Discover, collaborate and transform. That has been the essence of Volies in Colombia during its first year of operations. A country that not only leads corporate volunteering initiatives in Latin America, but that breathes social commitment in every corner.
This first year has been a journey of learning, connection and impact for our organization and allies, fulfilling the mission of contributing to the strengthening of the social, economic and environmental fabric through corporate volunteering, as well as generating value and trust in the companies themselves with this type of program.
Colombia, with its strategic position in Latin America, and as the epicenter of high-impact corporate volunteering programs, became the ideal scenario to implement models that contribute to the sustainability of the region.
Since our arrival, we have forged strategic alliances with some of the most influential companies in the country and high-impact social organizations in the achievement of their mission.
WOM, Bancolombia and Fundación Bolívar Davivienda among our allies
Among the most outstanding collaborations are the design of corporate volunteering strategies for WOM and Bancolombia, both committed to the productive fabric, digitalization and financial strengthening in the communities.
With Fundación Bolívar Davivienda we implemented organizational strengthening programs for NGOs that today allow organizations and their leaders to generate new volunteer opportunities; and together with Comfama we evaluated the impact of volunteer actions on the commitment and talent of their collaborators.
Our participation in the operation of Bancolombia’s volunteer program allows us to enter into the internal dynamics of these initiatives and enhance their reach.
But Volies’ commitment in Colombia goes beyond the companies. In 2024, Voluntare will organize sectoral meetings and working groups on volunteering and mentoring, and we are already coordinating the celebration of the International Year of Volunteering in 2026.
Personally, one of the most significant moments of this year was supporting a group of Nutresa volunteers in the Comuna 13 of Medellín. It was an intense human experience that reaffirmed the value of connecting directly with the communities and understanding their realities through empathy and action.
The success of this first year would not have been possible without the leadership of Emilio Sierra, director of our office in Colombia, whose commitment and vision have been key to consolidate operations, strengthen alliances and pave the way for new multi-Latin projects for global companies, as in the accompaniment of volunteer activities in Brazil and Argentina for the U.S. financial company Moody’s.
This period has left valuable lessons about Colombian organizational culture, the resilience of its communities and the transformative role of corporate volunteering.
Volies will continue to focus on Colombia as a starting point to expand its social impact model in Latin America, integrating sustainability and corporate responsibility values in each project.
