We're celebrating the hard work and contributions of Canada's 12.7 million volunteers this week, as part of National Volunteer Week!

It's a great opportunity  to recognize the social and economic value that volunteers bring to organizations, individuals, communities and society at large, and to reflect on the evolving and expanding nature of volunteer engagement. 

Research undertaken by Volunteer Canada considers the rise of Individual Social Responsibility, or ISR. ISR is an integral part of peoples’ daily lives, encompassing a broad range of activities beyond volunteering, including their environmental footprint, purchasing decisions, choice of employer, charitable donations and vacation choices.

What does Individual Social Responsibility look like in Canada?

While 12.7 million Canadians (44%) volunteer through organizations, we know that there are many more ways that Canadians contribute to the community, including:

• Mobilizing outside of organizations by supporting public awareness and social advocacy campaigns; raising funds through digital channel;, organizing events; and engaging people around issues that matter to them.
• Crowdfunding and crowd sourcing funds for a wide range of causes - anything from participating n a peace mission to retrofitting a van to make it accessible.
• Making informed decisions about their consumption habits based on a company’s corporate social responsibility practices and making lifestyle changes to reflect their social and environmental concerns.

How can community organizers facilitate Individual Social Responsibility?

Incorporating acts of ISR into our daily lives can be challenging, so community organizations need to be creative in the opportunities they make for people to contribute. This could include micro-volunteering opportunities, which are quick activities with short commitments that are usually done on one’s own and possibly from home. Another example could be advocacy opportunities such as signing a petition or raising awareness through personal social media. 

Some of these opportunities, particularly those using social media, may mean that some of the keenest supporters will never be fully known to community organizations. Organizations may then need to decide that traditional means of extending their relationships (e.g. turning a volunteer into a donor) or recognizing efforts (e.g. volunteering awards) no longer fit.  Measuring the impact of the public engagement aspects of community programs may require new approaches and metrics.

What does Individual Social Responsibility mean for companies employers?

The Edelman Trust Barometer identifies that business are experiencing diminishing trust and rising expectations that they will positively influence society.  In this era, most companies are quite aware that, for many customers, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) generates loyalty and is an integral part of businesses today. CSR encompasses a broad range of considerations including environmental footprint, ethical supply chain management, hiring (diversity and inclusion), charitable donations, employee-volunteering, and community relations. Consumers using their purchasing power to support socially responsible companies is perhaps one of the most powerful expressions of ISR.

In terms of cultivating ISR in the workplace, to recruit and retain talent, companies and other organizations must become as flexible and creative as community organizations to motivate, support and celebrate the ISR expressions of employees. For example:

• Permitting employees time off that would normally granted for volunteering at a community organization to support a sick neighbour.
• Commending employee commitment to a cause beyond their volunteering. For example, celebrating an employee who consistently makes ‘green’ choices.
• Allowing employee-directed donations to go to community organizations that are not registered charities, such as a community sports team or an advocacy organization.

As with community organizations, some employee ISR activities will never be known to their employer and are therefore not measurable. Some employers will find this challenging as many are trying to improve the impact measures of their community investment programs. But with 68% of Canadians preferring a job with a company that has a strong volunteer culture, employer expressions of encouragement, openness to diverse ISR activities and offers of support, will allow employees to feel more able to ‘bring their whole selves to work’ and improve both work culture and community contributions. 

Celebrate the value of volunteering 

Canadians are making choices and taking actions every day to build a stronger, kinder Canada – making ethical purchases, engaging in causes they care about, and greening their daily commute. Volunteering and ISR, whether formal or informal, long- or short-term, recurring or one-off activities, build confidence, competence, connections and community. Those contributions are rich in value and should be celebrated!

Join Volunteer Canada and Investors Group for National Volunteer Week 2018 from April 15 to 21 as we celebrate the value of volunteering in all its forms!