By Sachin Murdeshwar

 

Mumbai : On 22 and 23 November 2018, Deloitte in India marks its 16thannual Impact Day in the country. Impact Day is a worldwide initiative of the organisation, wherein volunteers devote the day to share their knowledge and expertise to create meaningful impact in their communities.

“For more than a decade, through the Impact Day initiative, Deloitte in India has been driving positive social change. We believe that positive change requires an engagement and investment of time and efforts to make an impact.” said SV Nathan, Chief Talent Officer, Deloitte India.

“Through the focus areas of education and skill building, we hope that our volunteers will help bridge the gap between the skills people have and those that they need to fulfil their aspirations in a rapidly changing world,” he added.

“Impact day is a collective investment of our time and skills to truly make an impact that matters in the community. With our continued focus on education and employability, this year, we have expanded our reach and scope to drive greater change across all sections of our community,” said Bruce Stewart, Regional Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP

 

Volunteers take end-to-end responsibility for projects. Central to the effort are volunteer project

leads who identify NGOs that address causes dear to them, and liaise with NGOs to chalk out their requirement of volunteers and schedule of activities for Impact Day. They then manage a team of volunteers to ensure that the goals for the day are met.

“Impact Day is not the end of the commitment though. We hope to encourage sustained volunteering,” says Nathan. “The way Impact Day is structured, especially the duties of a project lead, also instills strong people management and leadership skills, in addition to the grassroots connect that it fosters.”

The push for education and skill development includes projects that encourage reading and storytelling, digital literacy and awareness of cybercrime, toys as learning aids, and last-mile connectivity through bicycles.

Deloitte in India comprises of a high proportion of millennials among its people. Deloitte’s 2018 Millennial Survey revealed that businesses focusing on improving society is a key unmet expectation, and opportunities for volunteering and making a difference to society, among the drivers for choosing an employer. Through Impact Day, Deloitte in India hopes to nurture the spirit of connect, develop, and care, and be a place of pride for millennials and Gen Z.