Across America, companies of all shapes and sizes are working to create a workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. But reaching true Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) is easier said than done. Those who have found success find great rewards. 3 in 4 job seekers and workers prefer diverse companies which leads to more qualified applicants. Bottomline: bringing DE&I to your company can increase revenue, deepen employee inclusion, and improve employee recruitment. A major catalyst for this inclusion is company volunteering.
Why is volunteering important?
Volunteering is all about what we care about, the values we hold dear, and how much effort we put into supporting these values. These values reflect your vision for your community, the vision that you have for the people you care about, and the world that you live in. As Charity Village puts it, volunteering “is the interplay between what we value and the value that we create through our actions.”
How does volunteering promote DE&I?
Volunteering can help to build a sense of community and shared purpose within a company, which can in turn promote more equitable and inclusive practices. For example, if a company’s volunteer efforts are focused on addressing issues of poverty or discrimination, employees may become more aware of and invested in addressing these issues in the workplace as well. Finally, by actively seeking out and engaging with diverse organizations and communities in their volunteer efforts, companies can help to create more inclusive and equitable partnerships and networks. This can lead to more diverse perspectives and voices being represented in the company and in its decision-making processes.
So what happens when you put volunteering and DE&I together, you get something great! Generus makes these team-building events come to life. These events not only promote DE&I but also help improve employee engagement and workplace volunteerism. Let’s talk about some of these virtual volunteering opportunities.
Early Learning Kits for Children in Under-Resourced Communities
In this event, we explore how early interventions promote school readiness in toddlers and preschool-aged children from families with low income. These programs support early learning development, and family well-being and yield significant long-term impacts in building stronger communities by promoting equity and opportunity.
Painting Art Journals for LGBTQIA+ Youth and Young Adults
LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults are at greater risk for depression, homelessness, and death by suicide. Research has found that sketching and journaling provide important therapeutic benefits. Generus strives to bring support to the nonprofits through art and therapeutic writing helping all youth and young adults thrive.
Sources:
Paula. “The Value of Volunteering.” CharityVillage, CharityVillage, 26 Nov. 2019, https://charityvillage.com/the_value_of_volunteering/#:~:text=Volunteering%20reflects%20our%20values%20%E2%80%93%20what,society%2C%20and%20for%20those%20volunteering.
Reiners, Bailey. “54 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics to Know.” Built In, Built In, https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/diversity-in-the-workplace-statistics.
Tennille, Jerome. “Supporting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy by Including Skills-Based Employee Volunteering.” Business 2 Community, Business 2 Community., 30 June 2020, https://www.business2community.com/social-business/supporting-a-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-strategy-by-including-skills-based-employee-volunteering-02323666.
