Help Homeless Animals & Get Noticed At Work

During the holiday season people are in the spirit of giving!  Companies, especially large corporations, are also in the spirit of giving back to their communities   It boosts their public image as well as morale for employees.  Most people want to do business with, and work for, a company that cares!

Getting some puppy kisses at a shelter volunteer event I led for a company I worked at

You can leverage your employer's desire to boost their image and employee morale to help both your favorite animal shelter or rescue and your career!   Giving back to the community is part of most companies' goals.  If you have a way to help the company achieve that goal, it has value to them.  Given that so many companies downsize at the drop of a hat, any added value you can create for your employer can be beneficial for your career. 

3 little shelter pups hoping to be adopted!

Organizing colleagues to participate in a charity event that benefits an organization you are passionate about can get you noticed at work.  It gives you an opportunity to showcase your Leadership, Communications, and Organizational skills.  Companies need good leaders who know how to communicate and can get things done! 


While working for a large financial institution, I organized events to help the animal shelter I volunteer at.  I organized shelter volunteer events that contributed to over 300 volunteer hours over a two year period!  I posted the events on the company intranet, opening them up to employees both inside and outside my own department.  I got to network and build relationships with so many people that I would never have had the opportunity to meet if it hadn't been for these events.   My colleagues and I volunteered at the shelter, raised money in the office, and set up donation bins to collect much needed food and other items for the shelter.  The best part was that in addition to increasing awareness of the shelter and their outreach programs, several of my colleagues adopted pets after meeting them at our volunteer events!

This cutie pie did NOT want his picture taken, but after about 20 minutes I got one good shot!

As a leader of community events you organize at work you have an opportunity, and a reason, to reach out to colleagues and leaders you might otherwise not have a chance to interact with.  They'll get to know you and see firsthand your passion and your leadership skills.  Next time they need to tap someone to work on a project with high visibility, or when they're looking for someone to promote into an open job, that person just might be YOU!

Be sure to check with your boss or Human Resources before organizing events or raising money at work to make sure you are aligned with guidelines or policies they may have regarding volunteer events in the workplace.      

Have you organized a volunteer event at work?  Did it help you broaden your network and form relationships in the company?  Please leave us a comment and share!

THIS IS A MONDAY MISCHIEF BLOG HOP!!