Corporate / Team Volunteering: a new approach
A lot of businesses take part in team challenges every year, but how else can corporate, or team, volunteers help the wider community? Here are suggestions that have worked for many businesses and community groups.
Working with schools
Corporate law firm Bell Gully has worked with Taita College in Lower Hutt for over 11 years, providing mentors to support senior students. The volunteers motivate and inspire the students, encouraging them to make good decisions about future education and employment.
Businesses can also support schools through:
- Primary school reading schemes – volunteers work on a one-to-one basis with a child, meeting them regularly and providing additional opportunities to develop literacy skills.
- Secondary school workplace visits – businesses invite small groups of students to the office, enabling them to meet employees and learn about real careers.
- Employability workshops – corporate volunteers teach secondary school students how to write a CV and deal with job interviews.
Research has shown that employee volunteering in educational projects strengthens employees’ skills and competencies, making them better at their day jobs. This type of volunteering is a great investment for both the community and the business.
Working with community groups
Financial Dynamics is a London-based financial PR company. Its employees provide voluntary PR, branding and marketing advice to selected charities, without charge. This kind of practical business support can help to plug skill gaps in community groups, and the work can be tackled by volunteers at their desks, enabling it to be juggled with day-to-day business needs.
Businesses can also support community groups by:
- Mentoring charity employees – encouraging senior managers to meet their counterparts at community groups on a regular basis, providing guidance and helping with the challenges of running an organisation.
- Strategic reviews – bringing together teams of employees to work with community group trustees and staff in focussed sessions, offering a different perspective and helping to set goals and plan activities.
- Charity workshops – one-off events where corporate volunteers present to a group of community groups, sharing knowledge about a specific business area: financial planning, marketing, branding, HR, etc.
Volunteering Auckland can work with corporate supporters and community groups to develop the projects described, or to explore new ways for volunteers to get involved.
Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 09-377 7887 [Team Volunteering Programme Coordinator]
