Giving back to our communities is one of the ways we strive to build a better agency.
We created our Community Committee to encourage employees to get involved with nonprofits and local causes.
The Community Committee is an employee-run group that acts as a resource for team members who want to volunteer but don’t know where/how to start, and supports group volunteer opportunities.
To measure our community and individual impact, Workshoppers are asked to track their volunteer hours towards company goals . This is a great way to work together with a shared purpose and recognize those who go above and beyond to give back.
For some, finding the time to volunteer can be a challenge. Our Volunteer Policy encourages employees to take up to eight hours of paid time off in a given month to volunteer - whether volunteering for a company sponsored initiative or for a personal interest cause.
SEO Manager Leah Shapiro is this year’s Community Committee leader. She says, “The committee’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for employees to simply RSVP to a calendar invite and show up for the event. Our efforts help ensure maximum use of our paid volunteer hours employee benefit."
Giving Back Across the USA
As our company has grown, 30% of our team members are fully remote. While the Richmond community will forever be near and dear to our hearts, our company now represents locales across the country.
From California to Minnesota to New Jersey, Workshoppers are based far and wide, and the Community Committee is making it possible for our entire team to give back to organizations doing good where they live.
The committee recently organized an employee survey to better understand our team’s current volunteering commitments and goals. 86% said they would benefit from the committee’s help in finding volunteer opportunities near them.
Workshoppers live in nine different communities across the country. One way we’re helping everyone find a cause they’re passionate about is by polling the team on a quarterly theme (such as animal advocacy or environmental stewardship), and then encouraging them to give back to their local organizations that align with the theme. We hope this inspires people to make long-lasting connections with nonprofits they may have never worked with before.”
- Leah Shapiro, SEO Manager
From the survey results, the committee recognized their role is in part to help “match make” team members with nonprofits who rely on regular volunteers and donors. They’re also helping to promote one-off opportunities and fundraisers to spread the word about causes our employees care about.
To help foster volunteering, the Community Committee focuses on three main areas:
Education: Highlighting volunteer opportunities and causes to support where all of our employees live
Volunteering Events: Coordinating in-person/virtual group activities
Company-wide Sponsorships and Community Events: Supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Junior Achievement’s Bowl for JA, Richmond’s SPCA Dog Jog
Workshoppers in the Community
Habitat for Humanity Build
Habitat for Humanity build projects create safe, affordable homeownership opportunities.
In August 2021, a group of RVA-based team members donated their time and efforts to the Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity.
My favorite part of volunteering for Habitat for Humanity is that you are building something that will outlast yourself. As I stand there in the frame of what will become a family’s home, I can't help but smile and think about the great memories they will create in it. To know that my team and I have had a positive impact on someone’s life makes my internal scorecard 'glow'.
- Eve Campan, Director of HR
Anthem Corporate Run
Our next company-sponsored event is the annual Anthem Corporate Run, an in-person or virtual option.
On September 23rd, Workshoppers across the country can run (or walk) a 5K that benefits Greater Richmond Fit4Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving children’s health and reducing childhood obesity.
As we grow...
2021 has been our fastest year of employee growth. As we are increasingly becoming a nationally representative brand, the Community Committee will continue to reevaluate goals and improve how they connect employees with volunteer opportunities.
For Leah, this means, “We want to make sure we’re continuing to serve the needs of our team and making the biggest impact we can on our communities.”
