IT4Communities, which last month
celebrated five years of helping IT professionals to volunteer
their expertise to local charities, is seeking to boost its
activities by encouraging more corporate involvement.
Launched in November 2002 by the Information Technologists
Company with the support of Computer Weekly, IT4Communities acts as
a clearing house and a source of advice for IT professional
volunteers and the charities they help. It has brought much needed
structure to the process of volunteering, and several hundred
projects have been successfully completed, with the help of 4,800
IT volunteers.
IT4Communities is looking to offer the benefits of its
experience to encourage IT directors and their corporate IT
departments to extend their team-building and corporate social
responsibility activities.
"By encouraging employee volunteering, there are many general
benefits to companies," said John Davies, programme director at
IT4Communities. "By volunteering their IT skills to local charities
and community projects, staff get to experience very different
organisational cultures.
"Research suggests that employee volunteering is at least as
effective as formal training in developing communication skills.
Working with a small charity where staff have no technical
background provides a real-life test of an employee's ability to
listen to and communicate in a working environment."
Davies said staff also gain experience in developing the
big-picture perspective. "Many IT professionals spend their working
lives focusing on small elements of large projects. Working with a
charity on a project where the volunteer is responsible for
everything from the initial statement of requirements to the final
sign off, gives employees a perspective of the overall project,
which can enhance their effectiveness in their everyday work," he
said.
Other corporate benefits for encouraging IT volunteering include
improving staff morale and positive public relations for
organisations.
Since its launch, IT4Communities has grown steadily in the value
of its services, which currently contribute skills that would
otherwise be costing charities £660,000 a year.
"Without the help of IT4Communities these organisations would
have to pay professionals to provide IT services. This helps the
charities to operate more efficiently, which in turn ensures that a
greater proportion of the funds raised go directly to their
intended beneficiaries, rather than being spent on administration,"
said Davies.