""It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw challenged college graduates in a commencement speech with these words, but the message of his statement is applicable to more than just the individuals at that ceremony. Corporations and businesses of all shapes and sizes are realizing that their success depends upon more than just the bottom line.
In an era where the importance of good corporate citizenship is stressed, companies are going beyond efforts to avoid causing harm to their environment. They are actually trying to have a positive influence in the community. One way of achieving this is through volunteer time for employees.
More and more employers are striving to promote an atmosphere of civic engagement in the office. Allowing employees to utilize compensated time for service is a growing trend. Encouraging employees to give back to the community not only provides tangible evidence of good corporate citizenship, but it makes for a more enjoyable work environment.
This commitment to giving back is paying off by increasing company morale and employee satisfaction. Susan Needham of ModernThink, the consulting firm that analyzes the data used to choose the 2006 Best Places to Work in Kentucky, said that paid volunteer time is among the many criteria for choosing businesses for this honor. "Community service is definitely a hallmark of a great place to work," Needham said.
One way to accomplish this is by making it easy for employees to volunteer in their community. Some host a company-wide day of caring where everyone participates in the same project. Others make volunteer opportunities available to employees on a regular basis through an internal listing. Others give employees a designated amount of paid time they can use to volunteer for the cause of their choice.
United Way of the Bluegrass' Volunteer Bluegrass program serves as a resource for companies and individuals who want to give back to the Central Kentucky community. Volunteer Bluegrass matches volunteers to the needs of local nonprofit organizations through an online, searchable database of available opportunities.
By logging onto www.volunteerbluegrass.org, employees can begin their journey of finding the right volunteer project. Volunteers can register and create a custom profile of their interests, availability and skills to tailor their searches. Companies may also have one representative who registers an entire group of employees. Registered users can sign up for email alerts that notify them of new opportunities that fit their profile.
For example, a local pharmaceutical sales company recently organized a day for their employees to all volunteer together as a team-building exercise. They wanted to do something related to healthcare because it was connected to their overall organizational mission. After choosing a project coordinator, that person logged on to the Web site and searched for volunteer opportunities for their group. Not only did they find a meaningful project for that day, but they can also now learn of similar new projects when they are available.
Many employers like the idea of an employee volunteer program, but are not sure where to start or where they are really needed. Volunteer Bluegrass takes the guesswork out by asking nonprofits from throughout the region to post their volunteer needs online. Potential volunteers can then read about the agency, the opportunity and what skills a good volunteer would possess. Site visitors can search opportunities by zip codes, size of group of volunteers, interest area or a variety of other options.
As company volunteers register and create profiles on the site, Volunteer Bluegrass knows what types of opportunities are needed and can recruit the appropriate nonprofit agencies to fill in any gaps. Over 160 volunteer opportunities are currently on the site, and the number grows daily.
Employee volunteer programs are a win-win situation for both the community and the corporation. Capable volunteers can meet local needs, and companies can demonstrate their commitment to being a good corporate citizen. Log on to www.volunteerbluegrass.org today to get started.
Kathy Plomin is president and chief professional officer of United Way of the Bluegrass.
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