Rock on, Twin Cities' volunteers!
The Corporation for National and Community Service ranks the Twin Cities first in volunteerism. More than 913,000 of us (39.3 percent of our population) volunteer 106.2 million hours a year, making an estimated annual economic contribution of $2.1 billion, according to the corporation’s new web tool VolunteeringInAmerica.gov. (Check out the profile of volunteering in Minnesota – that’s impressive too!)
Adding to these accolades is news that the Corporate Volunteerism Council of the Twin Cities (CVC-TC) was awarded the 2009 Corporate Volunteerism Council of the Year Award at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in June. The award, presented by the Points of Light Institute, recognizes the CVC-TC’s outstanding success in employing the CVC Principles of Excellence, which acknowledge that CVCs exist to meet the needs of businesses and the community, assist businesses interested in developing employee volunteer programs, and target its efforts to address serious social problems based on real community needs.
In accepting the award, CVC-TC president Cheryl Thompson said, “We believe that employee volunteerism is the pinnacle of corporate citizenship, bringing together a corporation’s most valuable resource – its people – with organizations that address community needs and bring positive change.”
Among its accomplishments this past year, the CVC-TC:
- Engaged nonprofit associate members to apprise CVC-TC members of emerging community needs and to partner on strategic community initiatives.
- Promoted collaboration through a joint volunteer project bringing together 100 corporate volunteers from 10 companies, plus partners Hands On Twin Cities, Great River Greening and St. Paul Parks and Recreation.
- Bolstered local, cross-sector collaboration efforts in support of the Serve America Act/Service Nation by quantifying the corporate contribution to the community: In 2009, employee volunteers in Minnesota will contribute more than 700,000 volunteer hours, valued at $13,657,000.
- Offered educational programs on topics such as green volunteering, on-site volunteer opportunities and retiree volunteer programs.
The CVC-TC works to improve communities through its mission to advocate, support and grow employee volunteerism in companies of all sizes. Many CVC-TC members are also MCF members. (To learn more, read the CVC-TC feature in our spring issue of Giving Forum focusing on corporate philanthropy.)
Congratulations to the CVC-TC for its efforts to maintain and further our community’s long tradition of volunteer service.
