Beth Bengtson, CEO and Founder of Working for Women, has written a piece for Harvard Business Review, “Reimagine Your Corporate Volunteer Program,” which focuses on the importance of having meaningful volunteer opportunities as part of a company’s purpose.
Summary:
Meaningful volunteer opportunities are an often overlooked part of a company’s purpose and employee development. Too often, organizations try to establish employee volunteer programs as a sort of add on in their spare time. But there is another way to think about volunteering and the time has never been better to reimagine this part of corporate life since businesses are actively and publicly expanding their role in society. This new approach to volunteering involves identifying a nonprofit where your employees can lend their skills and expertise over a designated period of time or on a series of connected events. No matter your industry, your employee’s skills are valuable and in need at nonprofits. For some nonprofits, access to your talent and their skills can be just as — or more important — than dollars.