Volunteering and philanthropy are actually more beneficial to your corporate success than you would think. Don’t have time in your busy work week to volunteer? Think again. We talked with our BBBSMB Board Member of 11 years, Tim Dibble, Managing General Partner at Alta Equity Partners to discuss how volunteering, specifically mentoring, has helped his career and how it can do the same thing for you. 

Tim Dibble, a managing general partner at Alta Equity Partners, started volunteering at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay in 1984. He had three very successful matches throughout his career – his most recent being his Little Brother Curtis, who is now an important part of his family. Never once did he think his volunteering or his relationship with Curtis interfered with his work life. In fact, it was quite the opposite, without this relationship Tim might never have gotten to where he is today. Here are three ways volunteering has led Tim to corporate success and how it can help you your career goals:

1. Philanthropy can give you a break and create balance.

It may seem like being in the office 24/7 is the only way to become more successful. But it is important to take a break from that crazy schedule in order to stay motivated and perform well at your job. “During weeks of work where it was really stressful, I thought what was going on at work was all-encompassing,” Tim says, “but Curtis was always so excited, and it gave me the wonderful gift of perspective of what is important and meaningful.” Volunteering will give you something to look forward to after a stressful day at work – a time for you to just relax and have fun.

2. “If you’re worried about the time commitment, don’t.”

Even just volunteering a couple hours a week could change someone’s life. Tim never had an issue making time for his outings with Curtis – he actually worked his schedule around his meetings with his Little. Volunteering can be such a “no pressure commitment” added Tim as he describes how much he looked forward to hanging out with his Little Brother.

3. It will help you create and improve your relationships in the office.

Want to impress your boss and coworkers? Tim explains how volunteering can change how people in the office look at you, “people look at you more positively; people will look at the things you do versus the things you say.” In order to advance your career, it is so important to have great relationships with your peers and supervisors – and it is definitely a plus to see that someone takes the time to volunteer.

“People will say ‘if you have taken the time to be a Big Brother, you can’t be all bad’ and ‘if you’re a mentor to a Little Brother, maybe you’ll be a great mentor at work.” Philanthropy can be a great way to show that you are a genuine person and like Tim said, if you are willing to take the time to be a Big Brother and volunteer, then you are worth considering for the Job.

It is important to realize that as consuming as your job may seem, there is always time to give back what you can. Whether it is gaining new skills, meeting new connections, or just having fun – there is so much to gain from philanthropy. Tim was inspired to leave the world a better place than he found it, and you can too.“You’re going to get more out of it than you give,” Tim says as he explains how his volunteer work has not only benefited the people around him but himself as well. So, trust us and our long-time board member and volunteer, Tim Dibble, when we say that philanthropy really is essential to your career in so many ways.