Since 2016 FIFA has been running employee surveys, working on the improvement of staff morale and committing to making FIFA a stronger institution and an employer of choice.
The FIFA 2.0 strategy states that “FIFA has not only looked inward, it has also looked outward, understanding its responsibilities to society as a whole. FIFA as an institution understands that by its very nature, it is integrated within national and local communities and touches many aspects of those societies”.
The communities already supported by the FIFA Foundation benefit first and foremost from the employees’ unique business expertise. The FIFA Foundation works with NGO’s all over the world who constantly need support in the development of different activities as well as in maintaining their daily business. Volunteering can have a long-lasting impact on communities well after workers leave the field. Whether it’s the money communities save by the hours volunteers dedicate, the partnerships that bring organizations together, or the much-needed services volunteers provide, community service projects have a measurable impact.
The first edition of the FIFA Employee Volunteer Programme took place in Lesotho, in November 2019. In collaboration with the FIFA Foundation, five FIFA staff worked with NGO Kick4Life for eight days, using part of their annual leave to support the charity organisation in its mission to change the lives and long-term prospects of vulnerable young people through a wide range of social development activities focused on health and education. During eight days, the FIFA volunteers have participated in practical and strategic exercises from planting herbs, trees and spinach to a development workshop in order to support several ongoing Kick4Life projects. The activities included talks about social media presence, digitalisation, innovation and a fundraising project that will help to transform bobbly turf to a full-sized artificial turf pitch within a 2,000-seater stadium structure where the weekly Premier League matches can be played.
They also learned about the history of Lesotho during their hike to Thaba Bosiu mountain and immersed themselves in the local culture by strolling through the stalls selling all kinds of brightly coloured fruits, clothes and handicraft items at Maseru market. The five volunteers returned home with a wealth of a new understanding of the work of the NGO and the work of FIFA in the field. They also got to know their colleagues better, established a strong bond between themselves and experienced the power of teamwork.
Although FIFA had planned for 4 volunteer missions on the field in 2020, like the entire world, those plans got shaken by the global pandemic. However, the needs of the communities supported by the FIFA Foundation did not decrease, on the contrary. To respond to the will manifested by the FIFA staff to keep helping, especially during COVID19 times, FIFA and the FIFA Foundation created the Employee Volunteer Programme – the virtual edition!, taking place the entire month of November 2020.
Distance based, the programme gave staff the opportunity to contribute with skills, either individually or as part of a team to help the communities in need.
Kimberly MORRIS, Chief HR & Services Officer, says:
“This virtual volunteer programme is not only a great opportunity to contribute your expertise to a good cause but also gives you the chance to work together on a project. You can get to know colleagues from other divisions that you don’t usually work with and create a bond and an energy that will last beyond this project.”
November 2020 was the first ever volunteering month at FIFA, with activities extended until 10 December due to popular demand. Groups of FIFA team members from all parts of the organisation volunteered a total of 228 hours to support nine NGOs from the FIFA Foundation on projects ranging from a policy audit to video production.
"Supporting AMPJ and guide them on how to work on their Communication Plan was a real eye-opener. In our weekly calls we quickly found out the potential to increase their visibility and showcase the valuable work they do with women and girls through football! We are happy to have somehow paved their way on how to better advertise future events and hope we generally contributed to the improvement of their communication skills. We truly believe that they will make good use of the well-deserved donation and wish the whole community at AMPJ all the very best for the future"
(Sêgbé PRITCHETT, Geraldine HEINEN and Ségolène VALENTIN)
"I volunteered for Proyecto Cantera (Mexico) with two amazing colleagues. We were so happy to be able to help them strengthen their donor community after a meticulous analysis of the market and research. This collaboration was so rewarding from a human point of view. In my opinion, this is what football is all about: solidarity and community, beyond borders"
Mehdi MERZOUK
"Thanks for giving us the opportunity to contribute, we got a lot out of it"
- McALLISTER Jamie
