May 6, 2010 | Volume 4, Issue 5 | www.sdchamber.org | contact us
By Sue Carter, Executive Director, Volunteer San Diego
The economic downturn has created a new level of interest in volunteerism in every sector of our community. Many nonprofits and government agencies are squeezed between an increasing demand for services and decreased revenue. Corporations have expanded their philanthropic strategies to include contributions of employee time. Volunteer participation throughout San Diego is surging.
Yet, many prospective volunteers and corporate groups find themselves frustrated by not knowing where to start while community organizations are disappointed to forego much-needed human capital because they don’t have infrastructure to support it. Supply and demand are present, but how do we transform the raw materials of good intentions into the finished product of a community need met?
Volunteer San Diego (VSD) provides some of the answers. VSD serves as a broker of community resources, working in partnership with businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, schools, and other groups to improve our community. It does this through training, consultation, and volunteer project management.
For corporations, VSD offers contract services for managing a customized employee volunteer project, vetting nonprofit partners to match corporate volunteer interests, and supporting employee volunteer opportunities. By doing so, the corporation, the community organization, and the community at large all have their needs met.
Those businesses engaging in meaningful employee volunteerism will be rewarded. Their efforts make an important impact in San Diego and research shows they’ll enjoy improved employee morale and retention, enhanced community presence and image, and a unique opportunity for workforce development.
VSD also provides nonprofits and government agencies tools to help themselves. Volunteer programs rarely have resources for training or volunteer recruitment and recognition. VSD provides these services and more, often serving as back-office support for volunteerism.
Even those who have been laid off benefit from volunteering. Many professionals are contributing their specialized skills to organizations. It helps refine and develop those skills in a new environment and adds relevant experience to their resumes.
Volunteering provides win-win-win solutions for San Diego – for businesses, for community organizations, and for the volunteers themselves. If our community continues to think strategically about volunteer engagement, then San Diego will emerge more civically engaged and better able to apply our collective financial and human capital to solving our most pressing problems.
For more information, visit www.volunteersandiego.org.
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