Employee Volunteer Week 2010 15 - 21 March
Employee Community Involvement - A Creative Approach to the Economic Downturn
 Since 2005 CAF Southern Africa has dedicated one week in every year to promotion of Employee Volunteering. Our concept of CSI and Employee Community Involvement aligns business strategy and social context.
During Employee Volunteer Week 2010 CAF Southern Africa will be inviting South African companies to make a special commitment to supporting the volunteering efforts of their employees. As communities and the organisations supporting them face the ongoing impact of the recession, social responsibility by business has never been more important. In every community there are non-profits struggling to meet an unprecedented demand for their services in the face of dramatic decline in cash contributions. Volunteers can play an important role to assist through both conventional volunteering efforts and perhaps more importantly by contributing the best thinking of their people towards the sustainability of community organisations.
A Deloitte executive explains the company commitment to skills transfer and mentoring as follows: ‘Now more than ever, if conversations between corporate grant makers and non-profits are limited only to financial support, both parties will leave value on the table … companies who donate the prized commodity of workplace talent can help a non-profit budget go farther. Our experience has been that when able to function more efficiently and effectively, non-profits will reap considerably more value — and do far more good — for communities in need’.
CAF recommends that volunteering is carefully aligned with the real needs of beneficiary organisations. This can include volunteering by individual employees, or company-organised volunteering activities. CAF will be available to broker volunteering opportunities within credible organisations from our database. We recommend that companies provide time off during Volunteer Week so that employees can participate fully.
PLANNED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
• Communications and Media campaign (November 2009 – March 2010)
CAF will initiate a blitz of media activities as a build up to the launch of Employee Volunteering Week. This will include: ‘prime’ spots:
• on television such as Morning Live and 3Talk where we will invite employee volunteer managers to debate key volunteering-related issues and develop volunteering as an important item on the national agenda
• daily programmes will be identified on which the week can be advertised.
• securing advertising space in all relevant media for the campaign
• in print media, such as Mail and Guardian, the Star, Business Day, the Sowetan and the weekend papers we will secure feature stories on company volunteer activities as well as interesting ‘snippet’ style articles on the importance of volunteering
• in electronic media such as South Africa the Good News, BizComm and SANGONeT
To promote and communicate Employee Volunteer Week 2010 CAF Southern Africa will also make full use of its own electronic media (e-newsletter Isiphala Online and CAF website)
• Launch ENGAGE Key Cities Programme
In partnership with Business in the Community (BITC) in the United Kingdom, www.ENGAGEyouremployees.org , CAF Southern Africa will launch ENGAGE in South Africa during Employee Volunteer Week. ENGAGE is an international network of businesses and community organisations which collaborate to increase the quality and amount of employee involvement in their local communities.
CAF Southern Africa and BITC will host at least one public ‘launch’ event at the start of Volunteer Week.
• Drawing on CAF’s International Network
CAF Southern Africa’s contribution to CSI and associated Employee Community Involvement activities is unique in South Africa in that while we are a wholly South African organisation with deep knowledge of the local context, we are also able to draw upon the International Network of the Charities Aid Foundation, headquartered in the United Kingdom. CAF International distributes funds to causes in over 90 countries with offices in UK, Bulgaria, Russia, South Africa, India, Australia, America and Brazil, and partners across the world. During the planning and execution of Employee Volunteer Week 2010 we will be drawing on CAF’s global network of skills and experience to inform and enrich the local activities.
• Recognition for Excellence in Employee Community Engagement
CAF and a corporate partner/sponsor will host an awards event that will showcase companies that have participated fully during Volunteer Week.
• CAF contribution
CAF will play a facilitating and convening role with regard to Employee Volunteering Week. We will:
• liaise with participating volunteers in terms of their interests and aspirations in regard to volunteering
• further develop our database of credible community organisations
• broker relationships between corporate volunteers and appropriate organisations in terms of mutual interest and need
• use our specialised information systems and network of contacts and referrals to coordinate volunteer activities
• bring in international expertise and experience – for example the ENGAGE programme
• our website will serve as a focal point during the lead up to the week. During and after Volunteer week participating companies, individuals and interested members of the public will be able to access and download accurate and relevant information about the activities taking place. Companies will be invited to showcase their Volunteering activities on the website
Corporate Sponsorship of Employee Volunteer Week
CAF Southern Africa is encouraging corporates to join us as sponsors for this campaign. The more sponsorship participation we have, the more successful the campaign will be. To receive details on sponsorship opportunities please contact Mamo Mohapi at (011) 726 1148 or email Mamo at mmohapi@cafsouthernafrica.org
To discuss possibilities about Employee Volunteer Week with CAF
Please call Mamo Mohapi at (011) 726 1148 or email Mamo at mmohapi@cafsouthernafrica.org
The full Volunteer Week Programme of Activities will be published shortly on this website
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