~ 2001 Topics ~

• IYV 2001-Canada and Europe
• New York City Committee Launches International Year of Volunteers Website
• World Wide IYV 2001 Events
• IYV2001 and the Corporate Volunteer Program
• IYV2001-International Activities
• IYV2001-US Activities
• It's Not to Late for IYV2001

Involving employees in a corporate community investment program pays handsome dividends. Some of the benefits as discussed in an earlier column are that a CI program attracts talent, increases loyalty, reduces turnover, builds skills, and improves productivity.

During 2001, the United Nations-designated International Year of the Volunteer, companies have a golden opportunity to dovetail corporate and employee involvement in the community. Doing so can expand community investment programs to create greater impact while leveraging the human resources value of good deeds in a tough labor market.

What is the International Year of the Volunteer? In 1 985, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed an annual International Volunteer Day to mark the achievements of volunteers around he world. On that day last year, the International Year of the Volunteer (IYV) was launched by Secretary General Kofi Annan. He said, in part, "Societies need to recognize and promote volunteerism as a valuable activity."

The goal is to create a growing, organized force to help tackle the world's vexing social issues. The means to achieving that goal include recognizing, facilitating and promoting volunteerism, as well as building new partnerships to productively engage volunteers.

In the U.S., the effort is coordinate through the Points of Light Foundation.

Volunteering is an American tradition. More than half (55.5 percent) of all Americans volunteer annually, according to the 1999 Independent Sector National Survey on Volunteering. Based on 1998 statistics: 109 million U.S. adults volunteered; averaging 3.5 hours a week, they committed 19.9 billion hours in a year; and, at an average wage of $14.83, the value of volunteer time was $255.9 billion. That is a force to be reckoned with.

Business can leverage volunteer efforts in a number of ways that truly create a win-win-win, benefiting the business, its employees (and other stakeholders and the community.

Corporations can sponsor employee efforts by organizing an activity, such as building a Habitat for Humanity home or painting a shelter. The company might donate materials - paint, brushes, tools and supplies - or turn to its vendors to donate materials. Activities like this could be pioneered in the International Year of the Volunteer and, if deemed successful, can be turned into an annual event.

Companies may provide paid time off for employees to engage in volunteer activities, as do 33 percent of all companies surveyed by Boston College in 1999. This might be one day for employees to do what they choose, or a day to engage in company-directed volunteerism (i.e., in areas that are aligned with the company's business interests). Sound intimidating? Then try a pilot program just for the International Year of the Volunteer and, if it meets corporate objectives institutionalize it.

Companies also can "loan" executives or managers to not-for-profit organizations for a set period of time. Many businesses find this builds skills that simply keeping employees on an internal track does not. The loaned executive approach is popular with the United Way, but can help any not-for-profit and serve as professional development for any business.

An alternative approach is to match employee efforts in some way. This creates greater perceived impact for employees, while not placing the full burden on the business. For example, a company could provide a grant to community-based organizations where its employees volunteer a certain amount of time. For example, donate $250 for every 50 hours of employees' volunteer time. Or the company could provide an hour of paid time off for volunteering for every certain number of hours, from one for one to one for 10. If an employee volunteers 10 hours with the Boys and Girls Clubs, for example, the company pays for the 11th hour of time.

A valuable initiative would be to educate employees about volunteerism informing them of what it is, how to approach it, how to have impact and where the needs are. People don't know how to find or choose from volunteer opportunities, except to respond when asked. A proactive approach could help get those efforts more in line with the business' objectives.

Some companies have intranets that serve as clearinghouses for volunteer opportunities. Employees can find out where to be active and submit suggestions for company involvement. This could extend to matching employees with board or committee positions with organizations that are important to the business.

A very active approach would consist of conducting a volunteer fair on-site where not-for-profits could set up information booths to inform and recruit for volunteers.

Finally, business can get in on the act by emulating the International Year of the Volunteer initiative: recognize and reward the efforts of employees who volunteer. Recognition may be as simple as a certificate of appreciation or as complex as special events or a volunteer of the year program. Regardless, such an effort is almost certain to make employees feel better about the company and their role, and positively reinforce volunteerism.

Employee volunteerism is one of the fastest-growing community investment activities in North America and the future is bright. Putting the workforce "out there" makes a difference on local social issues and spreads companies' names around. It also helps attract, develop and retain employees.

Eventually, offering and encouraging volunteer opportunities will become an employee benefit that individuals seek out and weigh when assessing prospective employers. Even further, companies may someday link volunteer activity with performance appraisal, seeing it as one more way an employee contributes to the success of the business. Perhaps we are entering the Century of the Volunteer.

For more information on the International Year of the Volunteer, see http://www.iyv.org and http://www.iyv2001us.org.
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Peri Lynn Turnbull and Peter James MacCracken, APR are independent consultants. They assist companies with community investment, reputation management and communications campaigns. They can be reached at plturnbull@aol.com or pjmacc@connectnet.com.