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The lets Corporate Volunteering 101

What is corporate volunteering?

Corporate volunteering generally refers to the deployment of a company's human resources for charitable purposes, extending beyond its core business activities. It is also often referred to as employee engagement or corporate engagement.

It is an opportunity for companies to make a positive contribution to the community by providing their employees with the opportunity to volunteer during or after their working hours.

Corporate volunteering is part of a company's corporate citizenship, which encompasses its social engagement. Therefore, it aligns alongside donations and social sponsoring as initiatives promoted by the company.

Through corporate volunteering, companies actively have the opportunity to take on social responsibility in society. The company's social responsibility, combined with the commitment of its employees, not only has a positive impact on the company itself but also on society and individuals.

Good reasons for the engagement

  • Corporate volunteering increases employee engagement and satisfaction. There are numerous studies that have shown that employees who can engage with their company are more motivated and have a more positive outlook on their job. They perceive their work as meaningful and enjoy making a positive impact. This not only fosters employee loyalty to the company but also strengthens team cohesion. Doing good together with colleagues promotes team spirit and boosts morale within the team
  • Corporate volunteering is a great tool for employer branding. A company that allows its employees the opportunity to engage in volunteer work during working hours stands out better in the job market than others. Applicants increasingly pay attention to the social actions of a potential employer and expect them to take on social responsibility and live these values.
  • Corporate volunteering contributes to changing perspectives and knowledge transfer. By engaging in nonprofit organizations and projects, employees step out of their daily work routines and often immerse themselves in entirely different worlds, gaining a completely new perspective. This exposure can lead them to entirely new insights. Additionally, they share their knowledge with the organizations, which can also benefit from this exchange.
  • Corporate volunteering enhances employees' skills. Through gaining new perspectives and insights into different areas, employees develop entirely new soft skills such as communication skills or teamwork. Additionally, it can strengthen creativity and innovation, which can be beneficial for their primary work tasks.
  • Corporate volunteering ultimately benefits not only the employees and the company but especially the non-profit organizations. These organizations often face a shortage of full-time volunteers and staff and rely on additional volunteers. Companies often send larger groups of employees who, due to their numbers, can undertake major projects at non-profit organizations, such as renovating a daycare center or maintaining a community garden.

Types of corporate volunteering

Durch Corporate Volunteering für das Wohlwollen der Tiere sorgen
  • Remote: Especially due to COVID-19, many aid projects have emerged where physical presence is not required; instead, assistance is provided via computer. Examples include tutoring, managing social media channels, or language instruction. These are all projects that often take place remotely, using a computer.
  • On-site: The opposite of remote projects. Here, it is indeed mandatory to be physically present, such as in activities like garbage collection, painting, and renovation.
  • Action days or social days: These are often 1 or 2 days per year when a company grants leave to all or at least a large number of their employees to participate in a social project. These typically involve activities such as litter clean-ups or renovating a daycare center, etc..
  • Pro-Bono-Service: The company's or professional employee's service is provided to the organization without charge. For example: social media or legal advice.
  • Mentoring: Here, employees often engage in long-term commitments by supporting a project partner over an extended period, sharing their skills and knowledge. For example, this could involve mentoring refugees or tutoring disadvantaged children and adolescents with their homework.

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