e holidays and a few other times of the year.
But what D.C. needs and deserves is a 365-day mind-set.
Indeed, giving of ourselves and our organizations should be a “calendar free” act of goodness because the needs in the community — and the rewards for getting involved — are ever-present.
Getting to that mind-set takes time, commitment and a strategy that makes sense. Two key ingredients to the strategy are giving employees time to volunteer and the other is allowing them to help choose where their employer should direct its giving resources.
At KPMG, we give our 1,500 area employees up to four hours a month or 48 hours a year of time to volunteer with an organization of their choice. We have an employee volunteer program called Involve that identifies the needs of the communities and organizes volunteers to serve those needs year round. Employees can sign up for any of the proposed volunteer programs or volunteer on their own if they choose.
And while individual choice is important, we’ve also found that rallying employees around a couple of causes works well. For example, about four years ago we began a program called KPMG Family for Literacy. Working with First Book, a terrific District-based nonprofit, we raise money to purchase new books for area schoolchildren. During the school year, KPMG volunteers organized reading and book distribution events in area schools where we read aloud and then hand out new books to the children to take home and start their own library. We’ve distributed some 25,000 books to area needy children since 2008, at schools such as D.C. Prep and M.C. Terrell Elementary School. And I can say firsthand from having participated in several of these events, there’s nothing like the excitement of seeing a child who’s just received a new book to take home.
Let me mention another education program that resonates with me because it involves the Heart Association. I’m honored this year to chair the Heart Ball on Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. We hope to raise $1.25 million for the Greater Washington Region American Heart Association for its research, advocacy and community education.
The Heart Association’s education program addresses a big problem in the District: The city has some of the highest levels of childhood obesity in the nation. The Heart Association’s program, called “Recess,” works through D.C. Parks and Recreation to encourage healthier behavior in the children in our community. Recess educates kids on healthy eating and the benefits of physical activity, and to date almost 3,000 children have taken part.
Corporate giving in Washington is significant, especially at certain times of the year. But the needs are great year round. Now is the time to re-energize your volunteer program and to make a pledge to do more. Your employees will thank you, because volunteering can be among the most meaningful, memorable work they will do all year. And the benefits to the community in which we all live and work can last forever.
Candy Duncan is managing partner for the metropolitan Washington area for KPMG, an audit, tax and advisory services firm.
Loading...
Comments