With fewer giving of their time, firms should aid volunteerism
September 7, 2009

IN THESE hard times, many Americans are helping neighbors, friends, and relatives more than usual. But most are spending less time volunteering for service organizations and charities, suggests a recent report. The decline threatens to cripple nonprofit groups, increasingly reliant upon volunteers as they suffer steep cuts in grant funding and evaporating donor pools. If the country is to emerge from the recession with vital public service initiatives intact, employers should encourage workers to help bear the civic load.

Seventy-two percent of Americans cut back on volunteering and other civic activities as the country fell deep into recession, according to a May survey of 3,889 people conducted by the National Conference on Citizenship published last week. A compelling explanation is that the economic crisis has led people to focus inward. “It’s only human to concentrate on your job when you feel your job might be vulnerable,’’ Jack and Suzy Welch write in a blog post on Business Week’s website.

The decline in volunteering constrains groups that rely on volunteer labor and pro bono expertise to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, educate children, promote the arts, and protect the environment.

As companies have tightened their belts, they have cut back on charitable donations. To counterbalance this, employers should encourage their workers to volunteer for service organizations and nonprofit groups, and assure them that doing so will not cost them their jobs. When possible, companies should organize community outreach events and make scheduling allowances for volunteer work. Such measures are unlikely to diminish the bottom lines, and they could help keep important charities afloat.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.