Beyond the suit– Get involved – Participate in Employee Volunteer Week from 10 to 16 March 2008!

One of the ways in which every South African can contribute to the betterment of our society is through volunteering. There are many sorts of volunteering which take place in South Africa – in fact South Africa was termed ‘A Nation of Givers’, in a recent survey on giving and volunteering.

Although we are facing many challenges in South Africa, we all know that every contribution, no matter how small, will help to alleviate ongoing conditions of inequality and poverty. As Finance Minister Trevor Manuel emphasised in his February 2008 Budget Speech to the nation:

‘We are in these things together, the war on poverty, infrastructure development and financial stability, responding to global warming – we share these obligations: rich and poor, urban and rural, men and women, business and community organisations, labour and government … because we march together under the banner of social solidarity to improve the lives of all South Africans.’

Employee Volunteering is a significant sector of volunteering. Employee Volunteer Week is an annual initiative that aims to encourage employees to volunteer their skills, talents and most importantly time, to NPO's and communities. Employee Volunteering is a really important part of corporate social responsibility, because it is one of the ways to integrate the needs of the community with the aspirations of the company. And it is a very effective way for the company and its employees to build common purpose. Through this campaign, you can make a difference.

So join the many companies already participating by clicking on the Get Involved link.

The crux of the matter

During that one week in March you can do something important for South African development. Whether it is helping to plant a garden, painting a school, caring for the elderly, or teaching business skills to young entrepreneurs, your input will assist in alleviating the condition of the poor, hungry, sick and marginalised. You as employees can choose to work for causes which you are passionate about while we at CAF Southern Africa facilitate the volunteering opportunities, For example if the plight of abandoned children touches your heart you can work in a children’s home, if you want to support women’s empowerment you can spend time with a women’s NPO, etc. The important thing is that you as employees choose the cause you want to support through your volunteering. CAF Southern Africa then helps you to realise your goal.

Examples of successful Employee Volunteering programmes can be found in the Case Studies section of this website.

Who is running this campaign?

Employee Volunteer Week is co-coordinated by CAF Southern Africa. In the run-up to Volunteer Week we campaign for increased volunteering, and during Volunteer Week we facilitate contact between NPOs that need support, and companies where volunteering is encouraged.

CAF Southern Africa is a non-profit organisation that encourages and facilitates effective giving and social investment. We work with individual and corporate donors to increase the resources channelled to the non-profit sector, and with non-profit organisations to assist with effective use of these resources. In order to facilitate an enabling legislative environment for social investment, we also advocate for appropriate regulatory transformation.

CAF Southern Africa is an independent South African organisation that is also affiliated to the international network of the Charities Aid Foundation, headquartered in the UK. For more details on CAF Southern Africa please visit:http://www.cafsouthernafrica.org