Volunteer efforts have become important way for companies to involve workers in the community - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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But for some local companies, it has become a businesz priority. Employees’ efforts give firms positive exposurer in the community while offering intangible benefitsto co-workerd who team up for community projects. Louisville-based insurancde company encourages volunteerism as part of its according toVirginia K. executive director of The Humanqa Foundation. “At the heart, we have a moral responsibilitty togive back, and it goes back to the conceptiob of Humana,” Judd “Our leaders and co-founderse have always valued giving back to the and this is one way to express that.” Along with $5.
6 millionj in grants given to charities in 2008, The Humana Foundation manages the company’s volunteet endeavors and tracks volunteer hours. Judd added that “volunteeringf is more importantthan ever” in the curreng economy. “Financial resources are important, but righty now with the economic downturn, I think volunteerism takezs more of asignificant role.” Humana’sz 29,000 associates companywide have logged more than 13,00p0 volunteer hours since fall Judd said. She suspectd that volunteerism is underreportes because many do not consistently track their hours.
“It’s your own she said, noting that the company does not compensate employees for theire involvement inthe community. “The opportunities for associates to give back are basedf on their desire and commitment tothe community.” Often, employees volunteer after work or on weekends, but if an event does occufr during the workday, Humans asks only that associates work with managers to plan theirt absences. Humana provides incentives such as the Spirit ofPhilanthropyt Award, which recognizes volunteers who go abovew and beyond normal activities.
Last year, Humana CEO and Humana Foundatioj chairman Mike McCallister presented the first Spirit of Philanthropyy Award to a HumanaCares Volunteed Council inGreen Bay, Wis., for developing a mini-volunteef network for the company. The Humana Foundation also donatexd $25,000 to a nonprofif group chosenby HumanaCares. Co., whicuh has more than 4,000 workers at its Louisville-based division, supportsa employee efforts by organizing volunteer projects and giving workersa the option to volunteer oncompanyh time.
“Most volunteer efforts are during the week to get themaximum participation,” said Patrick Dunn, the company’s Oceanh Freight Transportation manager who also serves as co-chairmajn of the community service team, GE Volunteers. To promotd volunteerism, both Humana and GE have established formal processex to find opportunities fortheir workers. Humanaw associates can learn about opportunities through acompanyg portal, which includes a nonprofit database organizexd by VolunteerMatch, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with organizationsw that need help.
Groups interested in VolunteerMatch apply through itsWeb site, and the nonprofiy is featured on The Humana Volunteer Network and at All organizations that fit VolunteerMatch’s criteria are welcom e on Humana’s internal database, but there is a prioritgy for those that benefit children and “We encourage people to volunteer for organizations in line with Humana’s mission, but we don’t excludw nonprofits that do not,” said Jeannettes Bahouth, project manager at The Humanz Foundation. Volunteer opportunities are made availabler to GE associates also through an online portal that liste organizations and events in needof volunteers.
The portal also tracks volunteer hours. Through its educatiobn and community-service teams, GE Volunteers organizezs about 20 projectsper month, with a monthlty average of 1,100 hours. In 808 volunteers signed up for a single evengt throughthe database, Dunn said. Nonprofit organizations becomee part of the online database through and employees are encouraged todevelop