Can you feel a shift in the world around you? We feel it too.
The world is changing, and a single individual has the ability to make a meaningful impact in ways that are only possible in 2020. More than ever before, social and economic responsibility is influencing our day-to-day lives.
From where we shop, the things we eat, even the businesses and public figures we support, people are expressing an increasing desire to make more sustainable choices.
This shift could be for a number of reasons. Technology and social media have made it easier to connect with others and express our voice on a global scale. Investments in education and innovation have made each person into a more informed citizen. Greater transparency and accountability is being demanded by the businesses and companies whose products we consume. The list goes on and on, but there’s a central force that propels this global change: People care.
This unending desire and ability to make a difference is why we created MeaningfulWork. We understand that sustainable businesses and socially-responsible choices are no longer a zero-sum game. By weaving social impact into corporate work, we connect the world's top talent to the most impactful nonprofit organizations to accelerate social impact and environmental change.
“ There is a central force that propels this global change: People care.”
It is possible to have a successful business while adding value to our local and global communities, in fact, we think it’s the only way business will be done in the future.
No other group exemplifies this desire for sustainable choice better than Millennials (ages 26-40), which recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation population. As they quickly become the predominant occupants of the workforce, they’re also bringing their innovative perspectives and values along with them.
Millennials, more than any generation before them, have the strongest desire to volunteer and give back to their community. So much so, that we’re seeing a blend of professional and personal life. Through the jobs they choose to accept and the products they buy, Millennials are voting for companies whose purposes align with their own values and morals; voting with their time, and voting with their wallets.
This paradigm shift of increased Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is having ripple effects across countries, generations, and industries.
Unfortunately, it takes more than a strong desire to make change happen, and there are still many barriers to be faced when striving to make a meaningful, transformative impact in our communities. Time restraints, financial restraints, and awareness are the largest barriers to transformative volunteering.
We at MeaningfulWork understand these barriers as well as anyone, which is what inspired us to create this ecosystem that connects those with the desire for change, with those that have the ability to do so.
Employers that incorporate and encourage employee volunteering into their companies lift these time and financial restraints off the shoulders of their socially-conscious employees, allowing them to give more, give consistently and foster a company culture based on social responsibility. Volunteer culture isn’t just a donation, however; it’s an investment.
Volunteering enhances an employee’s happiness and fulfillment, and happy workers are productive workers. Employees these days don’t just want a paycheck, they desire job satisfaction and fulfillment; with the majority of Millennials stating that they’d take a pay or benefits decrease if it meant more opportunities to volunteer or give back.
These satisfied employees also become champions for their company, and the products or services that they help provide, speaking highly of it to their families, friends, and professional network.
“Volunteer culture isn’t just a donation, however; it’s an investment.”
This kind of PR and advertising can’t be replicated, faked, or bought; only authentic and genuine companies that give to their community enjoy the reciprocity that their community, in turn, gives back to them. In this day and age customers are quick to speak their mind, condemn deception, and praise authenticity. Simply put: honesty sells.
While employers can reduce the burden of time and financial restraints, we at MeaningfulWork are here to improve the awareness of volunteer opportunities. Often, employees that do have volunteer programs are forced to search for opportunities themselves, on the hunt for an opportunity that fits their purpose, while also being able to benefit from their unique skill-set and experience. And this doesn’t even begin to mention the paperwork and time spent applying, connecting, and conferring with these different nonprofits or opportunities.
By thoughtfully matching the skills, experience, and purpose of the employee with an opportunity that’s tailor-selected for them, we remove these hurdles.
This allows them to easily find an opportunity that fits them, so the volunteers can just focus on volunteering.
This convenient matching of purpose to skills also allows nonprofits to effectively increase the awareness of their cause, find the right volunteer for their organizational needs and goals, as well as foster the beginning of a personal and professional relationship with their volunteer as well as the company they work for.
Corporate Social Responsibility is the foundation that the future of business and commerce will be built on. People care, and honesty sells. Customers vote for the causes that matter to them with their time and their wallets. In the near future, CSR won’t be a luxury, it will be the benchmark.
What do you think? Are you ready to make a meaningful impact? We’d love to hear from you.
