Center of Excellence for International Corporate Volunteerism

Introducing the Center of Excellence for International Corporate Volunteerism

The Center of Excellence for International Corporate Volunteerism (CEICV) is an online resource portal that promotes the exchange of best practices, preparatory tools, program materials, advice, and other valuable information to help companies create and expand employee volunteerism programs that focus on emerging markets. An open, collaborative forum, the CEICV is a virtual network dedicated to connecting forward-thinking businesses with resources crafted by leaders of international corporate volunteerism programs. USAID, IBM, and CDC Development Solutions have partnered to provide expert guidance to companies looking to ensure their international volunteer programs are creating real business impact in places that need it the most.

Why Create the CEICV?

Until now, companies have had to spend a significant amount of resources designing and customizing their individual ICV programs on their own and through trial and error. The CEICV is designed to make it easier for companies to start and to scale ICV programs and to share best practices with each other and with beneficiaries of assistance. The CEICV will also create powerful public-private partnerships that will advance USAID’s emerging market development strategies. Finally, it will create the business case for mobilizing corporate volunteers to enhance development impact in emerging markets worldwide.

How Does it Work?

The CEICV will enable companies to start and expand ICV programs and will direct skills-based employee resources to USAID-supported social enterprises, NGOs, educational institutions, and government agencies in emerging markets. Companies that engage with the CEICV will be able to send their employees to work in emerging markets with groups that are also supported by USAID’s funding for sustainable development. Through partnership with the CEICV, companies will also be able to track the development impact of their employees’ work, and they will be able to connect with other firms to share best practices in design, delivery, and measurement. The online portal for the CEICV will be active by the fall of 2011.

What Does it Offer?

Enables companies of all sizes to start and expand International Corporate Volunteer (ICV) programs in emerging markets
Enhances USAID’s sustainable development efforts by leveraging the skills and expertise of corporate citizen-diplomats to provide services to NGOs, social enterprises and educational institutions
Tracks development impact and best practices of ICV programs worldwide
Acts as a hub for engagement between companies, the US government, and emerging market partners

Get Involved

To join the CEICV, contact Amanda MacArthur at CDC Development Solutions at amacarthur@cdc.org or 1.202.530.7690.