Getting your hands dirty: the impact of good corporate citizenry.

• Author: Burns, Claire
• Position: Nonprofitguide

When people choose to give back to their. community, the rewards are great. Those who distribute their time and monry feel the warmth of connecting with those in need, while the receving individuals and organizations benefit from simple acts of generosity.

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There is no question that volunteerism is valued in our society. Its improtance was touted after 9/11, and many of us have always found our own projects that allow us to give back. And despite today's tight economy, many corporations are using their resources to orgainze employees for volunteer work.

Among many good "corporate citizens," corporate giving programs are not revolutionary. But what differs today is that corporations in almost every industry are dedicating more and more of their employee's time to community service instead of simply writing a check. This sacrifice has not come about because employees have more time, but because the rewards are greater. Team building outside of the office creates cohesion in the office, too, as people begin to see the power of working together. And, volunteerism creates good publicity for corporations willing to invest their resources.

The law firm Holland & Hart, which has 12 offices in the Intermountain West including one in Salt Lake City, has a 501 (c) 3 foundation dedicated to encouraging volunteerism.

"Helping people who can't help themselves is an essential part of our philosophy," says Holland and Hart attorney Carl Barton. "We all think it's important to give back to the community where we work." Pro bono work at the firm is encouraged and impressively totaled, but through the foundation, employees step outside the boundaries of their profession to interact with people in need.

The Holland & Hart Foundation 2002 annual report shows that their Salt Lake City employees worked on a range of activities including organizing crafts projects at Shriners Hospital, doing yard work for seniors, preparing meals at St. Vincent de Paul's for the homeless, raising scholarship funds and collecting supplies for a school district in Mississippi and much more.

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"The currency you use is your time, which is much more meaningful," Barton says. "We all contribute financially as well, but it doesn't have the same effect."

And by recruiting family members and friends to participate too, the firm increases the scope of its effectiveness.

"It's strength in numbers," says Inga Regenass, chair of Holland & Hart's Salt...