Indigo Volunteers’ Post

Like this simple summary and great additional thoughts from Bart Lacroix.

🙌 Corporate Volunteering Masterclass in 60 seconds... 👇 Corporate volunteering is a game-changer for employees, communities, and businesses alike. It's not just about giving back; it's about personal growth, skill enhancement, and creating a positive impact. Benefits of Corporate Volunteering: - For Employees: Personal growth, skill enhancement, increased job satisfaction. - For Communities: Social impact, better resource allocation, community cohesion. - For Businesses: Enhanced employee satisfaction & retention, team building, and a better reputation. Types of Corporate Volunteering: Skills-Based Volunteering: Use professional skills to support non-profits. Team Volunteering Events: Group activities where employees volunteer together. Virtual Volunteering: Remote volunteering using digital tools. Pro-Bono Services: Providing professional services for free. Implementing a Corporate Volunteering Program: Define goals & objectives. 1 - Align with company values. 2 - Engage leadership. 3 - Assess employee interests. 4 - Partner with NGOs. 5 - Develop clear policies. 6 - Promote the program. 7 - Provide training & support. 8 - Recognise & reward participation. 9 - Measure & evaluate impact. Guide the Volunteer Journey by Chris Jarvis: The Tourist: First-time, exploratory, discovering. The Traveller: Engaged, motivated, committed. The Guide: Dedicated, leading, experienced. Writing a Corporate Volunteering Policy: Design a step-by-step guidelines to create an effective volunteering policy. Measuring the Impact: Define KPIs, use surveys, track participation, and analyse metrics to understand the effectiveness of your program. Corporate volunteering is more than a CSR strategy it's about building a culture of giving and making a real difference. Let’s empower our employees to make an impact! 🌍 💼 #CorporateVolunteering #CSR #EmployeeEngagement #SocialImpact

🙌 Debunking 5 Myths of Corporate Volunteering 💙👇 Myth #1: It's All for Show Many cynics claim corporate volunteering is just a PR stunt. In reality, it's a win-win, delivering genuine community benefits while fostering team spirit and aligning corporate values with social responsibility. Myth #2: Employees Aren't Really Interested Contrary to the belief that employees are pushed into volunteering, many are eager to give back. Corporate volunteering offers a meaningful way to connect with causes they care about, providing a sense of purpose beyond the 9-5 grind. Myth #3: It's Too Costly and Time-Consuming While there's an investment of time and resources, the ROI in terms of employee engagement, brand reputation, and real societal impact is invaluable. Plus, effective planning ensures that volunteering efforts are both sustainable and impactful. Myth #4: It's Only Beneficial for Large Corporations Many assume that impactful volunteering programs are the exclusive domain of big businesses with vast resources. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also make significant impacts, often bringing innovative, community-focused initiatives that resonate deeply on a local level. Myth #5: It’s disconnected from Business Objectives Some critics argue that volunteering initiatives are at best peripheral to a company's main objectives. On the contrary, when thoughtfully designed, these programs can significantly enhance a company's brand, foster employee loyalty, and even open up new markets or opportunities for innovation, aligning closely with business strategies. #volunteering #csr #employeeengagement

🙌 Debunking 5 Myths of Corporate Volunteering 💙👇 Myth #1: It's All for Show Many cynics claim corporate volunteering is just a PR stunt. In reality, it's a win-win, delivering genuine community benefits while fostering team spirit and aligning corporate values with social responsibility. Myth #2: Employees Aren't Really Interested Contrary to the belief that employees are pushed into volunteering, many are eager to give back. Corporate volunteering offers a meaningful way to connect with causes they care about, providing a sense of purpose beyond the 9-5 grind. Myth #3: It's Too Costly and Time-Consuming While there's an investment of time and resources, the ROI in terms of employee engagement, brand reputation, and real societal impact is invaluable. Plus, effective planning ensures that volunteering efforts are both sustainable and impactful. Myth #4: It's Only Beneficial for Large Corporations Many assume that impactful volunteering programs are the exclusive domain of big businesses with vast resources. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also make significant impacts, often bringing innovative, community-focused initiatives that resonate deeply on a local level. Myth #5: It’s disconnected from Business Objectives Some critics argue that volunteering initiatives are at best peripheral to a company's main objectives. On the contrary, when thoughtfully designed, these programs can significantly enhance a company's brand, foster employee loyalty, and even open up new markets or opportunities for innovation, aligning closely with business strategies.

🙌 Corporate Volunteering Masterclass in 60 seconds... 👇 Corporate volunteering is a game-changer for employees, communities, and businesses alike. It's not just about giving back; it's about personal growth, skill enhancement, and creating a positive impact. Benefits of Corporate Volunteering: - For Employees: Personal growth, skill enhancement, increased job satisfaction. - For Communities: Social impact, better resource allocation, community cohesion. - For Businesses: Enhanced employee satisfaction & retention, team building, and a better reputation. Types of Corporate Volunteering: Skills-Based Volunteering: Use professional skills to support non-profits. Team Volunteering Events: Group activities where employees volunteer together. Virtual Volunteering: Remote volunteering using digital tools. Pro-Bono Services: Providing professional services for free. Implementing a Corporate Volunteering Program: Define goals & objectives. 1 - Align with company values. 2 - Engage leadership. 3 - Assess employee interests. 4 - Partner with NGOs. 5 - Develop clear policies. 6 - Promote the program. 7 - Provide training & support. 8 - Recognise & reward participation. 9 - Measure & evaluate impact. Guide the Volunteer Journey by Chris Jarvis: The Tourist: First-time, exploratory, discovering. The Traveller: Engaged, motivated, committed. The Guide: Dedicated, leading, experienced. Writing a Corporate Volunteering Policy:  Design a step-by-step guidelines to create an effective volunteering policy. Measuring the Impact:  Define KPIs, use surveys, track participation, and analyse metrics to understand the effectiveness of your program. Corporate volunteering is more than a CSR strategy it's about building a culture of giving and making a real difference.  Let’s empower our employees to make an impact! 🌍 💼 #CorporateVolunteering #CSR #EmployeeEngagement #SocialImpact

🙌 Corporate Volunteering Masterclass in 60 seconds... 👇 Corporate volunteering is a game-changer for employees, communities, and businesses alike. It's not just about giving back; it's about personal growth, skill enhancement, and creating a positive impact. Benefits of Corporate Volunteering: - For Employees: Personal growth, skill enhancement, increased job satisfaction. - For Communities: Social impact, better resource allocation, community cohesion. - For Businesses: Enhanced employee satisfaction & retention, team building, and a better reputation. Types of Corporate Volunteering: Skills-Based Volunteering: Use professional skills to support non-profits. Team Volunteering Events: Group activities where employees volunteer together. Virtual Volunteering: Remote volunteering using digital tools. Pro-Bono Services: Providing professional services for free. Implementing a Corporate Volunteering Program: Define goals & objectives. 1 - Align with company values. 2 - Engage leadership. 3 - Assess employee interests. 4 - Partner with NGOs. 5 - Develop clear policies. 6 - Promote the program. 7 - Provide training & support. 8 - Recognise & reward participation. 9 - Measure & evaluate impact. Guide the Volunteer Journey by Chris Jarvis: The Tourist: First-time, exploratory, discovering. The Traveller: Engaged, motivated, committed. The Guide: Dedicated, leading, experienced. Writing a Corporate Volunteering Policy: Design a step-by-step guidelines to create an effective volunteering policy. Measuring the Impact: Define KPIs, use surveys, track participation, and analyse metrics to understand the effectiveness of your program. Corporate volunteering is more than a CSR strategy it's about building a culture of giving and making a real difference. Let’s empower our employees to make an impact! 🌍 💼 #CorporateVolunteering #CSR #EmployeeEngagement #SocialImpact

“Can volunteering be green”?- Here is my perspective! For me, Volunteering should be at the core of what we do in the corporate world particularly in consulting - we should adopt“ Giving back” as opposed to “taking from” mindset 👌🏾 I will like to start with the concept of what I call "Green Volunteering" which you might find particularly intriguing, as it emphasizes the importance of understanding client challenges and addressing them through meaningful contributions rather than just transactional interactions. Every client-facing consultant should personally volunteer themselves to adopt this mindfulness to develop a sustainable relationship with your clients. By shifting our focus from what we can gain to how we can genuinely add value, we not only foster stronger client relationships but also cultivate a culture of mutual support and respect within our professional environments. This approach aligns perfectly with the idea that true success is built on collaboration and community upliftment. On my personal journey , I started working on a "Campus to Corporate" initiative which is significant step toward bridging the gap for young professionals transitioning into the corporate landscape. Volunteering myself to mentor them plays a crucial role in shaping future leaders, and my personal commitment to this cause is a testament dedicated to giving back. Indeed, when we invest our time and energy into supporting others—be it friends, colleagues, or community members—we not only contribute to their growth but also enhance our own personal and professional development. This cycle of giving and receiving enriches our experiences and helps build a more inclusive and supportive society. How do you see others in your field embracing this philosophy of giving back and moving towards a “Green volunteering” ? Lindsey Rowe thanks for the inspiration to write this !

🌱 Does your organisation do employee volunteering days? 🌱 I've been having various conversations about the role of wellbeing days, which some organisations offer colleagues as additional rest. (and it's normally packaged as an 'additional benefit') However, some organisations prefer to have volunteering days, to focus on social impact as well as wellbeing... (And obviously some big corporates have social responsibility quotas they have to fulfil.) I'd love to hear from you about your experiences of volunteering days... 🌱 If this is something your organisation does? Or do you wish they did? 🌱 If you do a volunteering day, do you find it valuable? Is it a worthwhile initiative or does it feel tokenistic? 🌱 In your view, is a volunteering day more valuable than a wellbeing day (another day of annual leave)? Or would you prefer extra time to rest! 🌱 And please share any examples where organisations do this innovatively or really meaningfully! Please feel free to message me if you'd rather not share your experience on the post... [image is not my own]

📣 Got 5 minutes? Can you contribute to our recommendations on introducing and running an impactful employee volunteering scheme? The evidence is conclusive. Employee or workplace volunteering, supported by businesses, is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a MUST DO. ✔️ The moral imperative is compelling - volunteering supports and lifts up those in our society facing disadvantage ✔️ The economic case is overwhelming - billions generated in productivity gains from more engaged, healthier, happier staff Yet, introducing or overseeing an employee volunteering opportunity in a large organisation is not without its challenges. We are currently running a survey to help us find out more about administrative headaches and cultural obstacles organisations face in introducing volunteering initiatives to support their CSR/social value objectives and potential ways in which these could be overcome. We hope to use these to create and share what we hope will be a set of recommendations on introducing and running employee volunteering schemes. The learnings from your feedback will help us to lift up more children facing disadvantage by pairing them with a corporate volunteer who gives them 1:1 reading support at the time they need it the most. The survey is anonymous and it should take approximately 5 minutes - fill it out here: https://lnkd.in/dTzf9sNg  We are keen to hear from anyone involved in introducing or overseeing employee volunteering initiatives in their organisations, from all levels of the business. 📅 The survey will close on Thursday 23 May. Participants will receive a free copy of the findings! Please also share with your network by tagging someone in the comments below ⬇️ #ChapterOne #itallstartswithliteracy #employeewellbeing #socialvalue #socialimpact #socialmobility #literacy #corporatepartnerships #corporatevolunteering

Why do some employee well-being programs seem to miss the mark? According to recent research from the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, many initiatives fail to deliver the collective benefits companies hope for—except for one: volunteering. 🙌 Volunteering offers a sense of purpose, connection, and belonging that's hard to find elsewhere. In fact, our own experiences align with these findings. Employees who participate in our corporate volunteering programs often share how rewarding, energizing, and meaningful the experience is for them. Continue reading for tips on implementing or expanding your company's volunteering programs. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/g6PAwm_d #EmployeeWellbeing #CorporateVolunteering #CSR #EmployeeEngagement #SkillsBasedVolunteering