When counting the benefits of volunteering, you may immediately think of the value you provide to the booster club you’re serving. Expanding from there, you may easily quantify the benefits that you receive personally. But there’s another beneficiary of your volunteering that is rarely considered – your employer.

Volunteering with a booster club provides many opportunities to enhance and expand your skill set. Many of the skills you develop in a volunteer setting are immediately transferrable to your career. As your skill set grows, you are able to provide more value to your employer. Here are seven benefits that employers realize when you volunteer with a booster club.

1. Community citizenship. While your company may not explicitly sponsor your child’s booster club, it will benefit from the “organic PR.” You cannot completely differentiate between your roles in life, and the people you volunteer with will know who you work for. Your volunteer leadership will be a positive reflection on your company.
2. Work-life balance. It is refreshing to apply your skills and effort toward something that will benefit others. Volunteering will help you return to your work replenished and renewed.
3. Fresh new ideas. As noted above, we cannot completely differentiate between the roles in our lives. Many times, our minds continue to work, even when we’re away from the office. The change of pace you realize from volunteering will allow your mind to generate new ideas that may solve the problem you’ve been struggling with at work.
4. Continuous improvement. Volunteer for roles where you can apply the skills in which you’re most proficient. The booster club will benefit from your expertise, and chances are, you’ll learn something new that you can implement in your work.
5. Practical experience. Many companies provide “soft skills” training for their employees.  If you’ve been trained in motivating others, delegation, or team leadership, put those new skills to work in a booster club. Since every role is filled by a volunteer, you’ll have the opportunity to hone your skills and increase your influence.
6. Risk-free project implementation. Is there something new you’d like to do at work, but are afraid to take the risk? For example, would you like to launch a new website? A new advertising or public relations campaign? How about a new approach to fundraising and revenue generation? Volunteer to implement a similar project in a booster club. You’ll have the opportunity to learn while doing, the booster club will benefit from the project, and you can put your new skill to work for your employer.
7. Self-esteem. Volunteering with a booster club will give you the personal satisfaction of helping the next generation, which is something you’ll be proud of for years to come. Employees with high self-esteem approach their work with a positive attitude and a confident spirit.

Are you ready to capitalize on the investment you have made in yourself and your career throughout the years? Put that hard earned knowledge to work. Now you can benefit your child’s booster club, and benefit your employer as well. Booster clubs need your level of leadership. Now’s the time to step up and volunteer.

If you want to learn more about volunteer leadership, check out my book, The Booster Leader: 35 Leadership Essentials for a Thriving Booster Organization. The Booster Leader is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.

Question: What benefits will your employer realize when you volunteer with your child’s booster club? You can leave a comment by clicking here.