Most employers want their team members to engage in the community. The struggle is making it happen.

Employee community engagement programs benefit organizations in several ways. They boost employee morale and productivity, help attract and retain employees, and create connections for employees outside of working hours. Research from America’s Charities found 88% of employers believe effective employee engagement programs help attract and retain employees. In addition, 71% of employees surveyed say it’s imperative or essential to work where the culture supports giving and volunteering.

Yet many organizations struggle to design an effective and lasting employee engagement program. That’s where Acts of Service, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, steps in. Acts of Service is a community service hub that helps match the needs of local nonprofit organizations with the willing hands of individual volunteers and community partners.

Acts of Service works with businesses in and near Elkhart County to establish employee volunteer programs and inspire employee volunteerism. The resources available through Acts of Service help companies streamline and manage their volunteer programs.

“The beauty of Acts of Service is collaboration. It’s about building long-term relationships between the nonprofits and those that serve the nonprofits,” explains Ashley Jordan, director of Acts of Service, which became part of the Community Foundation in 2019.

Genesis Products is an excellent example of an organization that partners with Acts of Service to develop a community engagement strategy that works for employees, uses its resources, and gives back to the community. Genesis Products is a leading supplier of laminated panels, wood components, and custom molded solutions serving OEMs across several industries.

“Employees want to give back, but they don’t always have the right connections or know how to get started,” says Caitlin Lengerich, communications coordinator at Genesis.

Genesis has been working with Acts of Service since the program’s early days and has built a community engagement program that excites its employees. Community engagement has become part of their culture, and they’ve realized its benefits to the business. “We’re constantly looking at what we can do for employee retention and how to improve the employee experience, so they want to stay,” says Caitlin. “Volunteering has become part of this because it allows connection with supervisors and managers.”

Genesis also provides paid volunteer time and encourages teams to take on volunteer projects together. “The volunteer groups are super successful. Because it comes from the managers and supervisors, and they are going out there too, they’re connecting with the teams, and together doing something different,” says Caitlin. “They are outside, having fun, goofing around, and get to know each other on a different level, and it takes away the hierarchy.”

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Caitlin has found that the volunteer program has increased employee morale and gets people excited. It’s changed the way employees engage with each other and the business. It’s a unique experience outside the company outings and events Genesis provides. “The team building and bonding have had the biggest impact on the business,” says Caitlin.

A significant factor in Genesis’s success is being open to existing volunteer opportunities and looking to fulfill the current need. “I am not here to make more work for a nonprofit. Yes, we have this goal of hitting so many volunteer hours. But I will not go to a nonprofit and say, ‘We have 50 volunteers available on this date, from this time to this time; what can we do?’. My job is to serve the existing need,” says Caitlin.

While the service opportunities are out there, they aren’t always public. This is where Acts of Service plays a critical role. Acts of Service has a beat on what’s happening with local nonprofits and is also the hub where nonprofits seek resources. “I feel this is how Acts of Service works for us. They allow us to fill the needs already out there and say, ‘How can we help you?’ rather than ‘How can you help us?’,” says Caitlin.

Acts of Service helps organizations create the right volunteer experiences for employees. Many volunteer opportunities in the Elkhart community allow people to use their talents and abilities and connect with a cause that is important to them. Ashley says, “We work really hard to match what the business can offer with the current needs of the nonprofits in our
community. There’s an art to that and then magic happens when volunteers show up to do the work. There are people in the community with needs and businesses with the talents and
resources. We help businesses think outside the box on how they can engage and give back.”

Genesis and other partners appreciate the variety of opportunities for their team members. Caitlin says, “We provide opportunity, but it’s never “voluntold” – if it’s not their jam, that’s OK. Let’s find something that speaks to you.”

The Genesis leadership team sees the value of community engagement and makes it a priority for the business. Genesis CEO John Wenger says, “Our employees live in Elkhart, Goshen, and surrounding areas. We’re passionate about improving the communities that employees live, work, and play in, and we can actively do that through a strategic employee engagement program.”

Acts of Service is available to help any Elkhart County business design a community engagement program that works for them and serves the community’s needs. “There are so many ways businesses can give back,” says Ashley. “Acts of Service helps organizations navigate community engagement and create a lasting impact for their employees and the community.”

This story appeared in the 2022 Annual Report.