Companies navigating through tighter budgets are turning to volunteerism as
a way to give back to the communities in which they operate, the Washington
Post's Amy Joyce reports. For a Limited Time receive a
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Download NowWith less money available to donate to nonprofits, many companies are encouraging
workers to give their time to organizations.
"Companies are using volunteering strategically," says Kelly Kinneen,
a spokesperson for Greater DC Cares, a coordinator of volunteerism and philanthropy.
"They may not have the dollars to give to organizations like they would
like to, so companies . . . have volunteer days in their own community."
Last year, Greater DC Cares saw 32 more companies particpate through the organization's
program for volunteers, according to Joyce.
Kinneen says both large and small companies are offering employees the time
to work in local nonprofits or placing them on the boards of organizations.
AOL tells Joyce that this year's volunteering campaign had the most participants
in the campaign's three-year history, with 500 of the company's 4,000 employees
at its Virginia campus taking part.
Experts say volunteerism can boost employee morale while helping out community
organizations that have seen funding cuts.
"If you don't stand for something in today's world, you're really nothing,"
says Jane Weizmann, a consultant with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. "I think
employers know that to engage your employees, you have to be committed to them."
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