Catchafire Blog

Impact in minutes: Microvolunteering at Engage for Good

Written by Gohar Chichian | May 21, 2024 7:17:15 PM
 
 

Employee engagement is a critical indicator of a healthy corporate environment and a direct contributor to organizational success. Engaged employees show higher levels of productivity, fulfillment, and retention. Developing robust employee engagement strategies is critical for any business looking to thrive in today's competitive landscape. One element of employee engagement strategies includes implementing employee volunteer programs that boost morale while giving back to the community.

 

The Engage for Good Conference

The Engage for Good Conference is an annual convening that focuses on corporate social impact. This year’s conference in Minneapolis brought together corporate and nonprofit professionals to collaborate, brainstorm, and explore ways of fostering meaningful partnerships across their sectors. The conference serves as a melting pot of ideas where attendees can learn from one another’s successes, challenges, and opportunities related to social impact.

Bridging corporate and nonprofit worlds

The conference highlights the power of collaboration between the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Attendees benefit from understanding how these interactions can lead to sustained impact within communities and the workplace alike. The event offers a platform to discuss emerging trends in CSR and innovative employee engagement activities that align with corporate goals.
 

Catchafire at the Engage for Good Conference

At this year’s conference, Catchafire sponsored a lunch session where over 600 attendees were invited to participate in a microvolunteering opportunity. In 15 minutes or less, participants volunteered from their phone to see pressing questions from nonprofits on the Catchafire platform, and wrote in advice to challenges they are having in areas such as marketing, fundraising, HR, and strategy. This simple gesture saves nonprofits time from googling endless articles and allows them to crowdsource credible advice from mission-minded experts.

The sessions were designed to inspire collaboration in the sector, building upon the conference’s theme of ‘turning moments into movements.’ The moment of the microvolunteering event led to the ultimate movement of supporting nonprofits with critical needs–within 15 minutes, 11 nonprofits were supported.

 

"We want everyone to know that they have amazing skills to give, regardless of their role, and that giving can happen quickly and easily. The goal of our microvolunteering events is to engage employees, show them how easy it is to make an impact, and demonstrate how beneficial their insights can be. When we talk about influential 'moments,' this is one that can create a transformative ripple effect that helps companies give back and engage their employees in a bite-size way.” 

Sonia Aviv, VP, Corporate Responsibility Business
Catchafire

 

 

Microvolunteering opportunities and their benefits for corporate employees 

Microvolunteering involves short, task-based volunteering opportunities that employees can complete in a relatively short time, without the need for long-term commitments. These opportunities are particularly appealing in corporate environments where time is a valuable commodity.

Why microvolunteering?

Microvolunteering offers a flexible, accessible way for employees to contribute to causes they care about, enhancing their sense of purpose and connection to their employer. It supports employee engagement strategies by providing:

  • Flexibility: Employees can choose when and how they engage, fitting volunteering around their professional responsibilities.
  • Accessibility: With tasks that can be completed online, employees can participate from anywhere, making it inclusive.
  • Variety: A range of tasks means there's something for every skill set and interest.

Benefits of employee engagement through microvolunteering

Engaging in microvolunteering can lead to numerous benefits for both employees and the organizations they work for, including:

  • Increased employee satisfaction and morale: Employees feel a greater sense of achievement and fulfillment.
  • Improved teamwork and collaboration: Working together on volunteer projects can strengthen team bonds.
  • Professional development: Engaging in microvolunteering opportunities allows employees to apply their skills in new ways, contributing to their professional growth and leadership skills.
  • Enhanced company reputation: Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility can improve brand perception among consumers and potential employees.
 

Microvolunteering on Catchafire

Whether you have a small team or a large global corporation, Catchafire can scale to meet the needs of your employees. Our skills-based volunteering opportunities are in-person, virtual, and tailored to facilitate matches between your employees and the causes they are passionate about. 

On Catchafire, employees can participate in skills-based volunteering opportunities such as: 
  • 15 minute microvolunteering: Provide written answers to nonprofit questions and solve challenges.
  • One hour consultation calls: Provide expert advice over the phone.
  • Team volunteering projects: Work with colleagues to address a nonprofit challenge.
  • Full-length projects: Engage in deeper projects in areas such as finance, IT, management, and marketing.
  • Nonprofit board service: Build long-term impact and relationships with nonprofits.

Get started with Catchafire

Catchafire’s employee engagement software can support companies looking to deepen their commitment to social responsibility and implement a successful employee volunteer program. The platform specializes in connecting professionals with nonprofits for skills-based volunteering tasks. Connect with Catchafire today  to explore how your company can benefit from these opportunities.

Request a demo today.

 
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