The Commerce Times

Time over money

For some of Canada’s largest organizations, giving back to the community isn’t just about writing a big cheque. It’s also about donating time.

In a joint effort between Power of the Hour and the Corporate Council on Volunteering (CCOV), 22 of Canada’s major companies have pledged to commit 814,900 hours of employee volunteer time for 2010.

They announced this goal at the Toronto Stock Exchange last month.

Separately, Power of the Hour hopes to reach a total of 2 million by the end of 2010.

“We partnered with the Corporate Council because we believe that being a good citizen, being engaged in our neighbourhoods and communities is critical to building a stronger Canada,” said Dorothy Engelman, founder and executive producer of Get Involved and Power of the Hour.

Power of the Hour is a free online tool that allows companies, not-for-profit organizations, individuals, groups and families to set a total number of volunteer hours.

Engelman says the organizations’ partnership with Volunteer Canada and the CCOV marks a positive shift towards corporate social responsibility. Rather than simply donating money to smaller initiatives, many corporations – including Home Depot, UPS, Microsoft Canada, Direct Energy and Manulife – include volunteering as part of their corporate culture.

Corporate volunteerism has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, especially as companies try to build a stronger relationship with its surrounding communities.

“While fundraising will always play a critical role in the health of all of our not-for-profits, when you spend your time volunteering you experience first-hand the challenges they face, you meet the people they serve and you connect in a way you can’t when you write a cheque,” Engelman said.

On the Power of the Hour website, employees and their companies can set a goal by declaring to the staff or public the total number of volunteer hours they want to reach.

Among some of the speakers at the announcement were Mike Tierney, president of UPS Canada, Chris Clark, chief executive of PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada and Alan MacGibbon, managing partner and chief executive of Deloitte.

“This is an opportunity for business to redefine corporate social responsibility,” Mark Tierney said. “There is a larger role that businesses must play – and that is to support and invest in the community that invested in you.”