Corporate volunteering
What is corporate volunteering?
Benefits of corporate volunteering
How do we get involved in corporate volunteering?
What is corporate volunteering?
Employee or corporate volunteering describes a recent development in which businesses support their employees to undertake volunteer work in the community. Many companies and businesses now want to extend their level of community involvement as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.
Larger companies especially are investing in social corporate responsibility programs in response to public expectation that they will act in socially responsible ways. In a recent survey1 of Australian companies with volunteering programs, Volunteering Australia found that the average level of investment in their volunteering programs was $20,000 per year, excluding the value of time given by staff who volunteer.
Small to medium sized enterprises, which make up 95% of all businesses in Australia, are also developing and implementing employee volunteering programs in order to become responsible corporate citizens.
Benefits of corporate volunteering
Why should you get involved? Well benefits of employee volunteering – for businesses, employees and community organisations - are emerging2:
Businesses:
- positive community profile and image
- increased staff satisfaction & retention
- increased productivity
- increased product and brand awareness
- regional focus
Employees:
- skills development
- increased employee satisfaction
- family community involvement
- community awareness & involvement
- attitudinal change
Community organisations:
- increased access to resources
- community health & welfare
- community economic development
- directly address needs in the community
- regional focus
1 Volunteering Australia, Corporate Volunteering Survey, Melbourne 2006
2 Volunteer South West, Edith Cowan University, Corporate Volunteering: A handbook for corporations and businesses, Perth 2001
How do we get involved in corporate volunteering?
You can become a corporate member of Volunteering WA to access our extensive resources. Our team can specifically tailor an Employee Volunteering program for your business.
Please contact Margaret Andrews on 9482 4301 to discuss your employee volunteering needs.