News Flash: Just Released: Trends in Excellence – Innovations in Employee Volunteering

The Points of Light Corporate Institute has released the newest Trends of Excellence, a series of reports analyzing employee volunteer programs (EVP) to identify the practices associated with excellence.

Innovations in Employee Volunteering is available as a free download today. This latest volume focuses on key innovative practices displayed by excellent EVPs, such as making service a celebration, offering microvolunteering and positioning volunteering as an HR tool. The research findings indicate innovative practices that EVPs seeking greater participation, effectiveness, and societal and business impact should consider. Findings suggest EVPs should:

• Customize EVP policies that encourage targeted volunteering and draw on company skills and competencies to achieve higher impact
• Maximize the quality of volunteer contributions through volunteer preparation, training and other support
• Fold volunteering into the workplace experience to strengthen the HR benefits that accrue from volunteering and improve volunteer recruitment
• Select nontraditional causes that resonate with the workplace culture and corporate character
• Extend EVP messaging to wider audiences, including those that may not be interested in employee volunteering by communicating volunteer opportunities through other business functions and linking to business functions, such as performance reviews and onboarding

The report is based on information from the 2011 Points of Light Corporate Engagement Awards of Excellence finalist companies. Download the report today and learn more about innovations in employee volunteering.

The Points of Light Corporate Institute enables companies to engage their employees and customers in service in the communities in which they do business. It is the go-to organization providing resources, consulting services and on-the-ground activation to companies around the world seeking innovative, multi-channel engagement in employee volunteer programs, skills-based volunteering and hands-on service.

For additional information or for assistance with developing or enhancing your EVP, contact

Jennifer Highsmith, senior director, corporate training and consulting – Points of Light Corporate Institute.