April 29, 2008
Companies Underestimate Benefits of Employee Volunteer Programs, Report Says
By Audrey Hill
Volunteering programs that use and hone skills are an effective and inexpensive professional-development tool, according to a national survey of human-resource managers, yet few companies regularly integrate employee training needs into volunteer activities.
In a survey of human-resource managers at 250 randomly selected Fortune 500 companies — conducted in February by Deloitte, a network of financial consulting firms with headquarters in New York — 91 percent of respondents agreed that volunteering at a nonprofit organization “can be an effective way to develop business skills.”
However, only 16 percent of companies surveyed had a system to promote volunteer opportunities that allowed employees to offer business expertise and further their own professional development.
Additionally, most volunteer opportunities that develop leadership skills were only offered to managers and executives, as opposed to all employees, the study found.
“With a focus on learning and development, a volunteer role can be a stretch assignment that develops leadership and client-service skills that benefit the volunteer organization, the employee, and their company,” said Susan Burnett, Deloitte’s national director of talent development, in a statement.
Eighty-seven percent of human-resource managers said that their companies’ employee-development programs are expected to develop the next set of leaders.
Marrying volunteer programs with professional-development efforts may make financial sense in tough economic times, posits the study, as just two percent of human-resource managers thought that weaving the two programs together would be more expensive than a traditional development program.
The “2008 Deloitte Volunteer Impact Survey,” as well as other studies in the company’s annual volunteer research series, is available free on the group’s Web site.
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Many nonprofits, businesses and public agencies have forgotten the “hidden benefits” of participating in workplace giving campaigns, including multiple leadership development opportunities.
In the non-profit sector, whether you are an emerging leader eager to develop your own skills, or someone responsible for the leadership development program of your organization, there exists a unique opportunity to develop these skills, by participating in workplace giving campaigns, such as the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).
Workplace giving is a unique method of fundraising within the non-profit sector, and many think of it only in terms of fundraising. But workplace giving campaigns have unique benefits – which I call “Hidden Treasures.”
Non-profits that have learned how to integrate workplace giving campaigns into their overall leadership development efforts can use them to provide low risk, high value opportunities to their staff in a number of areas, including project management, public speaking, and team building.For example, the skills that can be developed and practiced through participation in charity fairs include:
Oral Communication – public speaking skills –you can practice your “elevator speech” dozens of times in the course of a campaign.
Team Building – the non-profit action officer can get practical experience in creating and leading a team, whether they are paid staff or volunteers.
Listening Skills – the non-profit team will have the opportunity to listen to hundreds of people in your community – what are they saying, what’s most important to them, etc. These are your potential donors and supporters – does your mission resonate with them, are they aware of your organization, etc.?
And these are just a few examples.
The paradox of workplace giving programs is that precisely because they are not a high risk or high cost program they can be an ideal “practice field” or “rehearsal hall” for leadership development.
No one is going to “blow” a major gift solicitation at a charity fair, but the future leader can gain experience in “reading people.”
To learn more about the world’s largest workplace giving campaign, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), please go to the www.cfcfundraising website and request your copy of the free special report about the CFC, which includes a brief description of how to apply for inclusion in America’s largest workplace giving campaign, the CFC.
Author of soon to be released:
A Hidden Treasure for Your Non-Profit,
How to tap into the CFC, America’s Largest Workplace Giving Campaign
Bill Huddleston, CFC Expert
MPA in Nonprofit Management
1-703-560-1825
BillHuddleston@verizon.net
www.cfcfundraising.com
Blog: www.cfctreasures.wordpress.com
— Bill Huddleston Apr 29, 04:34 PM #
I strongly believe that volunteering at the Board level is a great career and personal development opportunity. What amazes me, however, are the companies that encourage employees to become involved but do nothing to prepare those employees for the task. A few hours (less than 10) of in-house board skills development seminars would help ensure that the employee obtains the maximum benefit from the volunteer experience and positively reflect on the volunteer’s employer as well. Encouraging board-level volunteerism without training is akin to prescribing medication without evaluation.
— Frank A. Monti Apr 29, 06:36 PM #
I totally agree with your conclusion. Volunteerism is akin to communism. The latter is ideal for our society but it needs a lot of study, correction, and evaluation, isn’t it?
— hsien hong lin, Kent State University Apr 30, 07:05 PM #