What is Corporate Volunteering?
Corporate Volunteering or ESV (Employer Supported Volunteering) is when businesses offer their employees paid time to participate in volunteer work, usually during work hours and for the benefit of the communities.
There are a number of ways employees can volunteer:
- Team Volunteer Days - activities / events where employees participate together as a group, e.g., painting and gardening.
- Skills-based volunteering - employees use their specialist professional skills and expertise to help an organisation, e.g., a marketing employee could advise on branding or social media strategy. This often has more long-term impact for small individual organisations.
- Training- offering a short session online / in person on a specialist area which might benefit organisations. This often has more long-term impact for multiple small organisations.
Sunderland Voluntary Sector Alliance can help broker purposeful partnerships between business and organisation to maximise social value, supporting businesses in meeting their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) priorities in the most meaningful way, and encouraging real impact for organisations and communities across the Sunderland area. WE are here to help identify and match the needs and skills on both sides for mutual benefit.
Find your perfect match - Download a list of corporate volunteering offers from the business sector (PDF, 54 KB)
The advantages of Corporate Volunteering
Common benefits for employees:
- Enjoyment and increased well-being.
- Feel good factor, a sense of giving back and making a difference.
- Meeting individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Opportunity to use skills in fresh ways.
- Enhanced CV and job prospects.
Common benefits for businesses:
- Increased morale, perception and pride of the working environment, subsequently better retention of staff.
- Stronger, more connected teams.
- Enriched professional development opportunities.
- Understanding more about the client base / communities you serve or are based in.
- Improved profile, brand reputation and trust.
- Meaningful fulfilment of CSR and the opportunity to build longer-term relationships.
Common benefits for organisations:
- Innovation and creativity, and the transfer of knowledge in specialist areas.
- Extended contacts and networks.
- Enhanced organisational capacity to deliver services and projects.
- Opportunity to exchange values to aid better understanding.
- Opportunity for longer-term relationships and support.
Is your business looking to offer corporate volunteering?
If you would like to get involved in corporate volunteering or to discuss potential opportunities in more detail, please email: volunteer@sunderlandvsa.co.uk
Are you a Sunderland based VCSE organisation?
If you have any projects that require support from corporate volunteers, or would like to discuss ideas in more detail, please email: volunteer@Sunderlandvsa.co.uk
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