February 5th, 2007
By Cecil Lepage
In
British Columbia,
45% of the population, over the age of 15, volunteers with not-for-profit
organizations. What’s new? Qualified professionals are volunteering their
specific skills and expertise.
For
several years, Jen Lund has devoted her spare time to Shooting Stars, a
foundation which organizes events and concerts to raise money for the fight
against HIV/AIDS. "I sit at the Board of Directors, but I also take on
basic tasks like ticket-sales or staffing the coat check...” recounts Jen. These
tasks are quite distinct from her consultancy in human resources. So, when Jen
learned that Volunteer Vancouver sought a volunteer with expertise in Human
Resources, Jen did not hesitate: "As a volunteer I carried out two
projects for them with the goal to improve the management of their staff and
the members of the Board of Directors".
Jen
Lund’s case is not isolated: more and more qualified professionals are
volunteering their skills and expertise to support not-for-profit
organizations. Formerly rivals, professionals and volunteers are now common
causes. "Usually, one associates the image of a volunteer as someone stuffing
envelopes,” summarizes Maria Williams
of Volunteer Vancouver. “However, many professionals can find interesting ways
to support the not-for-profit organizations they are passionate about.”
Companies
with a philanthropic culture encourage their employees to engage as volunteers
in their community. Business Objects, a provider of Business Intelligence and reporting
software, for example, provides employees one paid day per annum for them to volunteer
for an organization of their choice. Over
the last 18 months, Troy Anderson and one of his colleagues devoted 80 hours to
Arts Umbrella, a visual and performing arts institute for children and youth.
They developed a system to more effectively manage Arts Umbrella’s Fund
Development program.
"Not
only did I enjoy making a difference for the organization but I also enjoyed
exploring my passions and contributing my expertise,” Troy analyzes. “I know well the field of
sales and how it relates to Fund Development, essential to not-for-profit organizations.
But in my regular employment, I don’t often have the opportunity to take on a
project leadership role. My contribution to Arts Umbrella allowed me to develop
this skill.”
An
expanding network
It
is through volunteer work that Jon Morris, CEO of JDQ Systems, a strategic
consulting firm, has reconciled the extremes of his personal and professional
lives. As a long-time community citizen and volunteer, Jon is convinced that
community engagement can play a part in a company’s success. Among other
things, John has established philanthropy as one of the pillars of his company.
Named the 3Spheres of Reciprocity™, this initiative demonstrates that an
employee can volunteer to contribute to community while, at the same time,
developing professionally.
"Believe
it or not, at the beginning, the not-for-profit organizations were the most
skeptical,” tells Jon. “They could not believe that a gesture could be so altruistic.
But, in fact, our offer of services profits us mutually. Of course, it does not
provide us with new contracts to JDQ Systems, but our volunteer promotes a
positive image of the company which differentiates us from our competitors."
Through
the framework of the 3Spheres of Reciprocity™, the employees of JDQ Systems
offered their expertise to the Surrey Food Bank, the Westcoast Family Resource
Society and the Neil Squire Society to improve the organization’s efficiency or
to implement a new software system. On the other hand, JDQ Systems has widened
its network. Jon Morris confirms: "We are pleased to have worked with new
people and to have to discovered new talents. This can, for example, facilitate
recruitment".
These
initiatives announce the rise of a new volunteer, very distinct of its image as
an envelope-stuffer or candy-striper.
