Empact Creates ‘Done in a Day’ to Benefit Corporations, Social Service Organizations and Local Communities

It’s easy to imagine a rigid divide between the social services sector and the world of for-profit corporations, but cross-sector collaborations have the potential to do a lot of good. While employees at nonprofits may lack some of the expertise needed to keep operations running smoothly, employees at corporations may feel they lack the time and opportunity to serve their community. In Singapore, one organization seeks to solve these problems and unlock the mutual benefits of working together.

Empact, a global affiliate of Points of Light, launched Done in a Day to help social good organizations tackle their specific challenges efficiently and effectively. In a single, structured day, skilled volunteers from corporations are matched with nonprofits in need of support in specific areas, such as HR or technology. Through Empact’s signature program, corporate volunteers are able to offer talent and expertise to fill these gaps, which benefits the community and ensures that nonprofits can operate at optimal capacity.

UBS AG, a financial services company, partnered with the Students Care Service to help with fundraising efforts and increasing individual donor contributions. UBS volunteers came up with several feasible fundraising plans and mapped out a timeline of action for the next few years. Through the match-up, Students Care Service received fundraising guidance from experts, while corporate volunteers gained an awareness of the challenges facing youth in their community. As one volunteer shared, “I got more out of this than expected, in less time than we planned for.”

Done in a Day’s cyclical design empowers companies to strengthen nonprofits, which in turn fortify and support local communities. Empact also facilitates an event, giving employee volunteers the opportunity to collaborate and showcase their experience.

The organization sees the success of Done in a Day as the first step for corporate giving and engagement, and a platform to encourage long-term corporate partnerships and involvement in the future. After participating in the program, participants reported they felt more knowledgeable about skills-based volunteerism and inspired to volunteer more in the future.