As surveys by the Institute of Public Affairs indicate, volunteering is becoming increasingly popular in Poland1, but still only a small percentage of companies choose to implement this form of CSR activity. Although there could be many reasons for the low involvement of companies in helping others, the key to improving this situation is to convince management boards about this idea - indeed, the involvement of the top people in an organization determines the success of an employee volunteering program.
How to convince the management board of the benefits of volunteering? The most important step is to create a plan that is well thought out and beneficial for the company. We should think of ways to tap the potential of a team - the knowledge and experience gained daily from their work. Thinking in these terms, people working in a bank can teach the basics of personal finance, budget management, and self-presentation. Linking volunteer projects with the business operations of a company makes it easier to identify tangible benefits for companies - connected with branding, management of teams, and enhancing of skills.
"Volunteering is not just one's own work and time devoted to others. Also important is the idea and its consistent implementation," says Slawomir S. Sikora, President of Citi Handlowy. "Often the sharing of knowledge and experience gained in one's professional life turns out to be the most valuable thing we can offer to others. What to us may seem simple and obvious can be valuable advice to many people."
The management board is always the best ambassador for any activities undertaken by a company - it is precisely its commitment that convinces more and more people to get involved in new initiatives. This is proven by the example of one of the largest employee volunteer programs in Poland, which has been implemented by The Citi Handlowy Leopold Kronenberg Foundation since 2005. Currently, one out of four Citi employees are taking part in it. Standing behind this success, from the beginning of the initiative, is the support of the management board. Every year, members of the board, along with other employees, perform volunteer projects across the country. In 2014 Slawomir S. Sikora, President of Citi Handlowy, got involved in a financial education program organized for children's homes, the Citi Skills Marathon, while Terri Gerosa, head of the Citi Service Center in Poland, took part in the creation of a small garden for children attending one of Warsaw's kindergartens.
It is also important to encourage all the employees of the company to contribute to volunteer projects. This enables creation of a model that effectively addresses the problems of the local community, while being something the volunteers can closely identify with. An example of such planning of volunteer activities is the "Volunteer at the Bank" annual competition organized by the The Citi Handlowy Leopold Kronenberg Foundation. Every Citi employee can propose a community project that he or she wants to carry out in the framework of Global Community Day. The best proposals receive grants to cover the costs connected with their implementation, and the Foundation helps the organizers deal with formalities and logistical issues. This year, Global Community Day is being celebrated in 95 countries. Around the world, 1096 volunteer projects will be carried out aimed at local communities in which persons employed by Citi live and work.
1 II Ogólnopolskie Badanie Wolontariatu Pracowniczego pt. "Wolontariat pracowniczy w największych firmach w Polsce" (Nationwide survey on employee volunteering titled "Employee Volunteering in the Biggest Firms in Poland")
