On #GivingTuesday, Give Minutes Instead of Money With GozAround

by Helaina Hovitz

It probably feels like the entire world is donating money for #GivingTuesday. Fortunately, many people are. It’s an amazing movement.

But, donating dollars, to be sure, isn’t the only way to give.

If you don’t have money to spare, or are looking for a tangible, in-person experience of doing something for someone else, there’s a different way to participate.

This #GivingTuesday, GozAround is hoping to get as many people as they can to sign up for their network, which drops customized volunteer opportunities into people’s inboxes in real time.

Many of these opportunities are local chances to lend a hand or just show some kindness. You may encounter an ask from a family nearby (or a neighbor helping on their behalf) who needs help affording their Thanksgiving dinner, and you could anonymously drop off some ingredients. Maybe there’s an old lady down the block who needs a ride to the doctor. Maybe your local animal shelter is overwhelmed and needs some help with administrative tasks or dog walking.

However, it can be a gateway into finding regular volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits, whether it’s a quick helping hand, or a regular commitment to a cause you care about.

As a regular, everyday person who enjoys being helpful…

Individuals have the chance to plug into their local community, maybe even gain experience for a new career direction.

“We take the endless searching out of the volunteer process and quickly let you know how you can make a difference in a way that works for your schedule and interests. No action is too small in your community,” said Founder and CEO Ben Block. “The important part is just to do something.”

Joining the movement just requires an email address, and setting your location and volunteer preferences. By creating a social impact profile, you can list the causes you’re passionate about, the types of needs you like to get involved with, and follow specific organizations or individuals that you support. Then just sit back and wait for the magic to happen.

GozAround will customize your News Feed and notifications to include opportunities best suited to you. When you see something you want to get involved with, offer to help, log your volunteer hours, and build your impact record.

Easy as that leftover pie.

As for companies who already volunteer as a collective group of awesome…..

Being hands-on in the community mobilizes employees, both as a force for good and essentially as brand ambassadors. This is an effective way, says Block, to help employees tangibly feel the difference they are making a difference, with meaningful stories to tell, instead of just sending another financial donation announcement over the wire.

“Times are changing, and while corporate donations and grants are incredibly important, we’re seeing a generation of people who are more eager to actually get involved, using their own unique skills and man-power to really get out there and get their hands dirty to help others,” he said.

But as an added bonus, these efforts help enhance brand image, expose your venture to new markets and people, increase customer loyalty, and improve employee retention.

The challenge for many companies lies in the ability to engage staff and measure the effectiveness of these well-meaning efforts.

Fortunately, GozAround offers unique technology designed to connect staff with opportunities to get involved, quantify employee contributions as they occur, and generate reports including total volunteer hours, employee leaderboards, as well as causes and organizations supported.

After all, if you’ve already made the decision to offer programs like these, you may as well maximize their impact and fully understand the outcomes generated.

As more people speculate as to whether we can can operate as a “Sharing Economy….”

….GozAround may be a huge step in the right direction.

We live in a data-driven age full of businesses that like to be able to measure the result of their efforts in all arenas, but “social good” has always been difficult to quantify.

GozAround tackles that challenge by seamlessly collecting impact data, as the good deeds happen, and sharing what you do, for who, how much both internally and with the public.

Clarity like that will only make the “sharing economy” more viable by better capturing the impact of the efforts that are already happening.

People tend to like to be recognized for doing a good thing…

Even though, as the saying goes, the best way to go is to do something nice without telling.

But some “karma” points never hurt anyone, right?

GozAround literally keeps track of those karma points for you through “verified volunteer hours” and generates automatic social posts on Facebook and other platforms, because honestly, people share far lesser things on Facebook, and you should be proud of the work you do.

Since it is #GivingTuesday, after all…

It’s probably helpful to know that GozAround donates money to your nonprofit for every hour you volunteer.

The nonprofits who are active on GozAround (cost-free, of course) earn donations just by using the site. The site tracks user volunteer hours and donates money for every hour spent volunteering with that nonprofit. So it’s like you’re getting paid to volunteer, but the money goes to the causes you support.

If you can think of one good reason not to sign up, let them know. Seriously, they want to know why. Otherwise, take a few minutes to enter your email, create your social profile, and get going!

Because what goes around…..you know.

Be sure to follow these good-sense safety guidelines and follow GozAround on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

This article was originally published on Headlines for the Hopeful.

The post On #GivingTuesday, Give Minutes Instead of Money With GozAround appeared first on GoodCrowd.info.