Most corporate leaders say they believe in the social and business value of employee volunteer programs (EVPs), but it'd be nice if there were some good evidence. After all, we're living in an increasingly bottom-line world, a time when boards want firms to cut every unnecessary cost and reap a return on every investment.
The good news is that a study commissioned by the Pioneers, a nonprofit volunteer network made up of telecommunications employees across the U.S. and Canada, indicates there's a genuine link between volunteerism programs and corporate performance.
The Impact of Corporate Volunteerism study, which analyzed responses from 450 survey participants, found that a significant correlation exists between high-performing companies and the presence and support of a formal employee volunteer program. Moreover, EVPs are more likely to be seen as an integral part of the internal culture of high-performing organizations, based on self-report data.
