Medtronic, Inc.: Mission in Motion - Project 6

“ Nothing I can say about Medtronic today makes me happier or more optimistic about the future than the fact that the Mission is deeply embedded as a permanent part of the culture.” 

--Earl Bakken, Co-Founder and First CEO of Medtronic (1957-1974)

Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, produces medical technologies that treat neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, diabetes, and cardiac and vascular diseases. Operating in over 140 countries, the company employees almost 50,000 individuals. In 2013, Medtronic had $16.6 billion in revenue and $3.5 billion in net earnings.

At a 1960 board meeting, Bakken first outlined the ideas that would later form Medtronic's mission. I can't help but think that Bakken was influenced by Johnson & Johnson's famous credo, written in 1943. (For an interesting analysis of crafting meaningful missions, I suggest reading "4 Rules to Craft a Mission Statement that Shapes Corporate Culture" from Fast Company.)

Medtronic Mission Statement
from A Legacy of Improving Lives: Our History

Today, Medtronic's corporate social responsibility initiatives are inspired by the sixth tenet of the mission: to maintain good citizenship as a company. To achieve their mission, Medtronic has identified five strategic pillars of their CSR program: addressing chronic disease, a collaborative culture of innovation, responsibility in the marketplace, progressive environmental stewardship, and total employee engagement. These five pillars flow from the mission and reflect the core competencies of the company. Through the Medtronic Foundation, the company donated $64.6 million in cash and in-kind donations.

In terms of environmental stewardship, Medtronic conducted an initial test of equipment recycling. They receive 1700 kilograms of material out of which $53,000 of precious metals were recovered. If they had disposed of the equipment, they would have incurred $21,000 in hazardous material fees. Because the test was so successful, Medtronic is now using the recycling protocol on all eligible equipment. Over the next ten years, they expect to generate $700,000. The program also reduces demand for raw material since the recovered precious metals can be used instead of virgin material.

Yokohama Provides Funds for Employee Volunteers

2011 Tōhoku earthquake damage and effects in Ishinomaki, Miyagi.
Photo by Akira Kouchiyama, Save the Children Canada
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Based in Japan, the Yokohama Rubber Company produces tires, wheels, industrial supplies, and sporting equipment (including golf clubs!).

The company's volunteers are undertaking a number of volunteer projects in their region, many focusing on the needs still remaining after the 2011 tsunami. Between October 2011 and February 2012, 60 Yokohama employees supported disaster recovery efforts, and the company provided in-kind donations. Since then, employees have continued their support by providing both monetary donations and labor for restoration work.

Dow Corning Citizen Corps: International Impact

Dow Corning offers employees a number of employee volunteer programs in their key areas of education, community vitality, and outreach. However, if I were an employee of Dow Corning, I'd want to join the Dow Corning Citizen Service Corps. In this program, employees commit to a four-week service project in which they provide skills-based volunteering in developing countries.

The first trip, conducted as a pilot, garnered 100 applications from employees out of which 10 were selected to travel to India in 2010 for a four week assignment. A second cohort worked in Bangalore. Some tweets about the Citizen Service Corps are indexed under #DCServiceCorps. There is reference to a blog for participants, but it is password protected.

Because the Dow Corning employees spent a month immersed in the local culture, they were able to experience a developing country and assist its citizens. Each employee was assigned to a particular project, and the employees provided expertise and assistance to the community partners. Employees brought back to Dow Corning a better sense of the opportunities and challenges for the company at the bottom of the pyramid. Laura Asiala, Director of Corporate Citizenship, noted that the company is exploring at least 15 business opportunities derived from the experiences of DC Citizen Corps volunteers. Upon her return, one employee remarked that the experience made her career more meaningful. A study commissioned by DC and conducted by a Harvard Business School Professor, revealed that alumni of the program were less like to turnover. My biggest question is why DC hasn't sent more cohorts.

Pyxera, founder of the Center of Excellence for International Volunteering manages international skills-based volunteering programs to handle the administrative details that companies may not have the expertise or desire to handle. IBM, a founding partner, regularly sends teams of employees through its Corporate Service Corps program. Patagonia offers a sabbatical program, just as exciting for its employees, but the placements are not always international, and they are not team-based.

Whether domestic or international, these longer-term volunteer placements provide numerous benefits to the employee, the host community, and the company. If your business strategy relates to development, selecting such an EVP may provide multiple gains above the program's expense.

 

References

• Kanani, Rahim (2012, July 17). "IBM Deploys Talent, Technology and Innovation for Global Social Progress," Forbes. 
• Tergeson, Anne (2012, January 9). "Doing good to do well," Wall Street Journal.

EVP at Aramark

"Delivering experiences that enrich and nourish lives is who we are and what we do. For ARAMARK, it's about making life better for those who matter to us most – our employees, our customers, clients, and communities. We're in the people business and we bring our unique skills and culture of service to our work and to our communities,"--Bev Dribin, Vice President, Community Relations  

ARAMARK, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, provides uniforms, food, and facilities management to organizations across diverse industries including universities, health facilities, cultural attractions, correctional institutions, and conference and conventions centers. The company consistently receives honors such as listing on the "World's Most Admired Companies" by Fortune Magazine and most ethical company by Ethisphere Institue.

As part of their overarching CSR strategy which includes the focus areas employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement, employee volunteerism and philanthropy are administered under the ARAMARK Building Community (ABC) program. Regional STAR teams adopt community centers to help them build capacity. Other employee volunteers with expertise in human resources offer youth and adults provide career guidance. Given the large percentage of the business devoted to food services, organizing health and wellness education corresponds to one of the company's core competencies. Holding drives to collect basic necessities such as food, clothing, and toys represents another pillar of ABC. Employees can donate to non-profit organizations. In 2009, Aramark was recognized as a finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Corporate Citizenship Award.

This year, ARAMARK celebrated its first Global Volunteer Day on March 19. Across the globe. Aramark associates participated in activities to strengthen their communities. Employees in India worked with Mutally Beneficial Activities Foundation, a group that helps increase the self-esteem of disabled children. UK volunteers provided nutrition and healthy cooking education. Many other groups worked at food pantries, helped beautiful community centers, made healthy food packs, and painted murals. ABC 6 in Philadelphia covered the local Global Volunteer Day events at the Kensington Community Center.

ARAMARK volunteers at Atlanta Mission's My Sister's House

ARAMARK dietitian provides education about healthy food choices

ARAMARK volunteers from Ingalls Memorial Hospital prepared over 400 meals for those in need.

ARAMARK provides some explanation of the motivation behind their extensive employee volunteerism:

"Volunteerism can create stronger connections with employees. People want to work for responsible companies and to feel that they are part of a larger social effort. A focus on services can strengthen understanding of company values and history and also create relationships with co-workers and communities,"--ARAMARK Website

ARAMARK's employee volunteerism is also notable for its strategic and skill-based focus, whereby dieticians working for ARAMARK provide education about healthy eating, cooks provide cooking demonstration, human resource specialists provide career counseling and so on. Although not all volunteer events meet this criterion, all the events do fall under one of the four CSR focus areas that reflect the business's core competencies. Employees at all levels are encouraged to participate, not just on the Global Volunteer Day, but throughout the year. In conjunction with other employee awards, the company recognizes an Outstanding Employee Volunteer.

I was unable to find a blog or twitter account that promoted ARAMARK's CSR and linked it to the company's mission and strategic goals (though there is a Facebook page). This information might be on an internal network. Besides information for 2009, I couldn't find statistics about the impact of the community activities, though I did find that Aramark uses the Enablon platform to track its CSR activities. It's very possible my searches overlooked this, but I couldn't find a CSR report for the firm, either. Keeping this information internal might be deliberate. Some companies don't want to advertise their CSR activities too extensively for fear of accusations of greenwashing or profit-motives. At the same time, it's information that would be interesting for clients, potential clients, employees, applicants, and investors.

ARAMARK published an extensive toolkit for employees regarding the 2014 Global Volunteer Day which can provide insights and ideas for companies considering similar events.

PG&E: Commitment to California

“For PG&E, giving back to our communities is really about caring for our customers and for the future of California. We apply the expertise we've gained over our 100 year history of serving Californians to provide support and opportunity for our neighbors who need it most."

Ezra Garrett 

PG&E Vice President of Community Relations and Chief Sustainability Officer

PG&E employees and volunteers pose outside of Bakersfield City Hall after planting flowers (April 2013).

To celebrate National Volunteer Month (NVM), PG&E announced that they aimed to contribute 50,000 employee volunteer hours to advance their three signature programs: education, the environment, and economic and community vitality. This tops the 48,000 employee volunteer hours logged in 2013.

NVM corresponds to PG&E's Month of Service. During April, the company organized over 100 activities across Northern California, including food distribution, neighborhood emergency training, and installation of solar panels on Habitat for Humanity homes. Employee volunteers will also work on clean-up and restoration projects at selected California State Parks, marking the 13th year of partnership with the California State Park Foundation.

Employee volunteer planting native plants atMontaña de Oro State Park

The kick-off activity for the company's second Month of Service had employee volunteers help prepare and service meals at The Mission at Kern County, a homeless shelter in Bakersfield. Other groups made no-sew blankets for babies in homeless shelters across the San Francisco Valley.

Addressing a group of volunteers assembled to help clean-up and beautify Bakersfield's downtown, Mayor Harvey Hall remarked, “The Power of Blue is very evident." After removing litter, painting a mural as well as traffic control boxes, PG&E employees were recognized as Volunteer Group of the Year.

“I have fun when I do it. I get to meet people and really connect with the community,” affirmed Yolanda Montejano PG&E Contact Center Operations Safety Lead, of the Fresno division. Rich Garcia, energy solutions and service manager for the Yosemite division, noted, “[I]t gives you a sense of pride to know that PG&E is part of the community and is making a difference.”

Affirming the importance of the Month of Service, Tony Earley, PG&E’s chairman, CEO and president, was present for some events and even literally got his hands dirty at a cleanup event in Golden Gate Park. Information reporting the events was included on the company blog, Currents. I imagine that internal communications, and possibly signs, tables, or other special events promoted Month of Service activities.

Employee volunteerism, during the Month of Service and throughout the year, is only one aspect of PG&E's community contributions. Grants are given through the PG&E Foundation to organizations impacting PG&E's three signature areas. Mentors for New Academy Schools commit eight months to support students. New Academy Schools also receive funding for equipment and classroom enhancements.With the American Red Cross, PG&E supports the Ready Neighborhood initiative to prepare communities for natural disasters and emergencies. Some customers experiencing unexpected finacial hardship can be eligible for a one-time energy credit through REACH.

Best practices of PG&E's community activities include:

• targeted signature areas related to the company's mission and core competencies
• top management commitment
• strong communication about employee participation

These are three characteristics that can benefit any company's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. PG&E's already strong CSR might be enhanced by providing employees with more opporutnities for skills-based volunteering.

On a side note, when I was researching this blog entry, I looked at the PG&E Foundation Board of Directors and was taken aback. Is there anything you notice about them that might be problematic?

PG&E Press Release
2014 Month of Service Blog Entries

CareCredit's Caring Community Program

CareCredit, a division of General Electric and one of the nation's leading health care credit cards, sponsors a number of CSR initiatives, including Give Kids a Smile, InfantSEE, Miracle Ear, FACE TO FACE: The National Domestic Violence Project, Canine Companions for Independence, and the Breast Reconstruction Awareness Fund. Although most of the initiatives take the form of grants to partner organizations, the company also promotes employee volunteerism.

Recently, employees in Southern California participated in the Orange County AIDS Walk held at Disneyland (Anaheim, California). Together, thirty-two employees and family members raised over $7,000 for the AIDS Services Foundation Orange County.

Cindy Hearn, senior vice president branding and communications, reflected, “It feels good to do good. We have a giving team who work at CareCredit — people who believe it is important to help others. As a company, we want to support our employee efforts and make it easy for them to reach out into the community and volunteer.”

In addition to promoting positive affect by helping others and by engaging in physical activity, charity walks can promote team cohesion, assist in networking, and give employees a sense of meaning. I've written more about employee-driven charity walks here.

CareCredit Press Release

Voluntarily Volunteering

A recent article on knonxvillebiz.com, "Ensure that Volunteering is Voluntary" by Rachel Park Hurt and Paul Wehmeier outlined some of the benefits of employee volunteer program, but noted that employers need to make sure that employees truly feel their volunteering is done freely and optionally. If not, employers could be liable for wages, including overtime.

Legal concerns are not the only reason to make sure employee volunteer program (EVP) activities are voluntary. If employees feel they are forced to participate or experience significant peer or supervisor pressure to engage in the program, they will likely engage in subtle resistance, and they and their teammates will not gain any of the teambuilding benefits of the EVP. Nor will the pressured employee feel the sense of meaning and well-being that comes from freely volunteering.

When I was involved in recruiting at the Oklahoma Blood Insitute, I saw how peer pressure from the work group could transform a lifegiving, selfless act into a source of stress and resentment. Additionally, I knew people who were gay, but not out at work. They felt they had to go through the blood donation process anyway, though it ultimately wasted the time, effort, and equipment of all involved since at the time (and currently) gay men are not allowed to donate blood.

Rodney Davis, Alameda County Community Food Bank (Creative Commons License)

These Guys Know How to Invest

WNCN reported on the opening of Fidelity Insurance's new office in Durham, North Carolina. As one of the largest employers in the area, Fidelity merited the attendance of even the governor at the grand opening celebration. However, many employees skipped the festivities to instead participate in a day of service at Lowe's Middle School where they helped with construction, landscaping, and setting up science experiments. Jackie Benston, one of the volunteers, reflected, "It feels really good when you can sit down with a group of people and know you're doing something for work, but when you can also get together with that same group of people and know that you're making an impact in the community [it's even better]."

It is interesting to me that the company had two parallel rituals - the grand opening with notable public figures and the boots on the ground day of service. Perhaps it wasn't captured in the WNCN story, but maybe employees had the opportunity to participate in both. Each are important contributors to the company's culture, so I wonder if there were unintended consequences to making a choice or what message it sent to employees if all the top executives were at the office opening instead of at the school. While I am sure that both activities were rewarding, only the day of service creates a sense of meaning through giving.

WNCN: News, Weather for Raleigh. Durham, Fayetteville

EVP Challenges

The Society of Human Resource Management recently published an article outlining challenges faced by corporate-sponsored employee volunteer programs. The biggest issues they raise are:

1. availability of needed skills sets
2. management of expectations
3. making decisions regarding time off for volunteering

They note that many of these issues can be managed when companies:

1. provide clear and upfront communication
2. specify goals of volunteer program
3. carefully track volunteer hours

Understandable given the source and intended audience, this article has a focus on risk-management and avoiding legal issues with unpaid work. However, it does omit some challenges that might occur on the side of the partner organization. The host organization should be chosen careful based on the company's mission and goals of the EVP. Host organizations should also have the ability to deploy the skills and talent provided by the organization's volunteers. The volunteers should be mindful that the host organization's purpose is not to manage volunteers but to make an impact. 

Photo by Ddelbianco (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Pitfalls of Employee Volunteerism and How to Avoid Them

Brewing for Good

Kim Marotta, Director of Sustainability, MillerCoors, writes today in CSRWire about how employees are critical to achieving a company's sustainability goals. When Miller and Coors merged five years ago, the new company adopted the theme, "Great Beer, Great Responsibility." The brewing giant has worked to reduce water usage, improve waste management, and encourage responsible drinking and designated drivers, and in the last year, has reported the best results so far in its sustainability report, Brewing for Good.

Many companies can forget that without employee support and engagement, environmental and social sustainability goals will wither: employees are the mechanism by which most initiatives rise or fall. MillerCoors knows this and provides ample opportunities for employees to provide ideas, express feedback, and get involved in direct action.

Marotta notes five principles that MillerCoors relies on to maintain employee enthusiasm in social and environmental causes.

1. Know Where You Stand - Marotta suggests not just providing the important accounting of energy used, waste diverted from landfills, and reduced water use, but measuring employee opinions and priorities regarding social and environmental sustainability.
2. Invite Employees to Be Sustainability Ambassadors - MillerCoors has a 35 member Sustainability Council that advises the company and suggests initiatives, but other companies have used this concept to unify different locations around sustainability. Interface, for example, has a similar program, and all the company's ambassadors go through a training.
3. Be Global, Act Local - At MillerCoors, the company celebrates "Great Water Month." (You cannot have good beer without good water!) The entire company is unified around the theme, but different locations engage in activities meaningful to their area. (See this September 2010 post.) These activities allow employees to volunteer together while partnering with a local non-profit organization to make a difference in the communities where they live and work.
4. Market Sustainablity - Marotta describes a new position, a Sustainability Marketing Brand Manager, to ensure the company sends a unified message across brands. Earlier this year, they partnered with RecycleBank on a campaign to educate consumers with specially marked packages. Companies should promote their sustainability initiatives and should create social marketing campaigns, but they also need to avoid the seven sins of greenwashing.
5. Share Your Stories - The new blog, Behind the Beer, provides a wealth of stories about employees who are working on MillerCoors social and environmental initiatives. Shared stories help establish values and develop culture. I can't wait to read more of the entries!

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

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

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.

McGraw Hill: Why We Volunteer

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.

Ford Rogue Factory

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.

Helping Big Cats

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!

Weyerhaeuser: Making WAVES

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

Mercy Housing

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.”

Ethical Employee Volunteering

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

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

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