This idea is excerpted from Barbara’s book Handle with CARE–Motivating and Retaining Employees (McGraw-Hill, 2002) 

Nancy Bruner-Koontz, events manager at Janus Funds, Denver, CO, organizes volunteer groups for youth-at-risk organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Big Brothers / Big Sisters of America. Other organizations do community service projects with groups like Adopt-A Highway and Habitat for Humanity. The University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) – Empact! helps raise money in the Aids Walk by getting a group together through their newsletter.

At Tom’s of Maine the policy is that employees should try to give 5% of their work time to some kind of community service or volunteer project. This encourages employees to explore their gifts as they help others.

Ashland Chemical in Dublin, Ohio, gives scientists company time to make presentations to science classes and also dedicates space for a group of students to meet to do science research. They also donate used fitness equipment from their fitness centers to a United Way agency that sponsors fitness centers for inner city families.

Digital Semiconductor employees donate hundreds of backpacks full of notebooks, pens, socks, and other school supplies to needy children.

The Rockport Company organized a group of employees to paint the storage facility for a local food pantry.

BI Performance Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has many volunteer groups. Some of these groups help those in the community and others are internal volunteers. Here are a few of them:

• Bridging Team – The team raises money as well as communicating, coordinating, and staffing monthly household goods collections of items donated by BI associates. Their goal is to provide quality furniture and household goods for the economically disadvantaged.
• Corporate Orientation Team – This team has been volunteering for a number of years to help new associates learn about what’s important at BI. They cover benefits, telephones, our history and culture, and quality and customer satisfaction.
• Loaves & Fishes Team – Since 1992, the Loaves and Fishes team has served a meal once a month to anyone that wishes to join them at Creekside in Bloomington. On an average night they serve 75 meals. They also collect donations from BI associates.
• Recycling Committee – Their mission is to reduce waste at BI through recycling and use reduction, education, and reward as their main tools. Through the year they reward associates with goodies such as caramel apples, cookies, state fair coupon booklets, calendars, etc. they visit individual departments, as needed, and do educational stints in addition to their cardboard crunching, can crushing, and dumpster diving all aroung BI!
• Tour Guides – They take time from their regular work schedule to act as hosts to our clients to showcase our BI campus and explain how BI’s departments work together. They know the ins-and-outs about everything from Accounting to the Warehouse!
• Singing Recognition Team – This group sings throughout BI. You give them the words to use and they’ll match them to a tune. They have sung to over 150 associates in team meetings or at their desks.