Can we organize volunteering aligned with International Days

(e.g., Earth Day, World Health Day)?

Every year, dates like Earth Day (April 22), World Health Day (April 7), or International Youth Day (August 12) offer the perfect timing to run employee volunteering programs with high visibility and meaningful impact. These days already carry awareness and global momentum. When companies align their CSR projects or office volunteering activities with these, it creates a win-win: high employee engagement and strong public branding.

Top Volunteering Ideas for International Days

1. Earth Day – April 22

🌱 Tree plantation drives with employees

♻️ Eco-art workshops using recycled materials

📷 Encourage social media sharing using your brand hashtags

2. World Health Day – April 7

💊 Hygiene kit donation to rural schools or slums

🏃 Fitness volunteering challenges within corporate teams

🩺 Free medical camps in low-income communities with your employee support

3. International Youth Day – August 12

🎓 Host career mentoring sessions in colleges

💻 Donate old laptops or setup digital education corners

👥 Organize internship programs with NGOs for rural youth

Why Companies Are Choosing These Days

• Easy to plan with a fixed calendar

• Creates emotional connect with employees

• High chance of media coverage

• Allows fun and themed engagement in the office

• Builds strong alignment with SDGs

Numbers Speak

🔹 1 Earth Day event = 100+ trees + 2000+ impressions

🔹 1 Health Day drive = 500+ hygiene kits + 100 volunteers

🔹 1 Youth Day program = 300+ students mentored in 2 hours

CSR Teams Love This Model

This format gives flexibility for HR and CSR teams to plan quarterly.It also creates a rhythm employees look forward to, and makes compliance easier to track with direct impact metrics.

Plan Ahead – Don’t Miss These Upcoming Days

🗓️ August – International Youth Day

🗓️ September – World Clean-Up Day

🗓️ October – World Food Day

🗓️ November – Children’s Day (India)

Final Note: Make Volunteering Effortless

Companies across India are seeing real success when they partner with NGOs who handle the heavy lifting - logistics, impact measurement, execution.

To make this happen, you can collaborate with an experienced NGO like Marpu Foundation, which helps corporates build tailored volunteering programs around key international observances.

👉 To learn more, visit www.marpu.org