3.14.2008 - 01:09pm ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK, NY - March 14, 2008 -

NEWS FACTS

• Deloitte and United Way are co-hosting "Maximum Impact.," an innovative Alternative Spring Break program designed to integrate volunteer initiatives into on-campus Gen Y recruiting activities.



• From March 8 - 14, 80 students from 35 U.S. colleges/universities will work side-by-side with 35 Deloitte employees on a variety of hands-on and skills-based community service projects in Hancock County, Mississippi, a Gulf Coast community devastated by Hurricane Katrina.



• Demand for a spot in the program far exceeded expectations: more than 640 students applied for the 80 available volunteer positions.



• Deloitte's Alternative Spring Break enables students and potential recruits to volunteer shoulder-to-shoulder with Deloitte employees, learning from them about careers in professional services and getting an up-close view of Deloitte's culture and values.



• "Maximum Impact." volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in one of the following community service projects:
  
  
  - Comprehensive Housing Mapping Project - Since the storm, community planners have been unable to recreate area maps necessary to guide public and private investments back into Hancock County. Volunteers will use their analytic skills to transform the existing data into a comprehensive planning tool that will be used to secure resources to redevelop the community.
  
  - Human Needs Assessment Project – While there are numerous studies related to the hurricane's impact on property, there is no such single, comprehensive source of information on the impact on the people and their on-going needs. This team will use its technical skills to integrate information into one databank that can serve as a model for other communities addressing long term disaster recovery needs.
  
  - Housing Development & Repair Project – Volunteers will work on rehabilitating, repairing or building housing throughout Hancock County.
  
  
  
• In addition to serving as a new and innovative component of Deloitte's recruiting efforts, "Maximum Impact." is a natural extension of the organization's cutting-edge Community Involvement program, which is focused on using intellectual capital to help nonprofits deal with the business challenges that limit their ability to function efficiently and effectively.



• Most recently, Deloitte announced a strategic new program to establish a formal budget, policies and procedures to support $50 million in outcomes-focused pro bono engagements, to provide in-kind professional services to eligible nonprofit organizations, over the next three years.



• The partnership with Deloitte is part of United Way's ongoing commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast. Now in its third year, United Way's 2008 Alternative Spring Break programs will engage nearly 700 young people in Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts.

• The percentage of college students who volunteer grew from 27 percent in 2001 to 30 percent in 2006, according to the most recent data available from the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency. That more than doubles the growth in the adult volunteering rate.



• According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, college students are twice as likely to volunteer as individuals of the same age who are not enrolled in an institution of higher education (30.2 percent and 15.1 percent, respectively).



• Participation in alternative spring break programs overall was up about 15 percent in 2006 to 35,000 students, according to the most recent data available from BreakAway, a national nonprofit organization that develops and coordinates alternative break programs.



• Four out of five Y respondents to Deloitte's 2007 Volunteer IMPACT Survey believe their work-related skills are valuable to a nonprofit and nearly two-thirds said they want to work for companies where they can apply their skills to a nonprofit organization.



• According to the results of the 2006 Deloitte/Points of Light Volunteer IMPACT study, 77 percent of nonprofit leaders believe that skilled volunteers could significantly improve their organization's business practices.

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