How Volunteering is Transforming Leadership Development for Women

April is National Volunteer Month. It’s a time dedicated to honoring the power of service and the profound impact that giving back has on communities, women and individuals alike. Whether it’s mentoring someone to take the next step in their career or helping an organization expand its reach, every act of service fuels a ripple effect of positive change. Especially today, when challenges are complex and resources are stretched thin, volunteering reminds us that real leadership starts with showing up, sharing our skills and lifting others as we climb.

The Impact of Working for Women

When Beth Bengtson launched Working for Women, she wasn’t just starting another nonprofit but reimagining an organization’s role in uplifting marginalized communities. W4W connects women already in the workforce—many of whom struggle to cover basic expenses—with better job opportunities, mentorship and skills training. However, what sets W4W apart is a leadership philosophy that sees social good and business success not as competing goals but as two sides of the same coin.

Bengtson explains, “Before W4W, I lived in the for-profit world and always believed business could be a force for social good. I saw firsthand how important community engagement was to employees and how much businesses could accomplish when they brought their values into their operations.” This belief became the foundation for W4W’s pioneering “skillunteering” model, in which corporate employees—from companies like Paramount—volunteer their expertise to help grassroots nonprofits and the women they serve.

Business As A Force For Good

Bengtson’s career included a role as VP of positive impact—a title that perfectly encapsulates her lifelong commitment to weaving purpose into profit. She saw that while traditional volunteering (like packing bags at a soup kitchen) made people feel good, it rarely tapped into the deeper business needs nonprofits faced. “We don’t often think of nonprofits as businesses, but they have the same strategic challenges,” she shares. “They need marketing plans, revenue models, strategic roadmaps—all the things companies have.”

By encouraging businesses to treat their volunteer work as a strategic partnership, W4W makes corporate social responsibility a powerful leadership move, not just a philanthropic checkbox. It’s a vision that amplifies business impact far beyond a single event.

Leadership Development Through Experiential Learning

Bengtson says one of the most powerful outcomes of skillunteering is how it naturally cultivates leadership skills among corporate volunteers. “Skillunteering creates deeper connections between employees and the companies they work for,” the founder explains. “It enhances their skills, gives them real leadership and reach opportunities, and often puts them on the promotion track.” Employees engage in projects that stretch their capabilities, whether leading workshops on negotiation skills, developing new marketing strategies or crafting business plans for nonprofit partners.

Strategic Volunteering That Builds Organizational Capacity

Another leadership lesson W4W emphasizes is a strategic focus. Every project starts by asking nonprofits what they truly need to execute their strategic goals, which can be anything from marketing support to program development to operational improvements. “We sit down with executive directors and ask, ‘What’s on your roadmap? What could you do if you had the right team behind you?’” she states. “Our [corporate] volunteers then become an extension of their team bringing professional skills nonprofits otherwise couldn’t afford.”

A Skillunteer’s Perspective—Building Skills And Community

For Kimaya Padgaonkar, Strategy Insights and Planning Manager at ZS, volunteering with W4W has been transformational professionally and personally. “I was visiting another ZS office where they were having a W4W workshop,” Padgaonkar explains. “It was so moving that I went back to Philly and asked them to bring it there.” Even after relocating to London after her experience, Padgaonkar stayed connected to W4W, explaining, “I love that my professional skills can be used to give back in a more impactful, sustainable way.”

Through seven years of skillunteering, she has strengthened key leadership skills, from presenting to executive directors to navigating unstructured business problems. “At that point in my career, I didn’t have opportunities to present to senior leaders. Skillunteering gave me the space to grow,” she says. The experience also expanded her network and deepened her sense of purpose at work.

Conclusion

Through W4W, Bengtson shows that leadership today isn’t just about profit margins or titles. It’s about making tangible investments in people, purpose and community. Combining skill, strategy and heart, her company’s model creates a ripple effect: building stronger nonprofits, leaders and businesses simultaneously. As Beth puts it, “Go out and do social good—and actually improve your bottom line. It’s a hidden secret, but it’s the future of leadership.”

FAQs

1. What is National Volunteer Month?
   National Volunteer Month is a time dedicated to honoring the power of service and the profound impact that giving back has on communities, women and individuals alike.
2. What is Working for Women (W4W)?
   Working for Women is a nonprofit organization that connects women already in the workforce with better job opportunities, mentorship and skills training.
3. What is skillunteering?
   Skillunteering is a model in which corporate employees volunteer their expertise to help grassroots nonprofits and the women they serve.
4. How does W4W make corporate social responsibility a powerful leadership move?
   By encouraging businesses to treat their volunteer work as a strategic partnership, W4W makes corporate social responsibility a powerful leadership move, not just a philanthropic checkbox.
5. What are the benefits of skillunteering for corporate volunteers?
   Skillunteering enhances employees’ skills, gives them real leadership and reach opportunities, and often puts them on the promotion track.