Published 02-13-06
Submitted by LBG Associates
Standard I: Strategy
Companies need to develop a thoughtful strategy, one which reflects the values and beliefs of the company with respect to philanthropy, in general, and volunteerism, in particular. The strategy should incorporate a mission statement, policies and guidelines which: address why the company encourages, promotes and supports volunteerism; provide direction in terms of goals and objectives; align with existing community relations/involvement strategies; and incorporate business objectives, employee interests and community needs.
Standard II: Infrastructure
Companies need to set the scope and parameters within which their programs will operate by establishing a clearly defined program structure and developing processes and procedures to guide their volunteer programs. Similarly, companies also need to assign an appropriate number of personnel and allocate sufficient funds to effectively support, manage and run their programs.
Standard III: Communication
Companies need to develop communications strategies, leverage appropriate communications tools and deliver pertinent information and messages to key internal and external audiences aimed at generating awareness, elevating interest and driving participation.
Standard IV: Leadership
Companies need to encourage a high level of senior management buy-in and support for volunteerism, as well as participation in community and board service activities. Senior management buy-in legitimizes the value of the program, secures needed resources such as funding and personnel, and motivates employees and managers to volunteer.
Standard V: Education and Training
Companies need to educate both employees and management alike on: the importance of volunteering; why the company encourages and supports volunteerism; related guidelines, policies and programs; and the benefits they, their communities and the company enjoy. Similarly, companies also need to train employees and management on: how to volunteer/get involved; plan and organize events and activities; recruit fellow co-workers; and serve on nonprofit boards.
Standard VI: Recognition
Companies - their management especially - in an effort to recruit and retain volunteers, as well as bolster employee pride and morale, need to recognize employees for their commitment of time, talent and energy - both formally and informally - as often as possible.
Standard VII: Employee Engagement
Companies need not only actively recruit employees to volunteer, but create a corporate culture that makes employees want to get involved, by: incorporating employees' needs and interests; making it easy for employees to get involved; providing employees with a variety of events and activities to participate in; allowing employees to volunteer during the workday; and soliciting employee feedback.
Standard VIII: Effective Partnerships
Companies need to establish effective partnerships with the "right" nonprofit organizations, those which have the knowledge, experience and capacity to successfully: plan and organize events and activities; coordinate and manage volunteer participation; recognize employee and corporate support; and utilize corporate and community resources in a responsible manner. Additionally, companies should look to establish effective partnerships with nonprofit organizations that fit with their corporate cultures/values, and ones that can meet specific needs related to individual volunteers, groups projects, signature programs and/or annual corporate events.
Standard IX: Evaluation and Measurement
Companies need to consistently and accurately track employee engagement, both formally and informally, as well as measure and evaluate process and outcome data. Companies also need to solicit feedback from employees, management and nonprofit partners.
LBG Associates also announces the release of The Self-Diagnostic Tool for Volunteer Program Managers. "The Tool" allows CR, volunteer and human resource (HR) managers to evaluate their volunteer programs against The Standards. Through the utilization of specific performance indicators, managers can utilize The Tool to:
"The Self-Diagnostic Tool is a simple, straightforward device that managers can use to effectively track, measure and evaluate the health of their programs without knowing exactly who volunteers, how often or even what they do," said Dr. Linda Gornitsky, president and founder of LBG Associates and co-creator of The Standards. To use the tool, managers self-score or rate the strength of their programs based on a series of questions fundamental to each of the nine Standards of Excellence. Scores for each standard are tallied and overall score, or grade, is then assigned to the entire program. "The Self-Diagnostic Tool helps identify the specific strengths and weaknesses of any program," said Gornitsky, "The Tool also serves as a great training exercise for junior and seasoned managers, alike."
In addition to four years of intense research, The Standards and Self-Diagnostic Tool are also the bi-products of LBG Associates' most recent groundbreaking study, Measuring Corporate Volunteerism. Measuring Corporate Volunteerism provides CR, volunteer and HR managers with the knowledge to measure the success of their volunteer programs and identifies the "key components" community relations and volunteer managers should focus on to achieve the greatest results. Specifically, the study explains how CR/volunteer managers and senior executives define success and how they evaluate the success of their programs; outlines the "key components" necessary to build and maintain a successful corporate volunteer program; explores the intricacies of many of those "key components" and highlights what, specifically, about each contributes to the success of volunteer programs; and identifies the value and benefits of corporate volunteerism, from the perspectives of CR/volunteer managers, senior executives and the nonprofit community.
"What we found is that the success of a corporate volunteer program cannot, nor should not, be based solely on the level of employee participation, but rather on how well the program is managed against its goals and objectives," says Jared Skok, vice president of LBG Associates and co-creator of The Standards. "Based on the research, companies can significantly increase employee participation, as well as the overall success of their volunteer programs, by: establishing a structure which makes it easy for employees to get involved, as well as want to get involved; educating and informing employees about the program, up-coming events and activities, and how to get involved; providing opportunities for employees to get involved/volunteer during the workday; and recognizing volunteers for their involvement/commitment of time and energy," said Skok.
Furthermore, the study also shows that managers with limited time, money and human resources can achieve the greatest results by: recognizing volunteers, focusing on how their programs are structured, increasing budget levels, enhancing internal communications and establishing work-release policies.
For more information on The Standards of Excellence, Self-Diagnostic Tool or study, Measuring Corporate Volunteerism, please visit www.LBG-Associates.com
LBG Associates is a woman-owned consulting firm specializing in the design, implementation and management of strategic corporate citizenship programs and initiatives, such as:
Founded in 1993 by Dr. Linda Gornitsky, LBG Associates is committed to providing clients with creative and innovative solutions in a personal, professional, cost-effective and timely manner. With offices in New York and Washington, we pride ourselves on being small enough to respond to client's needs, yet large and diverse enough to handle any project or task.
NY Area Office
245 Long Close Road
Stamford, CT 06902
(203) 325-3154
DC Area Office
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Germantown, MD 20876
(301) 528-5773
LBG Associates is a woman-owned consulting firm focused on designing, implementing, and managing corporate citizenship and community outreach programs and initiatives. Founded in 1993 by Dr. Linda Gornitsky, LBG Associates drives social change through expert advice; cutting-edge research; implementation of strategies, programs, policies, and procedures; and training that equips practitioners with the knowledge and skills to grow and advance in the field of corporate community involvement. Find more information at: www.lbg-associates.com.
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