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Corporate philanthropy is all about money, right? It’s easy to think so since philanthropy usually entails monetary donations from companies to the organizations/causes they support. And for many organizations, that’s where things stop, and they are missing out on an equally important aspect of philanthropy –the gift of time.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Why not broaden your philanthropic reach and encourage your employees to volunteer? We may not all have the means to make financial contributions to every cause that we’d like to support, but we all have skills and abilities that are just as valuable. True, money is vital to these organizations’ operations, but the extra manpower helps them fill gaps in staffing and continue to provide their beneficial services within their limited budgets.

As an added bonus, recent reports have shown that you and your employees will feel the love from volunteering too. One study conducted by United Healthcare and VolunteerMatch found:

• 96% of Americans agree that volunteering makes people happier
• 92% of people who volunteer through their workplace report higher rates of physical and emotional health

There’s also the leadership and skill development, improved teamwork, increased employee morale and better communication. And we haven’t even begun to discuss the heightened brand awareness and community perceptions that can lead to more business for your company—all because you promote volunteering and give employees opportunities to get involved.

Miron encourages employee involvement through a number of programs and events, including the Fox Cities Marathon, Junior Achievement and Learning for Life’s Exploring program to name a few. If you’re interested in finding opportunities for employees to get involved, www.volunteermatch.org is a great place to start.