Learn one of the best ways for companies to implement volunteer opportunities that boost employee engagement and improve Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

By Livi Kerszenbaum

Are you harnessing the power of corporate volunteering?

Employee volunteering is a large part of how businesses lift people and communities. The benefits of well-designed corporate volunteer programs have been clearly established: They boost productivity, increase employee engagement, and improve hiring and retention, to name just a few. They also promote trust, teamwork, and camaraderie by building a sense of community among employees as they work toward a common goal.

Employee volunteering can be a mechanism to bridge divisive social and cultural practices. One thing we know for sure about diversity and inclusion practices: they are proven to contribute greatly to innovation and to profitability.

Companies that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall work environment that positively influences employee health and wellness. Volunteers are happier, more fulfilled, and have lower rates of depression later in life compared to people who don’t volunteer. Volunteering leads to a sense of pride and accomplishment and results in increased life satisfaction.

But, what makes a good volunteer program? Developing partnerships with nonprofit organizations is one of the best ways for companies to implement volunteer opportunities that boost employee engagement and improve Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Orange County United Way is a Leader in Fulfilling Employee Engagement

As a nonprofit serving companies across 34 cities, Orange County United Way has built a Volunteer Engagement System based on five (5) tenets:

1. Easy. Consider us your Volunteer Activity Guides. We are your partners for engagement success! Volunteering activities are available throughout the year, are designed to be plug-and-play, are customizable or pre-packaged, and offer our implementation support.
2. Safe. Activities are designed to take into consideration volunteer and community safety and adhere to company protocols.
3. Fun. Activities are created from the employee volunteer perspective with a focus on team cohesion and company culture while ensuring that time is well spent and everyone leaves with a sense of enjoyment and wanting to come back for more.
4. Impactful. Every volunteer engagement activity has a larger community impact purpose. From the drives, to the hands-on, and skill-based volunteering, we meet the needs of the community while providing measurable outcomes. See how volunteers are making a difference in our community.
5. Memorable. Volunteers walk away from Orange County Unites Way’s activities with a deeper understanding of the challenges in our community and a sense of pride and accomplishment for their efforts, creating in a heartfelt experience to remember.

Does your company want to offer exciting volunteer engagement opportunities?

To learn more about how Orange County United Way can help you fulfill your volunteer and employee engagement needs, please contact Doug McKay, Director, Engagement Strategy, at DougM@UnitedWayOC.org

Additional resources to boost CSR:

• Read about the top CSR trends for 2023