In recent years, job seekers have increasingly pursued and prioritized employment opportunities with socially responsible companies. In fact, studies show that 75% of millennials (who also comprise the largest portion of the American workforce) would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible organization.

As part of our givetime campaign with U.S. Bank, we are spotlighting a few of the nonprofit organizations that won free VolunteerMatch membership for a year. If you are looking for ways to give time now and into 2022, consider supporting one of these incredible causes. 

Plus, check out even more ideas at the end of the post!

So much has happened in 2020 and now into 2021 where we have faced new challenges, less connection, and larger division, which is impacting how we feel. With May being Mental Health Awareness month, it gives us the time to shift our focus to our own wellness and those around us whether at home, at work, or in our communities. Here are 18 ways to inspire you to do just that.

There has been an increase in overall demand for food from Food Banks across the U.S. because of COVID-19. It’s amazing to see our communities: individuals, businesses, governments, and nonprofit organizations come together to support the people in need.

It shows that if we collaborate and work together, we can make a significant difference in fighting hunger in our communities.

Here are some inspiring ways people are working together to combat this growing challenge.

What if I told you that I know the reason a full 33% of your employees don’t participate in your giving and volunteering program?

You’d act quickly to remedy that barrier right?

Well, thanks to America’s Charities Snapshot 2017 Report, we do know the reason. And for many companies, it’s not that hard to remedy.

According to the report, 1/3 of employees won’t give through their workplace because they’re not able to choose the causes that matter to them.

The report elaborates further:

Consistently engaging your employees can be tough so if you’re struggling to get your team focused and prioritized, you’re not alone. It’s actually an issue all across the country. 2018 Gallup statistics reveal only 34% of American workers felt engaged in their work, with 53% feeling no connection to their work or workplace. And with the changing workforce landscape, it’s becoming increasingly clear that new tactics are needed to ensure employees are productive, and subsequently care about their output. 

“The reward for pro-bono work is not always just in heaven.” — Paul Rand

Why skills-based volunteering?

Design is a resource that makes products more engaging to interact with and easier to use. In 2018, when most companies must consider their digital presence, the demand for design is only growing. While technology companies may have the resources to hire a team dedicated to design and user experience, there’s still a large segment of organizations that don’t have ready access to design resources.

Volunteerism has long been an integral part of Box’s epic corporate culture. The technology company, based out of Redwood City, CA, wanted the process of finding and signing up for volunteer opportunities to be as easy as possible for their employees.

With VolunteerMatch’s Network Subscription, they were able to consolidate their giving platforms and incorporate thousands of searchable, real-time volunteer opportunities.

Guest post by Kenneth Waldman

Getting your employees to volunteer can be a challenging task. However, it can provide your company and your employees with many benefits that aren’t obvious right away. Employees may see volunteering as something that cuts into their time — either on or off work. In reality, volunteering represents a way of giving back to one’s community while strengthening relationships and building new skills, all of which ultimately improves the workplace and boosts employee engagement and retention.

Abraham Lincoln famously said: “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.” As many corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals will recognize, this rings true when defining your CSR strategy.