Volunteering good for Business?
John Johnson a retired small business owner and a busy volunteer sent me an email with some thoughts on the value of volunteering.
At the personal level he certainly enjoys helping senior citizens work through the maze of their annual tax returns taking a good deal of unnecessary stress out of their lives. He also believes that the volunteer is rewarded considerably for his/her efforts.
The World Volunteer Web, says "Volunteering is the perfect vehicle to discover something you are really good at and develop a new skill. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
John and many others like him enjoy this experience.
John said that from his experience volunteering is very much a measure of a positive sense of community. The fact is many Canadians volunteer at their local hospitals, schools, libraries, churches, shelters, and many places where they can help, which speaks well for our way of life. He also points out that without this volunteer work the governments, national, provincial and municipal would have to step in with financial support to sustain the well being of many segments of society presently being supported by volunteers.
John points out that charitable giving is a deductible expense against taxes and suggests that "The free labor contribution is just as valuable and should receive some recognition. I recognize that to get a credit for a minimum number of hours per year would have to be in the formula, but I strongly feel that some recognition is long overdue and who knows that token credit might encourage more to volunteer and perhaps further reduce the stress on the government of having to provide quite so much revenue to healthcare as an example."
Many employers give special recognition to their employees volunteering activities in the community, and this kind of commitment brings awareness of community needs to a deeper level. It would seem good business practice to encourage and engage in volunteer work in the community. Maybe there is a solid argument to have government acknowledge and recognize the work of volunteers. What do you think?
JFC Jan 2011
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