Homestretch finds its match with Excella

Excella incorporated Homestretch as its primary charitable partner, doing activities throughout the year such as refurbishing its properties, tutoring students and teaching English classes to parents.

In return, managers say the partnership has developed employees’ professional skills and created memorable bonds outside the office.

Governor Patrick welcomes students from across the state for MLK day of service

Las Vegas nonprofits lifted by corporate volunteerism

"This is about us recognizing that there is a great need in the community," says Jocelyn Bluitt-Fisher, community affairs director for MGM Resorts International. "It's not about our image, it's really about recognizing the needs in our community and figuring out ways to give back to those who support us. That is ingrained in our company culture from the top down."

Social media’s good virus of volunteerism

From finding volunteers to fill sandbags, cook food, seek donations, make rafts of life vests, to developing informative websites and producing video clips or just cleaning up in the aftermath, the all-pervasive social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, have inarguably become champions in keeping people abreast of what's happening.

Volunteering- A Great Way To Learn Real Executive Leadership

Having corporate programs that encourage employees to work as volunteers for organizations in their community are one way to offer an extra corporate benefit that makes employees feel pride and satisfaction, and makes them happier and more productive workers. Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com, promotes what he calls “the 1 per- cent solution”: 1 percent of the company’s equity, 1 percent of its profits, and 1 percent of its employees’ paid work hours are devoted to philanthropy.  Software maker SAS, which has for years  been among the Top 20 in Fortune’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for, offers a volunteer initiative that lets employees use flexible schedules to take paid time off for projects in the community, or even work in teams with their managers on a volunteer effort during business hours.

United Nations General Assembly sets stage for the future of volunteerism

Utah Toys With Idea of Mandating Volunteerism in Return for Medicaid

Art for Volunteerism

A total of 17 Filipino visual artists have volunteered to use their talents for a cause. VSO Bahaginan, a member of international organization VSO, will hold its first ever “Art for Volunteerism” exhibit at the Ayala Museum in Makati City on December 9.

Matching Volunteers to the Right Missions

Volunteering Rises on the Resume

Volunteer experience has long been a secondary consideration in people’s career portfolios. It was seen as good for the soul, maybe, beneficial to a cause, but not something that led to a better job. Recent graduates might seek unpaid internships to get a leg up, but skilled professionals largely expected to burnish their résumés on the job. Volunteer work got a line at the bottom of a résumé, near hobbies.

That has started to change, with more nonprofit organizations trying to take better advantage of skilled volunteers, and more employers saying they look at volunteer work in evaluating job candidates.

Volunteerism Leads to App Creation

A new App Boot Camp and a very low-tech wheelbarrow full of mulch definitely had a connection for Eileen Sweeney, director of Libertyville-based Motorola Mobility Foundation.

She donated her time for one day to her community. That included pushing a wheelbarrow around the Garfield Park Conservatory on a recent rainy day, and even did a few impromptu wheelbarrow races with colleagues, all in the name of fun and volunteerism. Then she dried off and volunteered to teach how to create apps for smartphones to students at DeVry Advantage Academy High School and Evanston High School.

“Learning these skills can be very empowering for these students,” Sweeney said about the App Boot Camp, a new Motorola program that reaches out to schools.

On Board to Do Good

People Who Volunteer Live Longer, Studies Suggest

People who volunteer for selfless reasons, such as helping others, live longer than those who don't lend a helping hand, a new study shows. However, those who volunteer for more self-centered reasons do not reap the same life-extending benefits.

Volunteerism recalls spirit of good will Americans exhibited after 9/11 attacks

Reputation Building and Corporate Volunteerism Impacts Bottom Line

60,000 Volunteers, 30 Countries, 30 Days

The Results Are In! One act of kindness can make a world of difference. In April 2011, nearly 60,000 Starbucks partners (employees), customers, community members and nonprofit organizations from across 30 countries on four continents joined together in their local neighborhoods to be a catalyst for change and make a positive impact in people’s lives.

Operation Backpack, led by Volunteers of America, Sends Hope to NYC Homeless Kids

Mayor Bloomberg Announces More Than Half A Million Public School Students Performed Service Projects as part of Service In Schools Initiative

Mayor Bloomberg Honors Graduates of NYC Civic Corps Class of 2011

Mayor Bloomberg today delivered remarks at the graduation ceremony of the City’s second NYC Civic Corps class – a specially trained group of AmeriCorps members who work at nonprofit organizations and City agencies to help increase the number of volunteers they can utilize and serve a greater number of New Yorkers in need. The NYC Civic Corps members just completed their ten-month term of service, during which they worked to create sustainable volunteer management structures within nonprofits.

’New York Says Thank You’ Documentary to Premiere at 2011 Tribeca Film Festival

HRC and MENY Team-up for a Night of Action in Queens

NYC EMERGENCY VOLUNTEERS: SAVING LIVES and BUILDING RESILIENCY

Some Volunteers Would Rather Crunch Numbers Than Haul Lumber

Outreach extraordinaire Jason Kendall brings astronomy to New York City public schools

Mentoring Program Turns Cameras on Its Young Clients

Help out during the holidays

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- We are right in the middle of the most spectacular display of economic activity all year -- holiday shopping season.

Most of those holiday gifts will put a hole in your wallet, but the gift of time won't cost you a cent.

Social Entrepreneurs: Taking On World Problems

Video Volunteers Announces ’IndiaUnheard’ - The World’s First Community News Service: Making Change By Bringing Untold Stories from the Farthest Villages of India to Impact a Global Audience

It’s Time to Start Serving: 10 Facts and Stats on Volunteering

Frazzled Moms Push Back Against Volunteering

Celebrate International Volunteer Managers Day every year on November 5

generationOn -- Empowering Kids to Better Their World

The Distinctly American Tradition of Charity

In December 1941, 26-year-old Rae Wilson wrote the editor of the North Platte, Neb., Daily Bulletin after having watched townspeople hand out food and notes of encouragement to soldiers on their way to combat in World War II. Wilson suggested that the community open a free canteen to serve the soldiers whose troop trains paused in North Platte while the steam engines took on water. Her letter launched one of the most inspiring home-front efforts of the war. When the trains made their brief stops en route to military bases in the West, North Platte put on a show. Young women attended each arrival with baskets and smiles, offering fruit, matches, and candy bars to the soldiers, while directing them to the canteen. Inside, a pianist provided music and local girls wearing their Sunday finest danced with the servicemen for a few moments. "For the next five years, volunteers welcomed every single troop train that came through North Platte with something good to eat and words of encouragement," Bob Greene wrote movingly in his book, Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen (2003). "More than 55,000 volunteers from 125 communities

’We Generation’: Tweens volunteer, start non-profits

Growing numbers of pre-teens and early teens are giving tweens a new face: a socially responsible young citizen. They're not only doing good in their local communities, but having a global impact. Some have created their own non-profits, and most have websites enlisting the support of kids like themselves who also want to help others.

What’s Really In the Hearts of Donors? And other stories...

• A 100 Million Dollar Surprise for Students:  Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg makes a large donation to the public school system
• Healthcare Funding in the U.S. Plummets:  Donations dropped substantially last year
• What's Really in the Hearts of Donors:  A look at why some people give

Good Intentions Going Nowhere - Again

Spurred By NY, 10 Cities Launch Volunteer Programs

NEW YORK (AP) – Ten U.S. cities are recruiting volunteers to help with local problems such as flood recovery and childhood obesity as part of a nationwide emphasis on service led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg founded a volunteer corps in his city last year in response to President Barack Obama’s call for more Americans to do service work. He then launched a coalition of cities focused on service, and it now has more than 100 member cities.

HSBC and Rebuilding Together New York City Join Together to Perform Rebuild

Bloomberg Swears-in Civic Corps

Cash-strapped schools turn to volunteers to fill budget gaps

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As state and local funding for education dries up, schools around the nation are asking their communities to help them maintain their services and programming.

Many are increasing their use of volunteers, while others are boosting their fundraising efforts. Some are even turning to online auctions to boost reserves.

Sun Bank Sets Employee Volunteer Day on Oct. 11

VINELAND — Sun National Bank will host its second annual “Banking on our Communities” day on Mon., Oct. 11, from 1-5 p.m.

The bank is looking for projects at local, non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey where employees can volunteer their time and service.

VOLUNTEER MANAGERS ’UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERVALUED’

Many of those who manage volunteers are underfunded, undervalued and need better training and support, according to a report published today.

The study of more than 1,000 voluntary sector organisations found that 42% of those who managed volunteers had not received any training that would help in their work with volunteers.

Volunteering in America 2010 National Report Available Now

Social Media to the Rescue

Volunteers are using Social Media like Twitter to mobilize, organize, and energize cleanup efforts for the Gulf Oil Spill

NYAVA Professional Profile and Salary Survey Results