Social Action at Work

Millennials and EVPs

2011-09-25T09:38:00.001-07:00

The article "How to appeal to the Millennial W orkforce" in the Northern Colorado Business Report summarizes findings about working with Millennials. Of particular interest are findings that show these employees, born between 1980 and 2000, have a more positive reaction to their employers when their organizations offer strong employee volunteer programs:

The Deloitte survey reveals that those who frequently participate in their company's employee volunteer activities are:
Twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive (56 percent vs. 28 percent)
More likely to be very proud to work for their company (55 percent vs. 36 percent)
More likely to feel very loyal toward their company (52 percent vs. 33 percent)
Nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career (37 percent vs. 21 percent)
More likely to be very satisfied with their employer (51 percent vs. 32 percent); and
More likely to recommend their company to a friend (57 percent vs. 46 percent)

Create a Team for a Charity Walk

2011-08-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

On July 17, the 25th Annual AIDS Walk in San Francisco raised over $3,000,000 for Bay area AIDS programs and services through the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, including, as outlined in the walk material:

Benefits counselors help individuals understand and link into the complex private and public benefits systems, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, food stamps, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Social Security and private disability plans.
The housing subsidy program provides rental assistance to more than 350 individuals. Through the work of our client advocates and the clients themselves,more than 95 percent of these individuals remain stably housed.
The Speed Project works with gay and bisexual men who use crystal methamphetamine to assist them in understanding the connections between substance use and sexual health and well-being through education, peer support and alternative social activities.
Black Brothers Esteem promotes the sexual health and well-being of AfricanAmerican gay, bisexual and same-gender loving men. Through weekly drop-in support groups, workshops, leadership-building retreats and other community-building activities, members learn to advocate for their own health and for their community.
The HIV Prevention Project is a sterile syringe access program that distributes more than 2.3 million syringes annually, helping thousands of exchangers and their partners avoid HIV infection and hepatitis C. Staff and volunteers, nurses, and drug treatment counselors offer free, anonymous exchange and other vital services at 10 San Francisco locations.
El Grupo, is one of the longest running bilingual support groups for Latinos living with HIV in the nation. Open to all HIV-positive Latino/as and their families, El Grupo provides a safe forum to share information on managing HIV and reducing isolation and stigma.
The Stonewall Project is a counseling and treatment program for men who have sex with men (queer, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or no label) who use crystal methamphetamine. Its website, tweaker.org, provides information about the use of meth to nearly 2,300 visitors a day.
Magnet provides sexual health services, including HIV and STD testing and screening, in the Castro, the neighborhood with the greatest concentration of new HIV infections in San Francisco, and creates a space for gay men’s social events.
BETA (Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS) provides in-depth treatment information and news on the latest advances in HIV care.

For non-profit organizations, teams are able to effectively raise money for causes, and NPOs like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation promote team formation and facilitate team effectiveness. I am quite amazed at the comprehensiveness of their manual for teams. One table they include is a list of the top 25 fundraising teams from 2010. (Go, Gap, Inc!) To me, this is brilliant. First off, it recognizes the strong performance of these teams and promotes a sense of appreciation. It also provides promotes the reputation of the organizations with teams in the top 25. Less obviously, it might spur healthy competition so the teams will strive for even greater donations for future walks.

Benefits to the non-profit organization, such as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, are clear. In the Fall, walks to support charitable organizations abound. (The ones closest to my heart are the Walks for Farm Animals held across the to country to benefit the Farm Sanctuary; my dog and I also walk in the March for Animals to benefit the Tompkins County SPCA.)

What is it, though, that organizations who provide the employees who populate the teams gain? As I mentioned, having teams participate in the walk can provide good public relations among the other walkers and the larger community. The organization can benefit in other ways from employee involvement in these teams. Employees usually have fun with other team members on the walk. They feel a sense of meaning from participating in a fundraising opportunity for a good cause. When the team has worked together to raise funds leading up to the walk, and when the team creates a special t-shirt for the team members to wear, cohesion among the team members increases.

This is a very low-cost, low-risk strategy for organizations who want to promote SAW. Even better if organizations will match some or all of the funds raised to show a greater commitment to the cause and support of the employees who are walking.

Gap Inc.'s "Be What's Possible" Program

2011-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Gap, Inc. has a number of programs that allow employees to become involved in social action at work. The "Service Leadership" section of their corporate social responsibility report. In 2010, employees donated over 428,000 volunteer hours, primarily through skills-based volunteerism that leverages an employee's knowledge, skills and abilities to help local charitable organizations. The report explains:

employees provide skills-based volunteerism that ranges from writing a competitive analysis for a women’s organization to creating a database for a workers’ rights group to providing organizational development for a family services agency. As an ongoing example, a team from our Legal department has been working with two youth nonprofits to provide the legal expertise they need to expand their services, acting similarly to an in-house counsel for these organizations.

To help associates identify the volunteer opportunities that best align with their skills, Gap, Inc. provides a website called "Be What's Possible."

This site outlines the different social action programs available to employees, including grants for team-based volunteering, "money-for-time" (donations to non-profits when an employee volunteers a minimum number of hours), Camp Old Navy, board member match, and more. Gap, Inc. provides two different toolkits that help employees identify the intersection between their skills and their passions and provide advice for maximizing the impact employees can have on their chosen cause. Finally, the site outlines the target causes (those that "fit" with Gap Inc.'s social mission) and offers instructions for associates who want to take advantage of matching donations.

Gap, Inc. believes the opportunities for social action at work pay off with more committed employees:

We see a direct connection between our employees’ volunteerism and their commitment to Gap Inc.: engaged employees deliver strong business results. In a recent employee survey, nearly all respondents said it is important for them to work for a company that invests in the community.

TIAA-CREF Parnters with UNC Charlotte to Promote Financial Literacy

2011-08-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

A recent press release outlines the planned initiatives of a partnership between TIAA-CREF and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, to provide financial education to students and faculty in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district. One unique feature of the partnership is that members of UNC Charlotte will train TIAA-CREF volunteers on how to be better tutors and mentors to students. Additionally, the planned events are meaningful to the local community and take advantage of TIAA-CREF's core competencies. When social action at work is aligned with the values and strategies of the company, employees believe them to be more authentic, leading to better outcomes in terms of commitment and satisfaction (Ellis, 2008).

August 18, 2011 10:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--TIAA-CREF, a leading financial services provider, and UNC Charlotte today announced a partnership to provide educational support to over 4700 students and 500 faculty members at Governor’s Village schools. Opened in 1996, Governors Village is home to four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS): John M. Morehead STEM Academy, Nathaniel Alexander Elementary, James Martin Middle, and Zebulon B. Vance High.

“We are proud to partner with UNC Charlotte and the Charlotte school system to adopt these four schools to ensure that the students and teachers have the tools they need to be successful.”

Working together with CMS to identify the specific needs of the Governor’s Village schools, TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte have partnered to develop a number of programs and initiatives that will take place throughout the school year, including:

Mentoring/Tutoring Programs – Starting in mid-September 2011 and running throughout the school year, TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte volunteers will provide tutoring and mentoring for students in Governor’s Village. UNC Charlotte faculty will provide training to all TIAA-CREF volunteers on best practices for being a mentor and tutor.

Governor’s Village Professional Development Conference – On January 23, 2012, TIAA-CREF will host, at the organization’s offices in Charlotte, a professional development conference for approximately 500+ teachers and faculty from the Governor’s Village schools. TIAA-CREF will provide financial services related topics for the conference, and the conference agenda will be developed jointly by TIAA-CREF, UNC Charlotte and CMS.

Job Shadow Event – In February 2012, TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte will host a job shadow event at TIAA-CREF offices for students in grades 8-12, in order to provide students with opportunities to gather information on a wide variety of career possibilities. Additionally, TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte staff and alumni will participate in Career Day at schools for students in grades 3-7.

Financial Literacy Employee Volunteer Program – In April 2012, to coincide with National Financial Literacy Month, TIAA-CREF employees will host financial education sessions with teachers, faculty and parents at the schools’ PTA meetings.

“TIAA-CREF is dedicated to education and committed to supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Charlotte-based Gene Flood, Executive Vice President of Diversified Financial Services. “We are proud to partner with UNC Charlotte and the Charlotte school system to adopt these four schools to ensure that the students and teachers have the tools they need to be successful.”

“UNC Charlotte has a long-standing relationship with TIAA-CREF and we’ve made Governor’s Village an important part of our community outreach priorities,” said Mary Lynne Calhoun, dean of UNC Charlotte’s College of Education “Through our combined volunteer time and resources, this partnership is about removing educational barriers to help deserving students achieve their full potential”

“We are grateful for the partnership and commitment from TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte,” said interim superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh. “Our students in the Governor’s Village can benefit tremendously from this initiative.”

TIAA-CREF also announced that it had donated approximately 500 personal computers to the Governor’s Village schools. The donated computers support TIAA-CREF’s belief that students should have access to technology and information for educational development and learning purposes.

In addition, TIAA-CREF donated school supplies for the Governor’s Village schools in the company’s annual “Backpacks and Knapsacks School-Supply Drive”. TIAA-CREF's "Backpacks and Knapsacks" program is a school supply effort championed by employees to support education through their donation of pencils, paper, backpacks and crayons for local schoolchildren.

Additionally, in advance of the start of the school year, dozens of TIAA-CREF and UNC Charlotte volunteers assisted in the beautification of the Governor’s Village schools campuses to prepare for the arrival of faculty and schoolchildren.

About TIAA-CREF

TIAA-CREF (www.tiaa-cref.org) is a national financial services organization with $469 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/11) and is the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., members FINRA, distribute securities products.

Herman Miller's Better World Report

2011-08-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Herman Miller is one of the companies that inspires me the most. They are extremely conscientious in their product design and marketing as well as in operations, but they are careful not to over-promote their sustainability to avoid greenwashing. It doesn't hurt that their products are of exemplary quality and are cleverly and beautifully designed.

Herman Miller also supports employees' social action at work. Employees are allowed 16 paid hours a year to work with the charitable organization of their choice. As a whole, the company has a goal of providing 10,000 volunteer hours to the community. That employees can chose the organization for which they want to volunteer allows them to create significant meaning through SAW. Additionally, there are team-based volunteer opportunities which allow employees to interact and network while doing good work. Recently, a team worked on a LEED (!) Habitat for Humanity home. Around 100 employees volunteered time to build a playground in an economically depressed area of a local community. For the third year, 40 women participated in Women to Women International. Moreover, the company matched donations to the Herman Miller Foundation, with the funds going to hurricane ravaged Haiti.

Community Service - A Better World Report - About Us - Herman Miller

McGraw Hill: Why We Volunteer

2011-08-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

McGraw Hill's company blog, The Virtual Watercooler, describes the motivation behind the organization's employee volunteer program and details the efforts they made as part of their eighth annual "Global Volunteer Day" (GVD). They write:

This year’s GVD really did have a global reach, especially in helping the lives of children. In the U.S., 90 of the 157 projects focused on helping children. In India, team leaders volunteered at over 50 schools across the country which impacted approximately 9,400 students. In Melbourne, Australia, team leader Marg Slesser said “We had an incredibly inspirational day with our project. Everyone came away from the day feeling they had contributed to the lives of the special people we spent the day with and feeling very humbled by our experience. The Melbourne City Mission people were very grateful for the opportunity to take such a large group and enjoy a day’s outing partaking in an activity that so many of us take for granted.” These are just a few highlights of the impact we had in 58 cities around the world.

McGraw Hill's latest Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

Academy of Management Blogging

2011-08-13T22:46:00.001-07:00

I'll be blogging for the Academy of Management during the annual conference this year. About 9,000 management scholars and practitioners along with the staff who make the meeting possible have converged on hot and humid San Antonio, Texas.

Check out my first entry here!

Adopt-a-Garden

2011-08-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Gardens provide environmental benefits, but they also help with mental health. At Cayuga Medical Center, employee volunteers maintain gardens around the hospital's campus.

Ford Rogue Factory

2011-08-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Visiting Dearborn's Ford Rogue Factory, where the car maker's F150s are produced, was such a treat. I enjoyed seeing the production line and watching the employees as they interacted with each other (or not) and completed their tasks. I was also thrilled to see the environmental-friendly features of the LEED Gold factory. One highlight is Ford's living roof, the largest in the world. Vegetated roofs have several advantages, including better use of water, longer life span of the roof, improved heating and cooling, reduced urban heat sink, and aesthetic qualities. Ford has large cisterns that capture rain water and runoff to use in the plant. The factory was also designed for efficient air flow, natural light, and porous pavement.

I was surprised, and pleased, to know that Ford also gives attention to wildlife and has been designated as an official wildlife habitat. They also have a colony of bees on site that are cared for by an employee volunteer.

Many of these initiatives are only successful through the efforts of Ford employee and retiree volunteers. Learn more about the program at the Ford Volunteer Corps website.

Johnson & Johnson employees promote organic farming - - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

2011-07-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Johnson & Johnson employees promote organic farming - - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

ExxonMobil: Employee Volunteerism and Giving

2011-05-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

ExxonMobil reported recently on their employee volunteerism and giving for 2010:

"In 2010, more than 24,800 ExxonMobil employees, retirees, and their families worldwide donated more than 779,500 volunteer hours to 5500 charitable organizations in 43 countries through company-sponsored volunteer programs. Of this, 12,500 participants donated more than 179,400 hours to more than 1200 organizations in countries outside the United States.

Employees and retirees donated $38 million through ExxonMobil’s matching gift, disaster relief, and employee giving programs. When combined with corporate donations, ExxonMobil—together with our employees and retirees—contributed $237 million to community investments around the world."

PRESS RELEASE: Microsoft Corporation Creatively Leverages Tech Expertise and Software for Social Good

2011-05-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, United Way honored Microsoft Corporation with two Summit awards for the company's generosity and for innovative technology and software programs focused on improving education.

"Microsoft is maximizing all its resources, from financial to software to employee expertise, to improve education and help young people and communities," said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide. "Their innovation, creativity and commitment set them apart as a leader and exemplary corporate citizen that is taking measurable steps to create a brighter future for all of us."

In 2010, Microsoft donated $603 million in cash and software to charitable organizations around the world, including $14.3 million in cash and software to United Way, the number-one recipient of Microsoft employee gifts and corporate matching funds.

Microsoft and its employees also creatively leveraged technology and expertise to improve education by:
Providing TownHall software and assistance to create an online forum for community conversations around education, raising awareness around United Way's goal to cut the dropout rate in half.

Helping fund the creation of InterroBang, an interactive online game for students that teaches problem solving by giving kids missions to complete in the real world. Microsoft volunteers plus nearly 500 students and parents helped launch the game by creating videos, songs, stories and dances using Microsoft technology at the 2010 United Way Thanksgiving Halftime Show in Detroit.

Helping United Way of King County drive an expansion that will ultimately triple the scale of its Parent-Child Home Program, which prepares low-income 3- and 4-year olds for later success in school. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith co-chaired United Way of King County's $111 million annual fundraising campaign, of which $8.6 million will be used to expand the program.

Creating and supporting countless STEM and tech-focused programs, including the Microsoft Math Partnership, professional development for teachers; EduConnect, where employees teach math and tech in schools; Imagine Cup, a creative technology competition for students; Students in Business training; and DreamSpark, free student downloads of software.

Volunteering more than 72,490 hours toward education projects and 363,000 hours overall. Since 2006, Microsoft has doubled the number of employees volunteering plus provided $23 million in matching grants, with a $17/hour donation for employees volunteering 10 or more hours.

"At Microsoft, we have a long and proud partnership with United Way that goes back to our first formal community efforts in 1983," commented Pamela Passman, Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs. "They are an important part of our commitment to helping create opportunities and solve local challenges in communities across the country and our partnership continues to grow. In 2010, Microsoft and its employees donated more than $14.3 million in cash, software, and in-kind contributions to United Way organizations worldwide, including $3 million in direct employee contributions, plus over 5,000 employees volunteered during the year. We look forward to continuing this valued partnership to help those in need across the United States."

In addition to campaign donations, Microsoft employees got creative when it came to fundraising, with a companywide charitable auction plus creating and selling a book of original photography to benefit United Way. The tech giant also provided more than $1.7 million in software to the Mary M. Gates Learning Center at United Way Worldwide; the center was named after Bill Gates' mother, a long-time United Way supporter and board member and is being used for global education and training.

The Spirit of America and Summit Awards program, now in its 24th year, is United Way's highest national honor for a corporation, recognizing the United Way Global Corporate Leadership company with the most comprehensive commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities. Applicants are evaluated by corporate peers, labor representatives and local United Ways.

About United Way
United Way is a worldwide network in 40 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. LIVE UNITED® is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit: LIVEUNITED.org.

About Microsoft
Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/citizenship) believes that technology can accelerate change to help solve some of society's most pressing issues. Microsoft supports programs and organizations that address the needs of communities worldwide through monetary grants, software and curriculum donations, technology solutions, and employee volunteer hours. Since 1983, Microsoft and our employees have provided more than $4.6 billion in cash, services and software to nonprofits around the world through localized, company-sponsored giving and volunteer campaigns.

SOURCE United Way Worldwide

IBM Bolsters Employee Volunteerism During Centennial Year - WSJ.com

2011-05-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

IBM Bolsters Employee Volunteerism During Centennial Year - WSJ.com

Helping Big Cats

2011-04-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

For a community project, a local Starbucks crew donated their time to paint a perimeter fence at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida. On their Facebook page, Big Cat Rescue writes:

Big Cat Rescue would like to extend a big ROAR of gratitude to our friends at Starbucks. These wonderful folks recently volunteered their time to visit the sanctuary to conduct a community service project that included painting the sanctuary's new perimeter fence. A purrrfect Starbucks green we might add!

Happy Earth Day

2011-04-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

On their Facebook site, So Delicious announced a new "Green Office Program: for employees:

Happy Earth Day! We've been hard at work developing systems to help reduce our environmental impact, and we believe all of our employees can contribute toward the goal of becoming a more sustainable company. Today we're announcing the launch of our Green Office Program that rewards the conservation of paper, electricity, and other resources, and incentivizes green actions. While we recognize we have a way to go, we realize that small changes can make a big difference over time, so we’re excited to be doing our part to be good stewards of our natural resources.

I'm excited to follow this program and will provide more information about it as soon as it is available.

How Do You Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle?

2011-04-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Our local Wegman's has a display encouraging customers to share ideas about how to engage in the 3 Rs. The mosaic is made of plastic and metal bottle caps.

Can Apple's Employees Drive CSR?

2011-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

apple-computer-csr from triplepundit.com - StumbleUpon

Dylan Kendall: Hooray for Hollywood: Finding Joy in Doing Good

2011-04-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dylan Kendall: Hooray for Hollywood: Finding Joy in Doing Good

Kohl's Go Green Event

2011-03-31T07:47:00.000-07:00

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., Mar 31, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Kohl's Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) is sending tens of thousands of its associates to volunteer in communities nationwide during the company's second annual Kohl's National Go Green Event (NGG) in celebration of two April events - National Volunteer Week and Earth Day. Through Kohl's associate volunteer program, Associates in Action, Kohl's volunteers will support youth-serving nonprofit organizations by participating in an environmentally-based activity, and Kohl's will match those efforts with corporate grants. Through this initiative, Kohl's will donate $2 million in grants to nonprofits nationwide for the second year in a row.

"Showcasing Kohl's ongoing commitment to environmental leadership and volunteerism, we are proud to once again announce that Kohl's associates will be out in communities across the country to give back and go green," said Julie Gardner, Kohl's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Last year's inaugural Kohl's National Go Green Event in honor of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day was extremely successful - resulting in thousands of volunteer hours and more than $2 million in grants for local organizations. This April, we are excited to again make a meaningful difference for kids, further environmental progress and have a powerful financial impact on local organizations."

In April, groups of Kohl's associates will be volunteering coast to coast for events including:

Lending a hand at the Growing Power headquarters and urban farm in Milwaukee, Wis.
Pitching in to clean up area beaches with the Surfrider Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif.
Helping out in the garden at Hobbs Community Farm in Centereach, N.Y.
Participating in the Earth Day cleanup and river restoration with the Nature Consortium in Seattle, Wash.
Year-round, Kohl's volunteers support a range of youth-focused nonprofit organizations. Kohl's then matches volunteer efforts with $500 grants to the organization. During the NGG initiative, Kohl's increases the grant amount for each event which will result in $2 million in grants for community organizations nationwide.

Committed to Giving Back

Kohl's strives to be an active member of each community it serves. Part of Kohl's community partnership is the Kohl's volunteer program. Since 2001, Kohl's associates nationwide have participated in volunteer activities that support children. When associates form teams of five or more to support a local youth-serving charity, Kohl's supports the team's participation with a corporate grant given directly to the charity. Since 2001:

More than 385,000 Kohl's associates have volunteered
Kohl's has executed more than 64,000 volunteer events
More than 1.25 million volunteer hours were completed
More than $35 million was donated to local nonprofits

The Kohl's Associates in Action volunteer program is part of Kohl's overall philanthropic platform, Kohl's Cares(R), which is committed to supporting children's health and education initiatives nationwide. Since 2000, Kohl's has raised more than $180 million through its Kohl's Cares program.

SOURCE: KOHL'S DEPARTMENT STORES

Original Press Release

Adidas' Green Teams

2011-03-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Adidas utilizes employee Green Teams as part of their sustainability effort. Theses teams promote environmental initiatives and help motivate other employees.

Adidas' 2010 Sustainability Report, Performance Counts, the company outlines some of the projects spearheaded by global Green Teams:

In Portland, one-way cups and dishes were a big problem. Now there are reusable mugs for sale at all coffee shops at this location and no one-way dishes available in the kitchens around
the buildings. This reduces the amount of waste significantly.
The Mattapoisett green Team has started a great recycling and reuse programme with plastic and glass recycling as well as recycling empty toner cartridges and buying re-manufactured ones.
In our office in Bangkok, Thailand, where many employees regularly visit factories, the Green Team introduced a carpooling scheme to reduce the number of trips made by car to each particular factory.
Our French colleagues in Landersheim have successfully had solar panels installed to heat the water used in all showers and in the staff restaurant.
In our Istanbul office, the green Team managed to reduce water consumption by 14%, compared to 2009. They also saved energy by only using those appliances which were really needed.
In Amsterdam, the green Team worked mainly on the tough task of changing people’s habits. They organised special awareness-raising events such as the ‘Tour de Commute’ month which coincided with the Tour de france and was aimed at getting people to take the bike to work instead of their cars. Altogether, they rode 5,334 km in that month.
These and other locations participated in earth day celebrations on April 22 to raise awareness of and to engage people for a clean environment. The green Teams came up with great ideas to support the spirit of the day. At our headquarters in Germany they organised a paper road and a rubbish mountain to show how much waste we produce. Additionally, old mobile phones were collected and sold to a company which specializes in refurbishing them. The proceeds from this went to a charity.

Macy's: Partners in Time

2011-03-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

Macy's Inc. employee volunteer program, Partners in Time, was founded in 1989, and has been recognized for its excellence, receiving an "Award for Excellent in Workplace Volunteerism" by the Points of Light Foundation.

In 2009 alone, Macy's Inc. employee volunteers gave almost 100,000 hours to community organizations, with the largest percentage devoted to projects benefiting children.

Partners in Time also spearheads the annual "Bag Hunger" campaign conducted all across Macy’s divisions, has contributed an equivalent 58 million pounds of food, or 45 million meals, for hungry families throughout the United States.

Weyerhaeuser: Making WAVES

2011-03-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Weyerhaeuser's Making Waves program, administered through the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, promoted employee volunteerism throughout the organization. In 2009, 1,017 employees worked on 89 projects and contributed 10,714 volunteer hours. Through this program, grant monies -- almost $4 million since 1998 -- are also made available to local non-profit organizations, municipal agencies, and schools.

At their March 8 Spirit of Caring Celebration, the United Way of King County recognized the Making Waves program as the 2011 outstanding Employee Volunteer Program. According to their statement, "employees identify a need in their community and work with a nonprofit or school to develop a project" with Weyerhauser providing support and training to company volunteers.

According to the Making WAVES website, recent projects completed by volunteers have included:

Building low-cost homes with Habitat for Humanity
Beautifying local schools, parks and streams
Rebuilding communities in the Gulf area following Hurricane Katrina
Working with youth as mentors and tutors
Collecting donations for local food and clothing banks
Participating in fundraising events such as the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and the March of Dimes Foundation's WalkAmerica
Providing nonprofits with business expertise in areas such as strategic planning and technology
Planting trees or restoring and enhancing native ecosystems
Mentoring youth on sustainable forests practices

United Way of King County 2011 Spirit of Caring Winners

Bayer: Making Science Make Sense

2011-03-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Bayer's "Making Science Make Sense" program was foreshadowed 40 years ago when employee volunteers started helping students and their teachers learn about science they way it was done in actual research laboratories. They describe the MSMS, which was officially launched in 1995 as follows:

As a science- and research-based company with major businesses in health care, nutrition and innovative materials, Bayer Corporation has a strong stake in helping to improve science education and to insure that all individuals are scientifically literate. Bayer demonstrates this commitment with its national award-winning Making Science Make Sense® (MSMS) program, a company-wide initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through hands-on, inquiry-based science learning, employee volunteerism and public education.

On March 18, MSMS launched a Facebook page to promote science and math education. Although many MSMS resources are available online, the program is driven by committed employee volunteers.

Making Science Make Sense on Facebook
About Making Science Make Sense

Herman Miller Relief Efforts

2011-03-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Natural disasters demand immediate, drastic response from businesses, especially those that can provide needed services or supplies. At the same time, these responses are often removed from most employees since the decisions are often made at top levels with a speed that precludes involvement from all levels. Herman Miller's multi-pronged response to the tragedy in Japan allows employees to feel involved in the process. Herman Miller not only donated to Japan relief efforts, they are also matching employee donations. Additionally, they are donating 5% of online sales to the American Red Cross Japan Disaster Relief Fund.

Wal-Mart Workers Aid Operation Homefront

2011-02-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Wal-Mart employees volunteered to help Operation Homefront, an organization in Clarksville, Tennessee, that assists families of deployed soldiers. Because Wal-Mart's EVP matches volunteer hours with organizations, the NPO received a $4,000 donation.

Article Link

Expedia Employees Help Green Tourism

2011-01-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Expedia, Inc. Press Room - Press Releases

(From 2009)

Bottom Line Impact of Employee Volunteer Programs

2011-01-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

Common Impact and Capital One to Address Bottom-Line Value of Volunteering at Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Performance Summit

ThedaCare's Helping Hearts volunteering program boosts aid to charities | postcrescent.com | Appleton Post Crescent

2011-01-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

ThedaCare's Helping Hearts volunteering program boosts aid to charities | postcrescent.com | Appleton Post Crescent

Sterling Reports 2010 Employee Volunteer Hours

2011-01-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

Sterling Reports 2010 Employee Volunteer Hours

Realizing Your Worth: Why Nobody (really) Cares How Many Hours Your Employees Volunteered

2011-01-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Realizing Your Worth: Why Nobody (really) Cares How Many Hours Your Employees Volunteered

Corporate Volunteer Programs: Encouraging & Engaging Employee Volunteerism

2011-01-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

Corporate Volunteer Programs: Encouraging & Engaging Employee Volunteerism

Kraft Promotes Service as Park of MLK Observation

2011-01-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

KRAFT FOODS’ NATIONAL SPONSORSHIP OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY HONORS KING’S LEGACY AND MOBILIZES VOLUNTEERS

Lakeland Bank CSR

2011-01-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

Lakeland Bank, operating in Northern New Jersey, encourages its employees to become involved in community initiatives. CEO and President Thomas J. Shara said,

As a community bank, we want to be as involved as possible in the communities we serve. We encourage volunteerism as part of our corporate culture. Not only does the bank make contributions on the corporate level, but our employees commit thousands of hours and dollars each year to make our communities better places to live. Together, we are making a difference.

In 2010, Lakeland employees gave 16,000 volunteer hours to local non-profit groups, worked on a Habitat for Humanity build, visited with children to promote good financial habits, and sponsored sporting events to benefit local charities. Additionally, employees and the bank gave contributions to a number of local charities.

Lakeland's Press Release

Mercy Housing

2011-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Mercy Housing Lakefront, a nonprofit organization working on affordable housing opportunities in Illinois and Wisconsin, cultivates relationship with corporate partners. They report the reaction of one volunteer:

“I just love to volunteer”, said a Harris Bank volunteer, “we sit at desks all day so it was wonderful to be outside and know we are making a difference.”

Volunteerism begins with employees' on-the-job attitudes - macombdaily.com

2011-01-09T17:51:00.000-08:00

Volunteerism begins with employees' on-the-job attitudes - macombdaily.com

TASC, Inc. Delivers Holiday Cheer Throughout the Year - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

2010-12-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

TASC, Inc. Delivers Holiday Cheer Throughout the Year - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

First Niagara Bank Partners with YMCA Associations in Southeastern Pennsylvania to Promote Youth Mentoring

2010-12-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

First Niagara Bank Partners with YMCA Associations in Southeastern Pennsylvania to Promote Youth Mentoring

Ethical Employee Volunteering

2010-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

The blog "Realizing Your Worth" has posted an interesting entry on companies that steal employees' social capital by claiming the employees' volunteer hours for their own--even when the company didn't provide support for the volunteer activity.

Australia: Alcoa's Month of Service

2010-11-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

In October, designated as a "Month of Service," Australian employees of Alcoa donated more than 7,500 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations and community service.

Some projects included:

working at the Peel Soup Kitchen in Western Australia
constructing an Indigenous Bushfoods Garden near Alcoa’s Point Henry Smelter in Victoria with Greening Australia
painting, cleaning, and installing a floor at the Portland Surf Lifesaving Club
repainting a beloved train at the Harvey Lion's Club

With 35 to 40% of Alcoa employees participating in the initiative, Managing Director Alan Cransberg reported, “October is always a fun time for Alcoans, but importantly we see real community results and efforts which will have a lasting impact – we helped over 600 community groups this year and planted over 4000 native seedlings."

Press Release

ING Employees Raise Almost $2 million for Charities

2010-11-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

With almost 40% of U.S. employees in 14 locations participating, the 2010 ING Employee Giving Campaign raised nearly $2 million for non-profit organizations. ING reports:

"Employees made individual contributions to their favorite charities and hosted fundraising events to raise additional money for local nonprofit organizations with which they volunteer through the company's national employee volunteer program."

The company reports that the donations are facilitated by payroll deduction or "other methods."

ING Employee Giving Campaign Press Release
Community Involvement at ING

Whirlpool at 100

2010-11-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

Today, Whirpool broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio, that is expected to create over 100 jobs in the community. Additionally, the 1 million square foot facility will be an energy-efficient, LEED certified building.

The groundbreaking was one of several events held today to inaugurate a year-long celebration leading up to Whirlpool's 100th anniversary in November, 2011.

One of the anniversary initiatives is a soon-to-launch employee volunteer program that will encourage employees to volunteer 100 hours over the course of the year.

Clarksville Business and Heritage Story
Whirlpool Press Release

MillerCoors Water Stewardship Month

2010-09-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

This September, MillerCoors is sponsoring their second annual Water Stewardship Month. Like many beverage companies, MillerCoors focuses on water conservation as a sustainability goal, trying to reduce the amount of water used per unit of finished beverage. Helping local watersheds is a natural extension of this commitment. Last year, over 500 employee volunteers provided 1650 hours of work to help clean river banks and beaches, remove invasive species, plant native trees and shrubs, and test water quality. These activities will be repeated in 2010 in the eleven communities in which MillerCoors has breweries or a corporate office. The company is donating $2 to the United Way for every employee volunteer hour logged to the project.

Press Release

Early EVPs

2010-04-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Company historians at Johnson and Johnson discuss the long history of employee volunteerism at the company in a recent entry from the Kilmer House Blog. As early as 1907, members of the Laurel Club, a group of women employees seeking "education and enjoyment," raised funds for a hospital bed and a holiday party and gifts for an orphanage in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They also sponsored weekly well-baby clinics for residents without access to regular medical care.

See how this tradition continues today at Johnson and Johnson on their "Community Involvement" page on their website.

Berkshire Bank EVP Helps Soldiers

2010-03-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

The Employee Volunteer Program of Berkshire Bank, which operates in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts, is sponsoring a care package drive for soldiers. Customers will be encouraged to donate non-perishable goods, DVDs, games, and toiletries. With the care packages will be sent letters written by employees and local school kids. The care packages will be distributed by non-profit organizations (like the local Red Cross) who have experience working with distributing items to armed services members.

News Story

Southwest Airlines Reveals Tickets for Time (T4T) Program

2010-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Last week, Southwest Airlines unveiled their new program for Employee Volunteers -- Tickets for Time (or T4T). If an employee logs at least 40 volunteer hours with an eligible non-profit organization, the organization can receive a complimentary round-trip ticket. The ticket can be used for fundraising (as in an auction item or raffle prize) or can be used for the group's operations. Each organization can receive a maximum of 6 tickets a year, and different volunteers can participate for the same organization.

Freddie Mac Employee Volunteer Programs

2010-01-06T17:40:00.001-08:00

Freddie Mac has myriad opportunities for employees who want to volunteer, and they support this with a strong commitment to matching employees with appropriate opportunities. The emphasis has paid off--25% of employees participate in Home Team projects to help develop communities. EVs can help tutor children, renovate houses, or help teach financial literacy, and a number of employees serve or have served on boards of non-profit organizations.

Employee Volunteerism at Freddie Mac

Pledge to Recycle

2009-09-29T16:51:00.001-07:00

Pledge to Recycle
Originally uploaded by aimeedars

When I was grocery shopping at the local P&C, I saw this banner above the front office. Employees had signed their pledge to help make the store's recycling efforts successful.

Skills-Based Volunteerism

2009-09-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

In a guest column on Fortune online, Deloitte CEO Barry Salzberg discusses that employee volunteerism, particularly volunteer opportunities that capitalize on the skills possessed by a company's workforce (e.g., IT, Marketing, Personell Management), can bring value to non-profit organizaitons, communities, companies, and the employees involved in the volunteer programs. While an internal Deloitte survey* found that 91% of respondents felt skills-based volunteering would promote training and development, only 16% of companies offer skills-based EVPs. This is an area that companies should investigate to integrate into their CSR initiatives.

* Details of the survey are not available in the column; not sure if it was sent to Deloitte employees or other companies

FORTUNE Column

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

2009-08-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from The Gort Cloud: The Invisible Force Powering Today's Most Visible Green Brands by Richard Seireeni with Scott Fields explores Green Mountain's success in marketing its product through championing causes such as fair-trade, shade-grown coffees that benefit both the people producing the coffee as well as the migratory birds finding shelter in the coffee fields.

Interestingly, Seireeni reports that most of the initiatives used in the company's marketing come from within. Employees are encouraged "to make a positive difference."

“Bob Stiller believes that when an individual is allowed to follow his own passion, it will work better,” Whalen continues, hence the extensive continuous learning and development seminars offered by the company. “At Green Mountain Coffee, it’s about what you’re passionate about. And when that’s sincerely carried out, it leads to great business results . . .”

Triple Pundit Post

What Makes an Employee Volunteer Program Successful?

2009-08-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

In a post on the "Realizing Your Worth" blog, Alyson Genovese distinguishes between transformational and transactional employee volunteer programs (EVP) (discussed in my dissertation under the construct "motive"). In the latter, employee volunteers perform a transaction to give the business good press, a photo opportunity, or improved reputation. The former types of volunteer programs are the ones that, Genovese argues, can really make a difference for both the volunteers and the non-profits. These are the programs that both utilize, and enhance employees' skills--or, I would suggest, offer employees the opportunity to invest in a nonprofit whose mission speaks to them.

Since EVP are more prevalent as corporations' CSR budgets diminish, the issue of motive is one firms must address.

Rewarding Good Employees in a Bad Economy

2009-08-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

The Business Insider suggests that when it is not possible to give excellent employees raises for performance, giving them time off to volunteer may be a perk that helps boost morale.

Article

John Hancock Boston Marathon Employee Volunteers

2009-08-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

John Hancock is a sponsor of the Boston Marathon. In addition, 89 employee runners participated in the marathon, raising more than $176,000 for summer positions for area teenagers.

Press Release

ThedaCare's Helping Hearts Program

2009-03-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

In Waupaca, Wisconsin, ThedaCare, a community-owned health system, sponsors a "Helping Hearts" employee volunteer program. Initiated in 2003, Helping Hearts allows employees to log volunteer hours at their non-profit of choice (and occassionally helps match volunteers with volunteer opportunities). When the employee meets certain requirements, ThedaCare provides a donation to the NPO. ThedaCare also has a matching grants program for selected organizations.

Based on the comments in the postcrescent.com article, ThedaCare's employees appreciate the ability to be recognized for their work in the community as well as raise funds for their favorite organizations. This is a relatively low-cost, low-investement model for organizations, as the employees are primarily responsible for finding their volunteer opportunities and logging the hours. Because employees can choose their organization, they may be more invested in volunteering. At the same time, the organization gains appreciation from the employees and the community. A drawback is that this model does not provide the team-building opportunities group employee volunteer programs offer.

Postcrescent.com Article

Encouraging Employee Volunteerism

2009-03-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

A nonprofit organization in NYC, Agencies in Action, the brain child of Bill Oberlander, working with the New York Coalition Against Hunger, has initiated an advertising campaign to encourage for-profit ad agencies to organize employee volunteer trips to soup kitchens and food pantries. According to AdWeek, agencies who agree to participate commit to sending teams of 6 staff for at least three hours a month. With only 20 agencies participating, the program has the potential of staffing at least one of NYC's soup kitchens every weekday for a month.

To me, this is a very interesting development in employee volunteerism--rather than a nonprofit reaching out to a company, or visa versa, this campaign is targeting a community of firms to join forces for a common cause. As employee volunteerism replaces corporate philanthropy, we may see more campaigns like this.

AdWeek Story
Creativity Online Announcement

Effect of Economic Downturn on Corporate Philanthropy

2009-03-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

Last month (February 2009), the Conference Board surveyed over 150 companies about how the economic crisis is affecting their corporate social responsibility. Not surprisingly, 45% of companies surveyed had a reduced CSR budget in 2009, and another 16% of firms were considering cuts. However, many companies surveyed are increasing the resources available for their employee volunteer programs.

Conference Board Press Release

Employee Volunteerism Helps Bilodeau Become Businessperson of the Year

2009-02-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

Denis Bilodeau, a senior vice president and partner at Oswald Trippe and Company, was named the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce 2008 Robert T. Cashion Business Person of the Year (North Carolina).

Besides the company's growth and expansion, the Chamber cited the company's strong culture of employee volunteerism as a key factor in the decision to award the honor to Bilodeau. In bestowing the award, John Stritch, president of operations for Carolina Beer and Beverage LLC, and recipient of the 2007 honor, explained: "Volunteerism is a cornerstone of [Bilodeau's] company's corporate culture. Under his leadership, the business supports a variety of community, not-for-profit and service organizations, through both financial contributions and employee volunteerism. Making a difference in their home communities is as important to the team as the service they deliver to customers. As employee-owners, they live the corporate philosophy that everyone has a responsibility to make a difference in the lives of others."

Hopefully, Bilodeau and Oswald Trippe and Co. can set a positive example for other companies in the region and in the nation, not just in spite of, but because of the difficult economic times we face.

Mooresville Tribune Article

Matching Gift Programs Affected by Poor Economy

2009-01-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that a number of companies are suspending their matching gift programs or reducing the amount matched. These programs either give a particular dollar amount to a charity for a given amount donated by the employee or provide donations for a certain amount of employee volunteer hours.

Some of the companies that have adjusted their matching gift programs include Proctor and Gamble, Weyerhauser, General Motors, Pfizer, and Northrop Grumman.

Article

New Employee Volunteer Program at Dot Foods

2008-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

As reported in the Journal Courier, Dot Foods, one of the largest food redistributors in the United States, has inaugurated a new employee volunteer program at their Illinois branch. Employees can participate in the "Teaming with Local Charities" (TLC) program by volunteering at one of three local organizations: Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, or Brown County Schools. Employees then log their volunteer hours, and after a certain threshold, they receive paid time off or money that can be donated to charity. If things go well with the Illinois program, Dot expects to roll-out TLC to its other U.S. locations.

Unitarians Practice Social Action

2008-10-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

In Lewes, Delaware, Unitarians practice social action through their Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware church's social justice committee. In an article that describes the work of the congregation (such as supporting the local Boys and Girls club), Michael D. Smith, the pastor, is quoted:

'Social justice is to ensure the concept in our founding documents -- equality and justice for all -- is put into action,' said the Rev. Michael D. Smith, pastor for the UUSD. 'A term that goes often with social justice is social action, and that is putting into practice your principles and your beliefs so you don't just sit around and talk about it; you actually go out and make changes.'

This might be my favorite definition yet of "social action." How have you been putting your beliefs into action lately--and how much of that is being done not through your church, but through (or at) your place of work?

Article

TMMK Participates in National Public Lands Day

2008-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc (TMMK) company volunteers, alongside community members, recently participated in the 15th Annual National Public Land Days activities at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort, Kentucky.

During the event, volunteers helped construct the 230 foot boardwalk on the"Toyota HabiTrek Trail," helped with general trail clean-up and maintenance, and built two smaller trails.

In conjunction with the activities at Salato Wildlife Education Center, representatives from Take Pride in America, visited the site as part of the "Voluntour America" initiative.

Press Release

Walmart's Good Works Board

2008-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

By posting this shot, I'm admitting that I was at the local Ithaca Walmart--why I was there I will not discuss!--but I managed to get a shot of their "Good Works" board. As I understand it, the manager of each Walmart store has a discretionary fund to use for community projects. This board praises the over $30,000 donated to the local community and displays thank you notes from local groups helped by Walmart donations--the usual suspects such as schools and 4H groups but also a pirate academy?

DB Schenker Food Drive

2008-07-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

Pac Hwy Food Drive
Originally uploaded by Echo Communications

Another example of social action pulled from Flickr. This illustrates Canadian firm DB Schenker's food drive held earlier in the summer. Employees donated over 87,000 pounds of food--nearly 48.5 pounds per employee!

Donations were given to food banks across Canada.

Royal Cliff Beach Resort Donates Cash, Food to Fr. Ray Foundation

2008-07-23T14:48:00.001-07:00

Royal Cliff Beach Resort Donates Cash, Food to Fr. Ray Foundation
Originally uploaded by royalmice

I searched flickr to see if I could find any photographs related to Corporate Social Responsibility. This one caught my eye, primarily because it is a photograph from Thailand. The caption describes how a local resort donated both rice and snacks to an orphanage as well as a home for street children and a school for the physically disabled.

Best Buy: Relay for Life

2008-07-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I spotted this memo in the local Best Buy. This is an example of the personal social action I discussed in my dissertation.

Avaaz, Voice

2008-06-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Avaaz.org is another website serving as a clearinghouse for social action awareness and action.

Is There Something I Can Do?

2008-06-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

While this is on the "social action" not "work" side of this blog, I thought a new website worth mentioning. Singers Peter Buffet and Akon have created a website called Is There Something I Can Do? to encourage folks to get involved in positive change. They encourage visitors to blog about the activities they've pursued as well as link to sites that help people get involved in volunteering.

FAA Whistleblowers

2008-06-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Surely, protecting public safety is a form of social action. For FAA whistle-blowers, information they provide to outside agencies or the media can reduce accidents and save lives. Whistle-blowing, however, is not for the faint of heart. Most whistle-blowers, despite laws to the contrary, suffer at least some form of retaliation. Many lose their jobs, their careers, even their families. Whistle-blowers face health issues related to stress and anxiety. Their reputations often suffer. Fundamentally, the only payoff is knowing they've done the right thing.

Today, NPR broadcast a story on whistle-blowers at the FAA. A number of employees--32--have come forward with information this year, already twice the number as in 2007. They featured two FAA whistle-blowers, Peter Nesbitt and Anne Whiteman. Nesbitt blew the whistle on unsafe runway construction at the Memphis airport, while Whitman, ten years ago, revealed to the public problems with the air traffic control system at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. One of the issues she revealed was controllers allowing planes to fly too close together. Sadly, she said that knowing what she knows now, she may not have blown the whistle ten years ago.

The negative consequences endured by whistle-blowers are sobering and should concern us all. Serious and important reform often comes only when insiders reveal problems within organizations.

NPR.org Story

Performance Bicycle and the Environment

2008-06-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

In Performance Bicycle's latest consumer catalog, the firm highlights their activities to help preserve the environment. They purchase renewable energy credits that 100% offset the electricity they use in the corporate office, distribution centers, and all stores (and they are the first national retailer to do so). They also use recycled paper for their catalogs and flyers, which they claim saves 4,600 tress, 1,610,000 gallons of water, and 7,725 gallons of oil each year. Finally, the provide a commuter incentive program. This program recognizes and rewards employees who take alternative transportation to work, including bicycling, walking/running, public transportation, or car pooling. In the last 12 months, employees reported using alternative transportation methods over 13,700 times.

Bike to Work Week

2008-05-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, May 12-16, was National Bike to Work Week. As reported by blogger Fenris-Lorsrai, a number of companies offer incentives for employees to bike to work. Fenris-Lorsrai outlines the following programs:

Google- Will donate $100 to the employees charity of choice for every 20 days they bike to work. Plus offers monthly bike repair classes and all their shuttles come with bike racks
Vulcan Capital pays workers who commute by bike an extra $100 per month! They also pony up taxi fare for biking employees that were asked to stay after dark or in inclement weather.
The Calvert Group offers employees $350 to buy themselves a bicycle. They also have a shower and changing facilities available.
Discovery Communications gives employees $350 to buy a bike AND cover maintenance. They also pay for a car sharing service for days when employees need to travel farther than they can bike.
New Belgium Brewing Company gives every employee a bike after a year of employment. They also have Prius loaner car for shared use at work.

The League of American Bicyclists offers a list of tips to encourage employers to incentivize bike riding.

Why does this count as social action? Admittedly, some bike for fun or exercise, but many bicyclists also note the benefits to the environment from replacing a car with a bicycle. See story here.

A World Without Honeybees

2008-04-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Haagen-Dazs ice cream has launched a new campaign to help honey bees. Appealing to our selfish instincts, they point out that bees are essential to many of the wonderful foods we eat, including ice cream. When people eat flavors like Vanilla Honey Bee Ice Cream, Haagen-Dazs is donating money to support honey bee and sustainable pollination research.

Of course, advertisements like the one I saw today are helping raise awareness of the honey bee crisis. They are also landscaping their headquarter with bee-friendly plants like jasmine and rosemary. In addition, they've created a "bee board" of experts and providing educational materials to schools.

Related to this blog and my dissertation, the company is giving employees flower seeds to plant bee-friendly gardens in their yards as well as sponsoring volunteer days where employees can help create bee-friendly gardens in their communities. They're also sending employees on public education speaking engagements--along with free ice cream samples.

Help the Honey Bees Website

Microfinancing

2008-04-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

CNN.com has published an article on microfinancing, a form of loan in which as little as $25 can be invested to help entrepreneurs in impoverished countries.

Interested lenders can visit Kiva.org to find projects they would like to finance.

A blog entry from someone who gives to Kiva: http://missfire-simplegreen.blogspot.com/2008/04/green-saturday-microfinance.html.

Social Entrepreneurship

2008-03-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Of course, social entrepreneurship is a special form of social action at work. I will discuss this more in the future. Until then, check out the following links:

What is social action anyway?

2008-03-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

The best definition I've uncovered so far comes from Horvath (1999: 221):

Social action is participation in social issues to influence their outcome for the benefit of people and the community. Social action can, under favourable circumstances, produce actual empowerment, impact, or social change.

A legitimate question is: does social action at work differ from social action in one's home life, family life, or church life? Engaging in social issues at work is undeniably different--and perhaps risky when viewed as a type of disclosure. Multilevel theory implies that individuals clustered, whether by work group, function, or organization are apt to behave differently than individuals clustered in different ways.

REFERENCE
Horvath, P. (1999). The organization of social action. Canadian Psychology-Psychologie Canadienne, 40(3), 221-231.

Kingdom Assignment

2008-03-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

Last winter, Lezli showed me an article about a church who gave seed money to congregants and asked them to use their talents to triple the money for the congregation. Even individuals who felt they had no intrinsic talent were challenged to find something to offer. Some members sold crafts and some sold services. One man provided rides on his motorcycle for a fee. (I wish I could find a link to the article, but I've been unsuccessful.) When we read the article, we were very struck by the sweetness of it and the self-discovery that accompanied the congregants' generosity.

In searching for the article, I came upon the website Kingdom Assignment. About this program, I am more cynical. Based on Matthew's Parable of Talents, Kingdom Assignments, a nonprofit organization, encourages congregations to implement their 90-day program which is structured around three pillars: Talent, Treasure, and Time.

On the homepage, I was interested to see a banner for On Assignment, "multiplying corporate generosity through empowered employees." Instead of using the three pillars to build money for a congregation, On Assignment aims to increase seed money provided by the organization (less a management fee) for the benefit of the organization's chosen charity or cause. Besides the philanthropic motive, On Assignment promises to reinforce company values, build morale, and improve teamwork.

This is a program I should love--it allows employees to engage in social action presumably in a very personal and self-directed manner. At the same time, this particular program makes me uncomfortable. It feels a little too mega-church.

SAW Blog

2008-02-25T00:11:00.000-08:00

I am interested in how employees find meaning through engaging in social action in the workplace. This may come through sanctioned programs such as employee volunteer programs, matching dollars for donations to non-profit organizations, special company-wide volunteer days, and United Way campaigns. Some meaning creation may be derived from non-sanctioned activities such as posters on an office bulletin board, campaigning coworkers, or other activities.

This blog will be a clearinghouse on research and popular press news around this and related topics.