Hartford Business Journal

20 Hartford Business Journal • July 27, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com COVID-19 makes corporate volunteerism a virtual experience By Liese Klein Special to the Hartford Business Journal B efore their team meeting last year, workers in Cigna Corp.'s operations group built planter boxes for the Keney Park Sustain- ability Project, literally getting their hands dirty to help provide produce for Hartford's urban neighborhoods. That same group of insurance pro- fessionals this year was forced by the coronavirus to put down their ham- mers and pick up computer mice, using virtual platforms to create a business plan for the Keney Park Sustainability Project's new park wellness center. The COVID-19 lockdown and ongo- ing safety concerns have amplified ongoing trends in corporate volun- teerism toward leveraging business expertise in the service of nonprofits. The widespread use of virtual meet- ing technology jump-started by the crisis has also opened up new oppor- tunities for companies to intensify their involvement in nonprofit work at the leadership level. "Nonprofits have been very creative in shifting to more online and virtual ways to volunteer," said Judy Hartling, who supports volun- teerism at Bloomfield-based health insurer Cigna in her role as civic af- fairs lead analyst. "There has been a shift to virtual volunteering that I'm hoping catches on in the long term." Among other efforts, Cigna has encouraged employees in recent months to use online platforms to record stories for kids in the hospi- tal, Hartling said. With traditional volunteering projects at a standstill, many Cigna employees are looking to the company to link them to online volunteering projects; the company in turn is seeking out creative non- profits that could use some help from its skilled and motivated workforce. "While nothing can replace hands- on help, I think that organizations that are pivoting to really capture the value of people's volunteerism virtually are definitely going to ben- efit in the long run," Hartling said. For some employees, "days of service" have been replaced by hours online helping with fundraising and organizing nonprofit events. Amanda Smith, an associate human resources business partner in Webster Bank's New Britain offices, took several workday afternoons recently to help rally her team for the Cheshire Multiple Sclerosis Society walk, which became virtual after the crisis hit. She was able to use online re- sources and speak to her cowork- ers to help boost her fundraising total, and was also helped by a $500 grant from Web- ster recognizing her efforts. "I think it's great that Web- ster is willing to support the bankers on issues that are impor- tant to them spe- cifically," Smith said. "You know that the company really backs you up and supports you." Impactful volunteering Kathryn Luria, Webster's senior vice president for community affairs, has seen the move to online volunteering both in her corporate role and former post as board chairperson of the Con- necticut Council of Philanthropy. The virus crisis may lead to more impactful volunteering over time as companies utilize their best talent to help non- profits via online platforms, Luria said. "It's going to be opening doors in ways that we have yet to even see," Luria said. "There are going to be a lot more opportunities for bankers to be involved." In the first weeks of the crisis, Webster redirected its philanthropic funding to help agencies offer virtual services. Nonprofits like the Gover- nor's Prevention Partnership, which matches corporate mentors to young people, were assisted in shifting their focus online. Within three weeks, the hundred or so young people paired with Webster employees had virtual links to their mentors, a program that the bank hopes to extend through the summer, Luria said. Volunteer training in financial literacy offered through statewide Junior Achievement chapters was also quickly shifted to accommodate the new reality. "We directed funding toward help- ing them create virtual opportuni- ties," Luria said. "Employees can con- tinue to sign up for financial literacy training in a virtual environment." Easier to engage Gearing up early to connect employ- ees with online volunteering opportu- nities was also key to the response at insurance giant Travelers Cos., said Rita Ortiz, director of community relations. "We felt that there was a feeling of isolation at the beginning; it was very important to us to start coming up with some creative ways to keep our employ- ees engaged," Ortiz said. Mentoring provided by Trav- elers employees to returning veterans through a popular internal program has been shifted online, along with new efforts to write letters to house- bound seniors and kids forced to stay home this summer from the Hole in the Wall Gang camp. Ortiz sees a silver lining in the shift to virtual meetings in that it allows workers to more easily sched- ule volunteer time. "In some ways it's a little bit easier to engage because you have the op- tion to do it virtually — you don't have to go somewhere, you don't have to make plans and incorporate travel time," Ortiz said. One Travelers employee was able to log more than 200 hours in volunteer time as she helped a youth nonprofit revamp its operations in the wake of the crisis. As a board member of the nonprofit, the employee was able to take a leadership role in shifting classes and summer programs online. Travelers offered additional financial support in the effort. Smart nonprofits should take note of the advantages of "virtual volun- teering" and expand opportunities to more deeply engage their corporate partners from a distance, Ortiz said. "It sometimes becomes even more of a personal experience — you feel almost closer although you're farther away," Ortiz said. "It allows us to engage even more to a certain degree because we have the flexibil- ity of just jumping online." This story was done with support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. NONPROFIT NOTEBOOK Cigna employees typically lend a hand each year volunteering for the Keney Park Sustainability Project, but they were forced to assist virtually this year due to COVID-19. Kathryn Luria, senior vice president of community affairs and director of philanthropy at Webster Bank, said COVID-19 is creating more impactful volunteering opportunities. PHOTO | HBJ FILE PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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