Making An Impact
How can I make an impact?
Individual employees (or groups of employees) can be a powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Some of the most common approaches that individuals or groups of employees can employ to strengthen and involve the workplace in preventing HIV include:
- Volunteering: The types of work done by volunteers are as varied as the volunteers themselves. Individuals can make an impact by doing the following:
- Post fliers or brochures about agencies requesting volunteers to be posted in break rooms and common areas. This can be done with the agreement or buy-in of organizational management or your Human Resources Department representative.
- Attending lunch and learn venues for organizations that would like to send ambassadors into the workplace to talk about the programs and volunteer opportunities.
- Participate in corporate volunteer activities that not only provide needed resources to organizations, but also strengthen team building skills, boost morale and strengthen the organizations brand value.
How can my business or company make an impact?
Organizations can also motivate their employees to make an impact and offer greater support for affected communities in a variety of ways:
- Partnering has the important benefit of pooling resources of expertise, finances, manpower, infrastructure and several other resources, thereby accomplishing synergies.
Businesses can enter into public (State or local health departments and community health centers) or private partnerships (other businesses, non-profit organizations) to pursue any combination of the five components of the BRTA/LRTA program.
There are different types of partnering efforts that business and labor leaders can engage in to address and prevent HIV/AIDS:
- Private Public Partnerships (with State and local Health Departments; Community Health Centers and other public entities). The educational and training resources of State and Local Government bodies can be used for the Education and Training components of the program.
- Private Private Partnerships (with other businesses, Non Profit Organizations). Non-profit organizations have experience in advocacy and have credibility around social issues - this type of partnering can be useful for getting guidance to craft and establish policy. Partnering with other businesses that are committed to addressing HIV will enable synergies for philanthropic activity like sponsoring events in the community where employees reside.
Guidance is available for various best practices for establishing, implementing and sustaining these efforts.
Benefits of partnerships
Looking broadly at Partnerships, the potential benefits are considerable:
- Increased access to resources through the pooling of assets among multiple partners can lead to a larger pot of funding and personnel for greater programmatic reach1,2
- Better ability to leverage resources as partnerships may be stronger candidates for grants and other funding opportunities than individual organizations3,4
- Wider diversity of resources when different types of partners bring unique content expertise, strategic relationships, networks, and experience with distinctive audiences to the table with the opportunity for greater innovation5,2
- Improved operational efficiency when collaborative work replaces multiple organizations that are duplicating efforts2
- Enhanced credibility from drawing together a variety of partners that augment the reputation of all the stakeholders1,2
1 Buse K and Walt G. 2000. Global public-private partnerships: part 1 - a new development in health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 78(4): 549-561.
2 Tennyson R. 2003. The Partnering Toolbook. Published by the International Buisiness Leaders Forum and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. Access online:
http://www.toolkitsportdevelopment.org/html/resources/E1/E1585B25-8A8A-44A9-BC6C-F519987AD2CE/pt-en.pdf
3 CDC National Fruit & Vegetable Program- a national partnership to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables by all Americans.
Guidebook:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health_professionals/program_guidelines.html#guidebook CDC Report:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/health_professionals/programs/5Aday_Works.pdf
4 PSP One and HIV/AIDS, 2006
5 Public Private Partnerships - A Tool for Success, August 2000 (Draft)
