I recently read an article on how great helping others really is. Sure, the person you are helping benefits. But the greater reward is for the person doing the helping. Without even considering its intrinsic value, there are measurable rewards for the helper such as reduced stress and increased satisfaction. This is easily translated into the business field. Give your employees the opportunity to volunteer (donating to a cause is great, but we’re talking about hands-on volunteering here)! Consider the many rewards for your own organization. For one thing, it sets the tone for an ethical culture by giving employees a direct experience of what your organization values. Second, employees bring back to work new-found happiness and the great experience of helping. The value of helping will naturally extend into, for example, helping fellow employees, leading to greater teamwork and achievement of organizational goals.
Fortunately, there are many resources to find places and projects that need volunteers. Just look to your favorite nonprofit, alma mater, coffee house, or even Uncle Sam:
www.volunteermatch.org
www.serve.gov
www.uicvolunteer.org
www.pledge5.starbucks.com