A spirit of giving pays big dividends
Recently I was asked how KPMG contributes to the community during the holiday season. I had to stop to think about it, because like so many other businesses in Houston we’ve tried to make volunteering and community giving a yearround thing.
Of course, it’s natural to think more about the needs of others during the holiday season. That’s what the true spirit of the season is all about. It’s always the giving more than receiving that makes the holidays so special.
For me personally that always includes the Ronald McDonald House, which for more than 30 years in Houston has been helping families with seriously ill children stay close together during difficult times.
So as we begin this annual season of joy, all businesses in our community, small or large, owe it to our great city and neighbors to support our local nonprofit and civic organizations that assist individuals and families that need them the most.
At the same time, let’s also remember that the needs won’t disappear after the holidays. It is our obligation to do what we can as business leaders to foster a culture and environment that encourages our greatest asset — our people — to use their time, talents and resources to support our communities where we live and work.
Indeed, giving of ourselves should be a “calendar free” act of goodness. It can be incredibly gratifying to know you’ve used your resources to make a difference and help others in need.
At some point in life, it could just as easily be our family, friends or ourselves in need. It’s so important to pay it forward. Getting to that mindset takes time, commitment and a strategy that makes sense.
Two key ingredients to the strategy are giving employees time to volunteer, and allowing them to be engaged in determining where and how they and their employer should contribute to the community.
At KPMG, we provide our 1,200 Houston employees at least 12 hours of paid time off to volunteer with an
organization of their choice. Our volunteer program, INVOLVE, identifies needs within the community and organizes KPMG volunteers to serve those needs year-round. Employees can sign up for any of the proposed volunteer programs or volunteer on their own if they choose.
And while individual choice is important, we’ve also found that rallying employees around a couple of key causes makes a difference. For us that includes promoting childhood literacy. The KPMG Family for Literacy program allows us to donate new books to a local elementary school or public library and spend a day with schoolchildren participating in a variety of reading events.
Corporate giving in Houston is significant, and our business community has always been generous, especially at this time of the year. Now is the time to re-energize your volunteer program and make a pledge to do more. Your employees will thank you, because volunteering can be among the most meaningful, memorable work they will do all year. And the benefits to the community in which we all live and work can last forever.