NEW YORK – U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today challenged America’s business leaders to become engaged in a more significant and structured way in supporting community service by their employees. Senator Warner, who has been active in non-profit and community service programs for more than 20 years, has agreed to lead the Billion + Change initiative created by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The goal of Billion + Change is to aggregate one-billion dollars worth of pro bono service over three years by urging companies to leverage the talents of their employees to address community and social issues. Senator Warner’s leadership role was announced today at the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world's largest gathering of service and volunteer leaders, being held in New York City.

As the conference began today, Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington announced more than $110 million in new corporate pro bono commitments – putting the cumulative total of the Billion + Change above the half-billion dollar mark. Companies or organizations making new Billion + Change commitments include Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Virginia-based Capital One, Ernst & Young and UPS. The pro bono services these employees provide will range from offering legal assistance to domestic violence survivors to teaching financial literacy to logistical support in the wake of natural disasters.

“Our service organizations can make great use of the talents of highly skilled employees, the efficiency of the technology used in the private sector, and the focus that our corporate partners apply every day to performance and results,” Senator Warner said. “In lean times, government cannot do it all, and our corporate partners have much to offer. Billion + Change will help our corporate partners encourage and support those employees who are looking for opportunities to become more involved in public service within their own communities.”

Corporate responsibility and employee volunteer programs have been shown to provide bottom-line benefits by increasing employee morale and productivity and by building long-term customer loyalty.

“Billion + Change is a smart strategy that can drive a bigger impact in solving problems. And while there are some great pro bono volunteer efforts in place, we are just scratching the surface,” Senator Warner said. “Billion + Change is a campaign that can significantly increase the practice of skills-based volunteering in America and around the world.”

Each year, the Corporation for National Service engages more than 5.5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Last year, 61.8 million Americans volunteered in their communities, up one-million over the previous year and providing more than eight billion hours of service.

For more information on community service, visit NationalService.gov. Information on Billion + Change can be found here.

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