2012 VolunteerMatch Corporate Volunteer Awards: A Look at Finalist Amway

On May 17, 2012, winners of the 2012 VolunteerMatch Corporate Volunteer Awards will be announced at our annual VolunteerMatch Client Summit in San Francisco, CA.

In this series of posts, we’ll introduce you to the facts and folks behind the ten most effective employee volunteer programs in our family of corporate clients compared against our 2011 benchmarks.

VolunteerMatch congratulates Amway for its nomination for Employee Volunteer Program of the Year (Small to Medium Businesses).

Amway’s volunteer program, Amway One by One Campaign for Children, focuses on children’s issues around poverty, education and special needs. Since its founding in 2003, Amway One by One Campaign for Children has recorded 2.5 million hours and donated more than $166 million to local causes that address the needs of children. Amway’s volunteer program has four focus areas:

• LIVE ― basic needs for children, such as food, shelter and healthcare
• LEARN ― educational opportunities for children in underserved communities
• ACHIEVE ― focuses on children with special needs
• PLAY ― foundational recreation and cultural activities, including play spaces

Its national partners are Junior Achievement, Grand Rapids Public Schools, KaBOOM!, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Operation Smile as well as other organizations in the Michigan area, where Amway is based, as well as around the world. Amway even has a volunteer network of 65,000 people in China, the largest of its kind in the country.

Other Amway One by One highlights include:

• Amway One by One Campaign for Children recorded 200,000+ volunteer hours in 2011.
• Through volunteering and giving in 2011, Amway One by One helped 1.5 million children.
• Amway headquarters expanded its “adopted school” partnership program to two more inner-city schools.
• Amway volunteers have helped build 13 playgrounds around the country.
• In 2011, more than 50% of Michigan Amway employees engaged in helping children through programs such as weekly mentoring visits, building playgrounds, holding workshops for high school students and serving as board members for nonprofit organizations.

We commend Amway for its service and for facilitating an excellent volunteer program that benefits the children of its under served communities!

Stay tuned for more finalist profiles in the coming weeks, and announcement of the winners on May 17, 2012 during the 2012 VolunteerMatch Client Summit.