The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has supported community engagement and volunteerism for many years but lacked a centralized platform and clear direction for promoting, tracking and reporting employee volunteerism and community impact.

• Tracking volunteer hours: The existing system was clunky and relied on self-reporting, leading to missed community impact and inaccurate data .
• Community engagement reporting: Reporting community volunteer hours was difficult due to the lack of a centralized system.
• Connecting staff with volunteer opportunities: There was no easy way for staff to find and sign up for volunteer experiences aligned with their interests and the organization’s mission.
• Team building and staff morale: Volunteer opportunities primarily happened at the individual level, limiting team-building experiences.

The partnership between OSU Wexner Medical Center and Besa has resulted in positive outcomes for the organization, its employees and the community:

• Increased volunteer participation: In the first two years, more than 1,600 volunteers have participated in 350 volunteer experiences.
• Improved data accuracy: Besa’s platform ensures accurate reporting of volunteer hours and community impact.
• Enhanced community impact: OSU Wexner Medical Center has made more than $350,000 in community impact and connected employees to over 100 local nonprofits in the first two years.  
• Improved employee morale: Staff members report feeling more fulfilled and connected to their community through volunteer experiences.
• Streamlined operations: Besa has simplified the process of managing volunteerism, saving time and resources.
• Leadership support: The success of Besa has attracted the attention of senior leadership, leading to expansion of the partnership to amplify volunteerism.