links, Service, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 1 Comment »

Change Points: Fidelity Investments and HandsOn Network Team Up to Transform Schools

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Friends,

As some of you may know, HandsOn Network and Fidelity Investments are partnering in an amazing effort that is revitalizing the learning environments in 11 middle schools across the nation. In locations ranging from Nashua, NH, to Albuquerque, NM, Fidelity employees are working with HandsOn action centers and partners on local Transformation Days, executing projects chosen with each school’s teachers, students, parents, and community.

This is Fidelity’s largest employee volunteer effort and will total more than 30,000 hours of community service donated by 3,000 of its employees.

This past Saturday, Senator Orrin Hatch lent a hand to Fidelity employees and our affiliate The Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake City. At Bryant Middle School, volunteers including Fidelity employees, students, parents and teachers created a new college-themed classroom with computers, printers, and desks, renovated a greenhouse area, and restored the school soccer field.

The senator’s presence had particular resonance, since he and the late Senator Ted Kennedy were instrumental in passing the bipartisan Serve America Act last year. The Act is the greatest expansion of national service in many decades. Last year Points of Light Institute honored both senators with the Points of Light Lifetime of Leadership Award for Volunteerism and Service, recognizing their commitment and leadership in creating civic change through service. “Seeing individuals like you, working hard in the community…is what we thought would happen when we passed the Serve America Act,” said Senator Hatch to the volunteers.

“Together, we will continue to inspire many others to volunteer in their community.”

Yours in service,

Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light Institute

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, School-Based Volunteering
Posted in Change Notes, Michelle Nunn, News & Links | 2 Comments »

2010 Corporate Engagement Awards of Excellence

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

by Neil Mallon Bush, Chairman, Points of Light Institute Board of Directors

We are at a critical moment of need and opportunity for service in our communities.

While the economy has started to grow again, the downturn has caused hardship for millions of Americans.

Yet in these tough times, the momentum for service has never been stronger.

Volunteering is on the rise and organizations and corporations are redefining service and embracing social responsibility.

Given our economic climate, the Points of Light Institute is very excited to honor companies that represent best-in-class employee volunteer and engagement programs, who are redefining service and embracing social responsibility.

Since its inception in 1993, the Points of Light Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence has been recognized as one of the most prestigious awards programs honoring outstanding employee volunteer programs.

More than 60 companies have been honored for their overall employee volunteer efforts.

I’d like to share a bit about this year’s Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence honorees.

AT&T

AT&T’s commitment to volunteerism dates back over 100 years to Alexander Graham Bell.

Bell was the first member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, which was formed to give employees a way to unite and support the community.

Since then, the AT&T Pioneers has grown into one of the largest industry-sponsored volunteer organizations, with nearly 325,000 members.

Last year, the company launched “AT&T Cares” – a company-wide volunteer initiative designed to encourage employees to engage in community service that is meaningful to them and their communities.

In 2009, AT&T Pioneers and employees donated more than 8.5 million hours to community outreach activities – worth over $176 million.

Campbell’s Soup

Campbell’s Soup has a long-standing commitment communities in which they live and work.

They are committed to nourishing neighbors by providing volunteers to nonprofit organizations and leveraging the unique skills of employees through the Nourishing Our Neighbors program.

Campbell’s strives to couple skills-based volunteering, financial contributions and in-kind giving to provide well-rounded support and impact with local nonprofit organizations and residents of these communities.

In the year since the launch of the Nourishing Our Neighbors initiative, U.S. employees logged more than 18,000 volunteer hours, benefiting over 200 organizations.

Dollars for Doers grants quadrupled since the change was implemented.

Participation in the company’s annual week of service, Make a Difference Week, increased 40% in 2009.

Intel

Intel strives to operate with uncompromising integrity and believes that their business success depends on their continuing ability to be a trusted, responsible, open and engaged corporate citizen. Intel employees engage with communities through the Intel Involved volunteer program and community leadership activities.

The “Intel Involved” program encourages employees to share their expertise and enthusiasm with communities through volunteerism and Intel employees spend thousands of hours mentoring young people, providing technical expertise, serving on task forces, and participating in community service projects.

Through the company’s skills-based volunteering initiative, employees apply their specialized skills in law, marketing, IT and lean manufacturing practices to benefit schools and non-profit organizations.

The Intel Education Service Corps program sends small teams of high-performing employees to developing countries to collaborate with a NGO to deploy the Intel®-powered classmate PCs. To date, this program has reached more than 15,000 students in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Egypt, India, Kenya, and Vietnam.

Old National Bank

From humble beginnings, Old National Bank has grown to its current position with more than 160 banking centers and 2,800 associates.

Despite their growth, they have never wavered from their original focus on community.

Old National Bank’s commitment begins with President & CEO Bob Jones and the Old National leadership team, who empower associates to donate up to two paid volunteer hours a month through the company’s “ONe Community” program.

Last year, Old National associates donated nearly 80,000 total hours in support of more than 2,000 organizations. Associate volunteers are recognized for their efforts on the company Intranet site, and those with 25 hours or more of service each year join the “Volunteer Honor Roll” in Old National’s annual Community Investment Report.

In addition, a ONe Community Team Award is given each quarter to the associate team that best exemplifies the meaning of community care and involvement. Quarterly winners receive a $500 donation to the non-profit organization of their team’s choice, and an overall annual team award winner receives a $1,000 donation.

I hope you’ll join me in congratulating all of our Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence honorees.

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate volunteerism, CSR, Employee Engagement, employee volunteer programs
Posted in Inspire, News & Links, Service, Volunteer Leader, Volunteer Recognition, Volunteering, Volunteerism | 4 Comments »

Trend Lines

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

by Michelle Nunn, CEO, Points of Light Institute

As the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service fast approaches, I want to share just a few of the trend-lines that we will be exploring and that I think will shape the possibilities for civic challenges ahead.

A first trend and imperative is to demonstrate how service can be a solution.

We believe we must demonstrate how volunteers, at scale, can create significant impact around three areas – education, the environment and economic well-being for families.

We believe that volunteer leaders are a key element of achieving this scale.

Grant Reed exemplifies the self-directing service leadership that we want to inspire and support.

While he was in college as a student at the University of Illinois, he created a student-run mobile health clinic that provides free medical screening services to the under-served and uninsured residents of Champaign County.

A significant portion of that community has severely limited access to healthcare services.

Since Grant’s mobile health care clinic began, more than 250 people without healthcare coverage have been tested and referred to local free medical clinics for further treatment.

Grant has now graduated but the mobile clinic continues, with the goal of screening 150 under-served people per term, and Grant plans to become a physician in an under-served rural community.

This is the power of volunteer leaders who are mobilizing others in service.

Imagine 500,000 networked individuals like Grant who were working in concert on the tough national challenges of our day.

The second trend line we’re seeing is a movement by corporations to leverage their unique assets to drive philanthropic goals that utilize the power of their employees and customers.

For example, earlier this year, HandsOn Network and Disney created Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.

For an individual’s day of verified volunteer service, Disney issued a voucher for a day’s free admission to one of its theme parks.

We had no precedent for this partnership and had no idea what the response would be.

In only 10 weeks, 1 million volunteers served and thousands wrote to tell us how they are now integrating service in the lives of their families.

Another partner, Starbucks held an “I’m In” campaign that offered customers a free coffee drink if they pledged at least five hours of volunteer time.

It raised 1.2 million committed hours in less than five days!

A final example, In this challenging economy, where the national unemployment rate still hovers around 10 percent, Monster.com and HandsOn Network have joined in an effort that directly benefits job-seekers and their communities.

HandsOn will be on site in many cities that are part of Monster’s Keep America Working Tour.

At these career fairs we will also share volunteer opportunities that can give job-seekers a way to acquire new marketable skills and contacts while making important contributions to community.

These are just a few examples of how corporations are re-imagining their corporate community engagement to fully deploy the human capital of their employees and customers to create change.

Finally, a trend-line that bodes well for the future- the millennials and the powerful example and new tools they are bringing to bear on change.

Let me give you a couple of examples of some of my favorite millennials:

In the after math of Hurricane Katrina, Hands On sent a young AmeriCorps Alum, Kelly Bentz, to aid in the cleanup in New Orleans, intending for her to only stay for a few weeks.

She ended up staying five years and is still working to re-build New Orleans.

She created and then ran a center where 100 volunteers slept in bunk beds in a church and worked to re-build the city- tens of thousands of volunteers came to work through what became Hands On New Orleans and is now serving as one of the central volunteer hubs for the oil spill efforts in that area of the Gulf Coast.

Kellie represents what may be the next great Service Generation.

The millennials were born roughly from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s.

According to many studies, their defining characteristics include: civic-mindedness, the desire to make a difference, love of a challenge, ease with all things tech and global thinking. They want to produce something worthwhile, they are success-driven and goal-oriented.

They are young people such as the 20-somethings who started Crop Mob Atlanta in April to support small farms engaged in sustainable agriculture.

Many of these farms are barely hanging on.

Using a Facebook page and personal networks, they have created what is now a crowd of folks eager to carpool for a few hours and then spend weekends weeding, hoeing, raking, planting, sowing in the heat in rural Georgia.

The slots on these monthly crop mobs filled up so quickly that they now have waiting lists.

That’s the power of passion linked to service and the power of new forms of self-organizing.

They are young people such as in San Francisco, who co-founded The Extraordinaries last year.

The Extraordinaries has pioneered the field of micro-volunteering, helping organizations and supporters turn short bits of spare time into social value from the bus stop, cubicle, or couch, using mobile phones. For example, you could translate, fact-check, transcribe, edit.

After the earthquake in Haiti, The Extraordinaries built a system that allowed people to help find loved ones by tagging news images coming out of Haiti and matching those images to faces of missing people.

These examples exemplify how the brave new world of social media tools allows us to mobilize people in more efficient ways, and to engage them more often and more effectively. We can now talk with volunteers, not at them, across time zones and across countries.

More importantly, social media allows people to organize themselves and each other for causes — be they sustainable farming, helping Haiti or running after-school programs — that resonate with their passions.

The youth of the millennial generation and progressive corporations and nonprofits are leading the way in creating new forms of scale and impact through service.

They are solving problems, meeting needs, and creating impact in ways that coincide with their interests and strategic goals.

At this critical juncture for our communities and nation, we have a tremendous opportunity to work together- combining resources, creativity, and new ideas to transform the world through the power of people- our most valuable resource.

Tags: #NCVS, Cause Marketing, Civic Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Volunteers, CSR, employee volunteer programs, Millennial Volunteers, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, Nonprofit Trends, Self-Directed Service
Posted in Equip, Get HandsOn, Impact, Inspire, Michelle Nunn, Mobilize, Service, Social Media, Volunteer Management, Volunteer Reflection, Volunteering, Volunteerism | No Comments »

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