Value of Volunteering

Attending EOS/ESD Association, Inc. meetings may be difficult to justify to your manager in this age of travel and budget cuts. This information is intended to help you prepare your management justification for attending meetings.

  • Putting Value to Your Benefit Proposal

    Some of the benefits for participation are intangible and difficult to quantify. Networking is a prime example of a major, yet intangible benefit. it might help to identify issues or problems that you want to solve, and then explain that you want to network with other ESD professionals about best practices, or to seek specific advice about a problem or issue. Speaking with other ESD professionals can provide opportunities to learn about state-of-the-art tools, methods, and solutions.

    Don't forget that you are a valuable employee with work to accomplish even though you are away attending a meeting series. Explain what work you can still do while you are away. Explain how your other work will be handled while you are away.

    Put your justification in a well-written letter to your manager to persuade him or her to approve your meeting attendance. Include an estimate of your expenses and where you were able to take advantage of opportunities to save on your expenses. Itemize what you expect to learn and bring back, and how it will benefit your employer.

  • Understand the Investment You Are Asking Your Company To Make

    Attending EOS/ESD Association, Inc. meetings may be difficult to justify to your manager in this age of travel and budget cuts. This investment is in the form of your travel expenses and your time away from work. The worksheet on the right will help you estimate these expenses.

    Additionally, we present you with many ideas about how your attendance at ESD Association meetings might benefit your employer. It is important that you promote your participation by explaining employer benefits, and not by talking about how it benefits you, except in ways that it might make you a more valuable employee.

    NOTE 1: Investigate all forms of local transportation, including shuttles, taxi, and car rentals. Hotels often provide free or inexpensive shuttles between the airport and the hotel. Public shuttle services are often less expensive than taxis.

    NOTE 2: Opportunities to save on meal expenses include taking advantage of continental breakfasts, coffee, and snacks in the work room during standards meeting days, and our Volunteer Mixer. Subtract theses meals from your estimates of meal expenses to minimize your expenses.

    Make your manager aware of the savings to be had by taking advantage of these discounts. Show the investment with and without these discounts to highlight the savings. Demonstrate that you are making every effort to be frugal with your expenses.

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    Calculating Your ExpensesTypical Expenses
    Airfare: $
    Airport Parking: $
    Mileage: $
    Local Transportation (Note 1): $
    Meals (Note 2): $
    Total Expenses: $

  • Explaining the Benefits of Participation

    Itemize the meetings and events that you plan to attend and explain how you expect each will benefit your employer. Relate the individual meetings and events to specific issues that are challenging your company.

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