Cultivating a Culture of Volunteerism in Your Business

Cultivating a Culture of Volunteerism By Donna MacBean in Your Business Last year, the Beehive State was ranked as the number one state for volunteerism. 51 percent of its residents volunteered, accumulating a total of 133.9 million hours of service! Volunteerism is woven into the fabric of each of the state’s communities; it’s the Utah way. Over the last decade, there has been a movement in the private sector signaling that employees increasingly expect employers to give back to the community, not just by handing out giant checks but by volunteering in the community and supporting local charities in unique ways. Employees want to be a part of a company that not only is worried about their bottom line but also is concerned about the world around them. In a 2017 report on corporate volunteerism, Deloitte released staggering figures that demonstrate how much employees value workplace volunteerism. The report found that cultivating a culture of volunteerism had the ability to boost morale, workplace atmosphere, and brand perception. 74 percent of working Americans noted that volunteerism provided an improved sense of purpose, 77 percent said that company-sponsored volunteer activities were essential to employee well-being, and 89 percent believed that companies who sponsored volunteer activities offered a better overall working environment than those who did not.

Employees want to be a part of a company that not only is worried about their bottom line but also is concerned about the world around them.

In November 2020, the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce launched its new Chamber Serves Initiative with the goal of increasing corporate social responsibility among businesses in the greater St. George Area. Not only is the Chamber the hub for businesses in southern Utah, it is also a bridge between businesses and nonprofit organizations. By connecting with nonprofits, businesses can boost company morale, increase employee productivity, and add value to their brand, all by taking a genuine interest in and giving back to the community! The Chamber Serves Initiative encourages businesses to give back in any way that makes sense for their company. Some companies simply provide a much-needed monetary contribution to a charity while others coordinate a day of service for their employees. If you are looking for ways that your business and employees can give back to the community, consider this: the Chamber Serves Committee plans monthly service projects in which chamber staff, chamber members, community businesses, and individuals can participate. Since launching this initiative, the Chamber has had the opportunity to give back in meaningful ways by: • Donating over $6000 to local nonprofit organizations through the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce

Foundation. • Sorting 10,480 pounds of food that will provide 8,733 meals for southern Utah families through the Utah Food

Bank. • Building a home for a family in need through Habitat for

Humanity. • Collecting over 3,000 items for hygiene kits through Red

Rock Center for Independence (RRCI). • Cleaned up over sixty bags of trash from our roadways through the Love Where You Live program. Through the Chamber Serves Initiative, the Chamber has developed the following ten ideas to help businesses find meaningful ways to give back to the community: 1. Include volunteerism and community giving as part of your company’s core values. 2. Adopt a local nonprofit to support annually. 3. Create a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy for employees. 4. Launch a company day of service where the entire company joins together for a service project. 5. Hold a company-wide competition to raise funds or gather donations for a nonprofit in need. 6. Match employee charitable contributions on a specific day, week, or month. 7. Encourage employees to participate in existing giveback programs like Amazon Smile or box tops. 8. Launch a company social media campaign to raise awareness of community needs. 9. Send a weekly or monthly internal communication highlighting ways employees are giving back to the community. 10. Create your own corporate foundation to address specific needs in the community. While these ideas may not be possible for your business to take on tomorrow, try to implement one idea today. Work towards finding creative ways to give back in the coming months and years. Your employees will thank you. Your bottom line will benefit. And the community will be better off for your contributions.

Donna MacBean is an entrepreneur, innovator, and philanthropist. Originally from Canada, Donna and her late husband moved to St. George in 2005. She started her career in bartending and later went on to manage a retail complex, eventually owning several service stations. In 2017, Donna founded Neighborhood Connection, a St. George-based non-profit organization that provides weekend food packs to children who receive free or reduced-cost lunch. She is the state chaplain for the Utah Elks Association, second vice president of the Utah State Ladies of Elks and co-chair of SGACC Chamber Serves Committee.