Creative and Philanthropic Team Building Activities: Ones that Give Back

Despite what is going on with our current economic situation, most corporate groups understand the value of taking part in a team building activity. Goals of the team building activity have gone beyond showing appreciation, boosting morale and improving employee relationships. Many teams are utilizing the time dedicated to a team building activity as an opportunity to make a positive impact on their community.

Wheels for the World is a popular team building activity where the participants build bicycles and take part in challenges to earn the bicycle parts. The bikes are then donated to kids from United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys & Girls Club, to name a few, and for many of the kids, its their first bike.

There is a new outdoor philanthropic team building activity called Kindness Wins. This is no ordinary treasure hunt. Instead of searching for hidden clues or caches, teams are let loose to make a positive difference. No good deed is too small and no act of kindness goes unnoticed. Teams earn Good Karma points by holding a door open for a stranger, returning something, such as a shopping cart, to its proper place, or by using a Post-it note to make someone’s day.

There are many more acts of kindness that your team will take part in and participants will also have the opportunity to create their own symbol of generosity and giving that will serve as a reminder back at work of what they experienced on this special day.

Combining a team building program with a philanthropic activity is a win-win for everyone, functionally, spiritually and mentally.

Andy Kraus, is the Director of Team Development at Team Builders Plus, in Cherry Hill, NJ.

Other Philanthropic Team Building Ideas and Suppliers

Team Bonding offers a number of philanthropic team building activities that ‘do good’ for the team and the community. A great list to get the gist of this growing approach to building teams.

Team Buzz offers The Rookie. The main objective of this activity is for teams to grow a small investment into a big pile of money. They will do this through a range of tasks they are required to perform such as busking, creating artwork to be sold, shoe shining, and a lot more money making opportunities for the public. In the end, the money earned by teams can be donated to a charity of your own choice.

TeamBuilding Unlimited calls their philanthropic team building activities Charity Challenge. Have Your Cake and Eat it Too capitalizes on team creativity and sweet tooth and community service. Teams are challenged to design and decorate cakes to reflect their team, their company and more that will be donated to local hospitals, schools and children’s centers. TBU provides the sheet cakes, decorations and icing that teams use to create a visual and tasty masterpiece.

World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – 21

If you could invent a brand new charity challenge or philanthropic team building activity for World Creativity and Innovation Week April 15 – 21 what would it be?  Ready to start creating one?  What if you did?

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• 5 Ways Giving is Good for Your Health (besthealthmag.com)