Did you know April is National Volunteer Month? This month is the perfect time to plan ways to give back in the workspace. Often, office initiatives center around the holiday season at the end of the year. Volunteering deserves to be a year-round priority, and April is the time to put a plan in place. Not sure where to start? Here are five ways to volunteer in the workplace!
1. Mentor
Volunteer as a team by pairing up and mentoring students interested in your field. Be a guide through classes, provide tutoring, and generally lead the next generation of your industry. Encourage an equitable, diverse, and knowledgeable future by volunteering with the potential rising stars in your field! Not sure where to start? Connect with local professors or career counselors at high schools and community colleges. Or, work with a club at a nearby university. They’ll be able to connect you with interested students!
2. Use Expertise
As an experienced professional, you hold a lot of knowledge that can be helpful to those in need. Offer up services pro bono, advise those starting out in your field, or launch free training services. For example, if you are an accountant, you could help teach people about their taxes. Or as a small business, you could advise those looking to get on their feet with their own venture. Whatever your field, there is a way to use your team’s knowledge for good.
3. Community Driven
Small businesses are an integral part of the community. Show that your team cares by giving back to those in your backyard. Partner up with another business on an initiative, organize drives for food or clothes, donate time or goods to local non-profits, clean up the neighborhood… there are so many ways to make a difference on a hyper-local level. From picking up trash to supporting a local school with extra office supplies, the benefits of community involvement have a lasting impact.
4. Rotating Causes
Make volunteering a part of your DNA at work by getting everyone involved. Monthly or quarterly, vote as a team on a cause to support. Rotate who spearheads different efforts, such as organizing fundraisers and coordinating on-site volunteering. Not only do you get to be involved in different initiatives, but by rotating there will be an opportunity for everyone to take pride in your efforts.
5. Fundraise
Raise money for a cause! Run (or walk) a race as a team that supports a national organization. Use the power of social media and champion a cause on your business’s platform. Or, donate a portion of proceeds from a product or service.
You can also keep things within the workspace with a little competition. Do a bake-off competition where people put dollars behind the best creation. Or, get physical with a fitness or step challenge. There are so many creative (and fun) ways to raise funds for good!
This April, make volunteering a habit in the workplace. At AdvantEdge, you have a space to host others and give back to the community through meeting rooms and lounge areas. Gather with like-minded professionals and make an impact here at AdvantEdge Workspaces!
