Did you know…
- If every participant at a tradeshow in Canada helped assemble relief kits, it would benefit over two million people in need?
- If guests at incentive programs in Canada volunteered for just 30 minutes, it would make half a million hours of difference?
- And if every convention attendee in the country brought a single non-perishable food item with them, it would contribute almost 7,000 metric tons of food to those in need across the country?
Corporate events have enormous potential for good. If you want to make this year the year you give back through a service project at your event, consider some of these ideas. And don’t forget: many of them can offer new and exciting opportunities for sponsorship!
1. Provide a non-profit pavilion in your exhibit hall.
2. Host a hack-a-thon to help solve a social or environmental issue.
3. Invite students to participate in a problem-solving challenge at your event.
4. Clean-up a park or shoreline.
In 2013, over 99,000 kg of litter was removed from 3,035 km of shorelines across Canada during the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
5. Pack overnight amenity kits for local shelters.
6. Buy, knit or quilt shawls or blankets for those in need.
7. Assemble water filters to provide safe drinking water to water-scarce areas.
8. Assemble meal kits to help stop hunger.
According to Stop Hunger Now, 35-40 volunteers can package 10,000 meals in two hours.
9. Plant trees.
10. Organize a work party to remove invasive plants.
11. Restore an area with native plants.
12. Help maintain a community garden.
Interested in greenspace projects? Check out stewardship experiences provided by Evergreen.
13. Purchase any gifts, giveaways and event supplies from a vendor that provides social or environmental benefit.
14. Support local food banks by holding a canned food dive.
15. Prepare and serve meals at a local soup kitchen.
16. Host a gleaning work party.
Gleaning rescues produce that would otherwise have gone to rot. Gleaning parties may pick, clean, prepare or preserve rescued food for donation to local food banks.
17. Build a bike for a local youth club.
18. Bundle up back-to-school packs for a school or Boys and Girls Club.
19. Organize a book drive for a school or library.
20. Help build a community housing project.
Habitat for Humanity Canada hosts hundreds of building projects for corporate partners every year. Get involved by contacting your local affiliate.
21. Have a fun run for charity.
22. Arrange a silent auction.
23. Have a team trivia night where participants battle it out to raise funds for a cause of their choosing.
24. Issue a walking or fitness challenge using pedometers that raises funds for health-related charities.
25. Host a Sports Day that involves attendees in fitness while raising funds or collecting equipment for youth clubs.
From local Boys and Girls Clubs to international agencies like Right to Play, many organizations can benefit from sporting equipment and funds.
Have you hosted a service project that made a positive impact? Comment below and let us know! And tune in to #CSRShareDay January 22 to spread the word about the good meetings can do!
Note: Impact estimates based on Meetings Activity Profile Report, Canadian Economic Impact Study 3.0 (CEIS 3.0), 2012 Base Year.
