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Standards for Employee Volunteer Programs Developed
Standards for Employee Volunteer Programs Developed
Published 12-11-06
Submitted by Points of Light
WASHINGTON, D.C. December 11, 2006 - Today more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have employee volunteer programs to leverage the power of service and volunteering in the corporate sector. By harnessing employee volunteering, large, small- and medium-sized businesses can effect a change in the way private enterprise contributes to public good.
Until recently, however, there has been no set of standards for corporate volunteer reporting. The Corporate Community Involvement Summit, a coalition of nonprofit organizations, has developed a set of standards that will help to track trends, benchmark programs and encourage better practices in employee volunteer programs. The Summit was engineered by the Bay Area Corporate Volunteer Council, including the Volunteer Center serving San Francisco and Mateo Counties.
"The Corporate Volunteer Reporting Standards were developed by a group of key stakeholders earlier this year," says Kevin Carroll, Chairperson of the National Council on Workplace Volunteerism, a program of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network. Carroll is also Senior Manager, Worldwide Community Affairs, for Levi Strauss & Co.
"They were developed due to an increasing need for standardization, as reporting on community involvement has become more prevalent among corporations in the U.S. and Europe. In order to benchmark our corporate community involvement achievements, we believe that it is important that we all follow a clear set of reporting guidelines. Although this has started as a U.S. standard, it has the potential of being applied internationally. "
The Corporate Volunteer Reporting Standards can be used to:
"Much like the Global Reporting Initiative's environmental reporting standards - a common framework that is used for corporate social responsibility purposes - these standards are voluntary," Carroll adds. "They are not all-encompassing, and they purposely leave room to report on additional employee involvement activity."
Planning is under way for a 2007 Corporate Community Involvement Summit to discuss the first year of using the Corporate Reporting Standards and how to enhance and update them.
For more information on the Corporate Volunteer Reporting Standards or employee volunteer programs, go to http://www.pointsoflight.org/networks/business or call Ancilla Chopskie, Director, Business Services, at 202-729-8008.
The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities. Through a variety of programs and services, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life -- businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth, and older adults -- to volunteer.
Points of Light
Points of Light
Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org.
Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.
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