Did you know that April was National Volunteer Month?
Did your company get out and volunteer in April? If not, don’t worry it’s not too late. Volunteering can be a great way to give back to the community at any time of the year. In addition, it helps fulfill your company’s corporate responsibility goals and provides additional benefits to your employees. If you are looking for ways to get your company involved with volunteer work or ideas on what type of volunteering opportunities you could do as a company, this may be the article for you. Read on to learn about the benefits of volunteering, along with tips on how to get started.
Volunteerism has many benefits
Volunteerism is good for business. Studies show that nearly two-thirds of consumers are more likely to buy from a company they feel supports social and environmental issues. A great way to do this is through volunteer work, which benefits your company, the employees, and the communities you serve.
Employee Benefits of Volunteering
- It promotes teamwork and helps employees interact with each other in positive ways.
- It helps employees feel more connected to their company, which increases engagement and productivity in the workplace.
- It can help reduce stress levels in the office by allowing your employees to get out of the office and do good in the community.
- It makes people happier! Studies show that people who volunteer are healthier both mentally and physically than those who don’t.
Volunteering also benefits your company
- It shows that your company cares about the community. Customers love to feel like they’re doing business with a company that cares about more than just the bottom line.
- Volunteering helps you attract new customers. Think about it: when you volunteer, you’re giving back to your community—and people notice. They see that you care about something other than just making money, and they want to find out more about who you are. And if they like what they see, they’ll probably want to do business with you!
- Volunteering builds customer loyalty and appreciation for your brand. When your customers know that their purchases directly affect a good cause, they will remember this experience every time they use your product or service.
Defining a good cause
Oftentimes, companies are hesitant to participate in volunteer events because they’re not sure how to start or what types of organizations and causes would be best for them. To help you decide which cause is right for your company and team, here are a few things to consider:
- What is a good cause?
- What do you care about?
- What are your company values?
- What do your team members care about?
- How can you help?
- What resources do you have to offer?
Non-Profits are a good place to start
Nonprofit organizations are almost always in need of volunteers to help them fulfill their mission. These groups don’t make money or operate the same as for-profit businesses, so they rely on people donating their time and effort to accomplish the programs and services they provide.
As mentioned earlier, the first step is to define a good cause and decide which type of organization you want to work with. Most non-profits have dedicated websites that provide opportunities for volunteers, as well as information about what they do, who they serve, and how donations are used.
Conclusion
Let’s face it—volunteering doesn’t just benefit the communities you get involved in, it can benefit your company and employees as well. And there are many ways to get involved, here’s a list of local resources to help get you started.
