Corporate volunteering today is far more than a “nice-to-have” business practice – it reflects a company’s values, its sense of solidarity, and its commitment to the community. Well-designed volunteering programmes strengthen teamwork, build skills, and give employees a meaningful way to connect with people in their community who need support the most.
To mark International Volunteer Day on 5 December, the Institute for Youth Development KULT is launching a new Corporate Volunteering Guide, available HERE (in Bosnian), for companies and institutions looking to establish or improve their volunteering programmes. The Guide was created to support organisations that want to contribute to their communities in a structured, sustainable, and genuinely compassionate way.
The Guide offers clear, practical steps for planning, organising, and evaluating volunteering activities, along with examples that show how a thoughtfully designed programme can make a lasting impact, both on teams and on the community.
Anyone wishing to volunteer can also get involved through www.volontiraj.ba, the only platform in Bosnia and Herzegovina that connects citizens and organisations with community needs.
For many years, the Institute for Youth Development KULT has fostered a strong culture of solidarity and demonstrated through its own practice what socially responsible work looks like. The Institute’s employees regularly volunteer in organisations and institutions that need support most, from public kitchens and homes for the elderly to associations that care for the most vulnerable groups. Every action, no matter how small, reinforces the feeling that the community cares for its members.
The launch of the Guide is also an opportunity to emphasise how volunteering benefits both companies and the entire society.
“In our experience, volunteering doesn’t only change the community – it changes us as individuals. Employees who volunteer come back to work more motivated, more connected, and more aware of the values behind investing your time in something larger than yourself and your own needs, something that supports people in vulnerable situations,” said Mira Mehmedović, from the Institute’s Organisational Development Department.
We hope this Guide encourages even more companies to make corporate volunteering a core part of their business practices and, more importantly, a part of their everyday culture of solidarity, empathy, and community.
The Guide was developed as part of the project “Improving Human Rights Corporate Accountability in BiH”, funded by the European Union in BiH and implemented by the Institute for Youth Development KULT, in partnership with the Commerce Trade and Services Trade Union of BiH and the Association “Dajte nam šansu.”
