Title: The Rise of Competent Volunteering: Companies Promoting Social Development
Subtitle: New regulations encourage businesses to engage in atypical collaborations for the benefit of society
Date: [Insert Date]
By Maria Chiara Gadda
In recent years, a new generation of regulations has emerged, aiming to promote social development within communities by encouraging unique collaborations between businesses and organizations from different fields. These collaborations are often tied together by the common goal of leveraging advantageous tax benefits. Over time, legislators have recognized and rewarded virtuous behaviors exhibited by businesses and citizens through various laws and initiatives.
One such example is the law “antispreco,” which connects corporate social responsibility with areas in need by donating surplus resources. Another is the social bonus, which was introduced in the reform of the Third Sector to facilitate the recovery of public buildings. Furthermore, social agriculture has brought together traditional agricultural enterprises with the world of social inclusion and therapeutic care for individuals with disabilities or discomfort.
While these initiatives have gained recognition, an opportunity that is less known to the general public is competent volunteering. This practice, which has been imported from the United States and has existed in Italy since 1998, allows companies to encourage their employees to participate in activities organized by non-profit organizations during working hours. The tax laws, specifically article 100 of the Tax Consolidation Act, enable companies to “lend” their employees to non-profit organizations while still deducting labor costs within certain limits.
Competent volunteering, or enterprise volunteering, showcases the strength of a company’s commitment to social responsibility. From 2001 to 2019, the percentage of companies engaging in social responsibility projects internally increased from 44% to 92%. This statistic sets a fertile ground for the renewed development of competent volunteering opportunities.
Recognition of competent volunteering activities by the tax authorities has not always been straightforward. However, in the past decade, public debates involving politicians, academics, and institutions have accelerated and consolidated these efforts. Sustainability, encompassing environmental, economic, and social components, has become a central topic. As companies invest internally in their employees’ continuous training to improve performance, a similar principle applies to the benefit of the third sector and the community.
Four forms of corporate volunteering can be identified: professional volunteering, volunteering with educational value, consulting volunteering, and emergency volunteering. Professional volunteering allows employees, such as engineers, agronomists, and doctors, to dedicate a period of training in NGOs in emerging countries. Volunteering with educational value involves employees serving as mentors for children and young people, guiding them towards personal and professional growth. Consulting volunteering utilizes the technical skills of employees in critical areas such as fundraising, marketing, and procurement management. Lastly, emergency volunteering has gained prominence during recent events such as the pandemic and floods.
Companies are increasingly including competent volunteering opportunities in their corporate welfare plans. This allows employees to dedicate a working day to volunteering for organizations aligned with their aptitudes and interests. The advantages of this convergence between corporate culture and the values of the third sector are immeasurable. The third sector gains relational skills, tools, and professionalism, while the company enhances its reputation, fosters social responsibility, and boosts employee satisfaction.
Corporate volunteering also serves as a team-building tool, as it allows employees to develop new skills in unconventional settings and highlights the value of teamwork. To compete in today’s dynamic market, businesses must invest in human capital and tap into intangible motivational aspects. The development of professionalism, obtained through formal education and real-life experiences, becomes crucial in distinguishing those who struggle from those who successfully adapt to the evolving society.
By embracing competent volunteering, companies can contribute to the common good, promote social responsibility, and empower their employees. This integration of corporate culture and the values of the third sector not only advances social development but also strengthens the market position of businesses in an ever-evolving society.
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