Two of the six essential human needs—growth and contribution or giving back—are actually what will make one feel fulfilled in life. Most people seek the feeling of growth and learning in life, while also helping others and finding ways of being a part of something bigger than themselves. It's true that even tiny actions can result in significant change, especially when you consider the joy people find in giving back to their neighborhood, community, or the entire planet. What if we told you that through virtual corporate volunteerism, you can give your employees and your organization a chance to be philanthropic and give back to society? If your organization had the capacity to do good on a bigger scale, say through your business? Wouldn’t you grab the opportunity?
If you have had any form of volunteering in your organization before or been a volunteer yourself, you would have noticed how little acts of kindness when performed by a group, together for a common good, can instill a sense of purpose in an individual or the team doing the good work and in turn the organization they represent has a positive impact on the environment and community around them.
Companies can aid society, assist employees in developing their skills, and even improve brand reputation by fostering a culture of giving through CSR programs. Team wellness and social responsibility have become ten times more crucial as both large and small businesses have made the switch to virtual offices. Additionally, it heightened the need to carefully plan and implement CSR initiatives, employee engagement programs, and wellness programs. Virtual volunteering programs can be used to effectively carry out all of these agendas.
Reports of employee burnout and exhaustion have been making the rounds for a while and with the great resignation/reevaluation, most organizations are looking to invest in their employees and help them find a purpose right now.
In addition to surviving the 2008–2009 crisis, businesses that made investments in employee engagement outperformed their competitors. Building a reputation for strength and reliability among your customers and staff will benefit you long after a crisis has passed. You can allow employees to continue volunteering through virtual, skill-based opportunities. Instead of continued social isolation, introduce your staff to a global network of charitable organizations that are offering crucial services.
1. Currently, traditional corporate volunteer hours are decreasing.
Corporate volunteer hours decreased by 58% compared to the same time last year, according to employee engagement platform Bright Funds, mostly as a result of COVID-19. Though most restrictions are being lifted and people are slightly more free to travel, their regular jobs might not allow them to do so.
2. Compared to conventional hands-on volunteering, skilled volunteering is much more beneficial to organizations.
The average value of volunteering in the United States, which consists primarily of hands-on work, is estimated to be $25 per volunteer hour. While pro bono or skilled volunteering is valued on average by Taproot at $195 per hour. As the power of the internet becomes more apparent, many nonprofit organizations are seeking to gain a higher reach online to attract donors and aid. Thus, virtual volunteering has gained a lot of momentum.
3. Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is becoming more and more favored as a perk for employees.
Today, over one in four businesses provide their staff paid time off to volunteer. Most frequently, participating firms offer one to five days of VTO. Depending on the rules set down by your company, you might also think about providing paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to your staff or arranging for them to volunteer on the weekends.
4. Employee mental health can be enhanced by volunteering.
The mental health of your employees will benefit from altruism. Volunteering can enhance the mental health of your staff members by lowering stress and preventing depression. Being a catalyst for improving society and boosting individuals makes us feel wonderful. It has been established that giving to others improves mental health since it lowers stress and controls emotions. Therefore, internet volunteering, which simply requires your time and abilities, can provide you with this happiness.
5. Volunteering encourages employee engagement
According to research from the University of Georgia, employee volunteering is associated with higher workplace engagement and happiness. Employees who volunteered provided more time and effort to their professions and were more eager to help their colleagues and talked more highly about their organizations, the survey found.
6. Volunteering can help employees advance their careers and expand their abilities.
92% of human resource executives concur that volunteering improves employees' leadership qualities, according to a Deloitte survey. Increasing employee volunteer opportunities can be a significant and worthwhile investment in their professional growth.
7. Online volunteering is not limited to your employees with technical expertise.
In fact, only about 50% of online volunteer tasks call for specialized tech knowledge. Numerous volunteer talents, including translation, authoring, research, and fundraising strategies, are advantageous to nonprofits. These skill sets such as project proposal writing or illustrating children's story books are needed by nonprofit organizations and they post such volunteering opportunities virtually on Chezuba to find the right talent to aid them.
What is the purpose of your business? Though it may appear that you are in the industry to sell software or provide financial planning services, what first drew you to it? You were motivated by something more important. Was it to make a difference for others in your community or to find a fix for a serious environmental issue? By establishing corporate volunteer initiatives within your organization, you may connect with that greater mission. What nonprofit organization or charitable cause can your group support? Your company's foundation is strengthened and more people in your community are made aware of the wonderful work your brand is doing when you integrate something external, like offering corporate volunteer opportunities, with your internal mission.
Corporate social responsibility doesn't have to be a big production. What can your business reasonably expect to achieve in terms of giving back this month, this quarter, or this year? There are still methods to select a worthwhile cause even if you own a small firm or are a new entrepreneur. You could sponsor a meal for children at a local shelter or have your employees conduct virtual kids' training camps, or volunteer to help an old age home digitize its operations.
Do it if your company is bigger or you have more resources to use, such as money, time, or product donations. Be imaginative. Hold contests at work and award a prize to the staff member who raises the most money for the cause. Host a gala and donate the proceeds to a good cause. Encourage your employees to take time off to volunteer for fantastic causes. If you're not sure where to begin, get in touch with Chezuba!
Chezuba provides corporations with corporate volunteering software your organization can use for all your employee volunteering needs. from the ability to track the number of volunteering hours put into creating exciting activities and gamified challenges, Chezuba offers the best employee engagement solution in the form of corporate volunteering. To learn more about how Chezuba can provide solutions to your organization, schedule a free demo with us.
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