Volunteerism – a Powerful Tool for Corporate Growth

TORONTO – August 9, 2017 – Volunteering as a corporate group can be highly beneficial to a company, according to a recent survey conducted by Deloitte. Projects Abroad acknowledges the impact that conducting service work through volunteerism can have on a team, and therefore offers the opportunity for corporate groups to tailor their own trip to volunteer in a destination abroad.

The benefits of doing volunteer service work as a group of colleagues stretch beyond what regular team building activities achieve. When a team joins forces to help in a specific area of need and witnesses the positive results first-hand, group morale can be boosted significantly. Through volunteering abroad, corporate social responsibility can be fulfilled while achieving substantial team growth.

Projects Abroad’s volunteering opportunities are diverse, and can including anything from building schools in developing communities, to protecting the environment through conservation work, to teaching English. Spanning across 30 destinations in five continents, prospective volunteer groups have many options when choosing the right destination country for their interests and trip goals.

"We have received tremendous feedback from previous corporate groups who volunteered in a destination abroad," says Projects Abroad’s Human Resources Director, Guillermo Cogorno. "People from a structured work environment get to experience working together in a vastly different one, in a space they would not necessarily be used to. Participants are encouraged to be innovative in places with limited resources, they get to develop leadership skills, and importantly, are exposed to issues faced in developing countries. This creates a greater sense of compassion as participants learn to see the value in helping others," says Cogorno.

Deloitte’s survey revealed that most people consider companies that offer volunteering opportunities to their employees to have a better work environment than those who do not. The majority of participants in the survey also believes that volunteering enhances a sense of purpose in the attitudes of employees.

A company who chooses to make volunteering available to its employees can spread its network by creating relationships with organizations in other countries, build a legacy of positive action in developing communities, develop a global outlook among employees, encourage social consciousness among staff, and open the door for future group service experiences.

While the main beneficiaries of Projects Abroad’s volunteer programs are the people and environments in the locations where volunteers serve, the return for participants is extremely positive. Companies and corporate groups are encouraged to capitalize on this unique opportunity offered by Projects Abroad to grow as a work force.