In June 2002, a group of 18 corporate chief executives met with President Bush at the White House to outline their efforts to respond to his Call to Service by creating Business Strengthening America - a self-directed, long-term effort to engage hundreds of America's businesses and business leaders in making changes to corporate practices and policies that will support expanded volunteer service for decades to come.

More than 100 companies representing nearly two million employees are now a part of Business Strengthening America, and the group has set a goal of recruiting 500 businesses by June 2003. The corporate chief executives leading the effort make the case that a strong commitment to volunteering and civic responsibility serves corporate interests as well as community needs by increasing employee, consumer, and shareholder loyalty.

Each of the members of Business Strengthening America has made an explicit commitment to use its corporate resources to mobilize employees, customers and vendors to engage in service and civic engagement activities, and to report annually on its corporate efforts to support volunteer service.

By joining Business Strengthening America, the participating companies have formed a network that will allow them to:

• Establish a strong and persuasive business case for supporting volunteer service and making it a part of doing business in America;

• Create and share smart business practices for expanding volunteer service; and

• Assist the nonprofit sector in efforts to expand its capacity to recruit, train and use volunteers effectively by sharing their expertise and resources.

About the Day of Service

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans and USA Freedom Corps Director John Bridgeland will speak to the Business Strengthening America members before the President arrives. Secretary Evans will also moderate a panel including Stephen Case of AOL Time Warner, Jeffrey Swartz of Timberland, G. Kennedy Thompson of Wachovia, and Sherrie Gilchrist, a small business leader from Chatanooga, TN.

Following the President's remarks, representatives of the participating companies will volunteer together on a playground building project in Southeast Washington, DC with KaBOOM!, a nonprofit organization that specializes in linking communities and corporations to build much-needed, safe and accessible playgrounds.

What Business Strengthening America Companies Are Doing

Individual corporations have already begun fulfilling their Business Strengthening America commitments with policy changes, many of which require the support and approval of senior management and/or corporate boards of directors. The following are examples of action taken since the June 2002 meeting:

One Business Strengthening America company that manufactures software is expanding its commitment to community activities by granting 1% of employee time to volunteer service and offering 1% of its software licenses free to nonprofit organizations. The new commitments will be coordinated through a foundation established with 1% of the company's equity to support youth-serving activities.

One Business Strengthening America company has established a new policy of allowing employees paid time to volunteer in their communities. Each of their business units is developing guidelines that will allow employees to take paid time off during the workday to volunteer with nonprofit organizations.

Another Business Strengthening America company is launching a new program to offer the more than 130,000 employees a new incentive to serve. The new program will enable employees to designate a grant, from the company to their favorite charity in exchange for their commitment to volunteer for that grantee.

One Business Strengthening America company has developed a plan to support nonprofit organizations in its four hub cities by training and matching its executives with nonprofits seeking business expertise on their boards of directors.

Several Business Strengthening America companies are launching new web sites or other software features to better track, recognize and encourage employee service in an effort to strengthen existing volunteer service programs.

A Business Strengthening America company that develops and manages apartment residences is engaging its residents, employees and vendor companies in Neighborhood Watch volunteer programs.

In response to the President's Call to Service one Business Strengthening America company has created a new foundation to deliver grants to nonprofits in communities where that company operates.

Several Business Strengthening America members are using their consumer materials to feature messages that support volunteer service. To date, bank statements, websites, and grocery bags have been modified to include information on the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network web and phone clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities. That clearinghouse includes millions of volunteer opportunities with 60,000 organizations working across the country and around the world.

One smaller Business Strengthening America company is engaging its employees in volunteering to offer resume workshops, mock job interviews and other life development lessons to local high school students. Twice each year they will also host a job shadow day.

For more information on Business Strengthening America and for a complete list of Business Strengthening America members, go to bsa.networkforgood.org/bsa. For more information on the President's Call to Service and the USA Freedom Corps, go to www.usafreedomcorps.gov.