How important is volunteering work for companies? I believe having a social conscience is good for business. Companies that act with integrity and a generosity of spirit will, in my opinion, be more easily able to build the levels of trust that lead to long-lasting customer and stakeholder relationships.
I would argue that supporting the local (or global) community helps create a happier, more motivated workforce with a greater sense of purpose.
But that’s not the reason that we at Resonate choose to donate our time, energies and money to deserving causes. We do these things for our own sense of well-being and for the benefit of those that need support. These are personal decisions and commitments, not professional ones.
While volunteering is all ‘giving’, there are big benefits for the ‘giver’ too. Studies have shown that volunteering is good for your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, ward off depression and help connect you with your community. It also makes people feel good about themselves, as this well-known quote suggests: “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”
Here at Resonate, all employees are given two extra paid holiday days per year to take part in volunteering work of their choice.
While that might seem like a small investment of time, the value of volunteering soon adds up when you take into account the amazing number of people helping out across the world. The value of volunteering is estimated to be worth over £23 billion a year. That’s why I would encourage all companies that don’t have this kind of scheme to consider introducing one.
Of course, it’s not just financial value at stake. Helping out is good for the soul too, and some of the stories involving Resonate people are truly inspiring. Setting the perfect example, many members of the leadership team spend their time supporting charity initiatives.
Patrik Gallo, Partner and Operations Director at Resonate in Kosice, Slovakia, has been part of a team of employees who have been using their volunteering days to support the local refugee centre. They help out with buying and preparing food and tackling other tasks that need doing to keep the operation running smoothly.
Our people in Kosice also helped to fill all available apartments in a local business centre, giving nine Ukrainian families a safe place to live. Not only are these individuals giving up their valuable free time, but they are making generous financial contributions too.
Douwe Visser, our Compliance Officer in the Netherlands has his own story to tell. In the village where he lives, he has started an initiative to encourage locals to offer a home for refugees from Ukraine. Articles were posted in two local newspapers publicising his call for people to open up their homes to those who desperately needed a safe haven.
To build on this momentum, Douwe has produced a website, www.homeforukrainians.nl, introducing those willing to help to those who desperately need their support. This has led to 29 refugees being welcomed to 10 different addresses, but there is still plenty more work to be done with refugees continuing to pour across international borders, fleeing the war in their homeland.
Of course, the war in Ukraine is a relatively recent development and there are many more examples of community volunteering from the team at Resonate that go back many years. Take Bob Garcia, our CEO, for example. He has given up his time for nearly five years to coach at a local youth football club. He also plays the guitar in the neighbourhood youth choir.
Chief Technology Officer, Am Bhooi, is a committee member for the local Sikh community, responsible for organising various charity events. He also helps run a local food bank in Northampton, one Saturday a month, and played a part in setting up a Covid vaccination centre in the community centre. Another of his greatest pleasures is organising Easter eggs and Christmas presents for children stuck in hospital over the holidays.
It’s all important work. A recent study by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations reported that 91% of the charities registered in the United Kingdom have no paid staff and are run by volunteers. That stat highlights how important volunteering work is in our society.
I’m sure there are many other businesses out there who do more to support charities and local causes than we do. We salute you all. And we hope you get as much enjoyment from helping others as we do here at Resonate.