Last year saw the greatest level of volunteer engagement with The Human Safety Net since its launch in 2017. Volunteering increased from 9,000 in 2020 to 35,000 hours in 2021, a dramatic fourfold rise.
This is the complete opposite of a global trend reported by The Business for Societal Impact’s Global Annual Review 2021, which revealed that 78% of businesses reported a decrease in volunteering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A highlight of 2021 was the launch of the Ambassadors programme, involving 500 employees and agents who committed to amplifying The Human Safety Net and its projects in their communities for a period of 12 months. The Ambassadors divided into four teams: ‘reporters’ telling the human stories from the programmes in their countries; ‘internal communicators’ creating ideas or activities to keep The Human Safety Net visible; ‘fundraisers’ coordinating fundraising activities in their countries; and ‘agents’, who defined activities for the Generali sales networks to activate and engage customers.
Federica, an Italian Ambassador, said: “I am very proud about being on this journey because I can see we are making a positive impact with even just small actions, but also because I feel part of an amazing group of passionate international people.”
And Harsharan, in Malaysia, reflecting on taking part in the Global Challenge said: “I'm very proud that we managed to collect more than €17,000. With that money, we’ll be able to provide access to digital education for approximately 90 children.”
In 2022, The Human Safety Net will continue to bring new and innovative approaches to volunteering with our NGO partners. The aim is to build on the momentum of the previous 12 months by inviting all Generali employees to join the movement of people helping people.