Time4Society unites companies and organizations through socially relevant projects. The link between both parties is made by organizing social team buildings. Time Givers give time (instead of money) during half a day or a whole day by means of a clearly-defined projects that contributes to society. These are concrete and achievable portions of ‘corporate volunteering’ that make it easier for companies to give time to projects with social, ecological or cultural value, who in turn receive helping hands from the corporate world. Clearly, this is a win-win-win situation: companies realize their Corporate Social Responsibility, while social profit organizations are able to realize concrete projects that might not have happened otherwise, and finally, society itself receives many benefits on all levels.

The Time4Society employees

The Time4Society team consists of both fixed-term employees and employees of the Trendhuis in Mechelen, who help organize matchings between Time Givers and Time Takers, take care of the communication (website, flyers, ...) and co-organize the annual CSR/HR and VIP event.

The Time4Society employees are guided by Nathalie Bekx, CEO of Trendhuis and member of Time4Society’s board of directors.

Board of directors

Time4Society’s board of directors directs the vision and strategy of the organization. Together with the general assembly, they also control the organization’s activities. The board consists of 6 members from the corporate world, who meet once a month.

Leo van de Gender, chairman

Recently, I have stopped working and started volunteering. Time4Society now gives me the opportunity of making my spare time both useful and pleasant.

Time4Society is just one of the projects I support with great enthusiasm. It’s a wonderful initiative that gives shape to Corporate Social Responsibility in a concrete and very effective way.

Helping organizations by realizing purposeful projects with social value is what my commitment is all about.

Marc De Kegel, vice-chairman

As former CEO of Belux and COO of Accenture’s international industry group, I was naturally confronted with the different aspects of international management. Needless to say, no one can deny that making profit is of great importance. Vision, knowledge of the environmental aspects, efficiency, perseverance, motivation, and so on... it all plays a key role.

While doing so, it does not take long before one develops his own views on the social basis of decisions, on personal interpretations, on the role of the different players, etc. Shortly after deciding that I would break off my operational tasks, I made the decision to follow the path of Corporate Social Responsibility once again.

Being able to cooperate in the development of the Time4Society initiative was a great opportunity: the organization knows how to practically handle the CSR theme. Indeed, by organizing socially relevant projects, bridges are being built between social profit and enterprises, who also benefit greatly through the team building effect of the projects. A real plus for all involved parties!

I can’t help but recommend taking part in a T4S project. It offers a different point of view and learns to put things into perspective. And by the way, meaning something for others, no matter how small the contribution, is a heart-warming experience!

Jef Plasmans, managing director

During the last year of my professional career, I came into contact with a Time4Society project. Together with my team, I engaged in an afternoon of wheelchair cleaning. It was a wonderful experience: we were able to unselfishly invest a couple hours of time and to get in touch with a different environment. Sharing this experience with co-workers was a tangible deed of social responsibility.

This experience inspired me to continuously commit myself to Time4Society’s wonderful initiative, and to recommend it towards companies, no matter their size.

Tim Baart, managing director

Time is the greatest luxury in times like these. When you ask people how they are doing, they will often tell you they are very busy, rather than saying they are doing fine. In my profession, I give time to people, although they have to pay for the offered time and expertise. Being able to give time casually and for free, through Time4Society, is nothing short of a relief.

Nathalie Bekx, managing director

Everyone is entitled to CSR, whether you are a CEO or a cleaning lady. This is the democratic mission that Time4Society realizes: all we ask for is half a day per employee, per year. And everyone is able to give time, as long as he/she is willing to put his/her shoulder to the wheel. Furthermore, the CSR initiatives by Time4Society are never without benefits. It’s a win-win-win situation for the company that gives time, the organization that receives time, and finally, for society. In short, everyone gains from Time4Society’s team buildings.

Walter Van Pottelberge, managing director and coordinator of Society of Time

As an independent manager of private companies, I find it important to fully dedicate myself to the initiative of Time4Society, an organization that allows companies to transform their CSR commitment into concrete projects with social value. As a member of the board of directors, I aim to guide the mission and strategy of Time4Society, and to make sure that everything is carried out according to the rules of good governance, in conformity with the Guberna guidelines. The strength of Time4Society lies in its daily operations – the matching of projects – as well as in the depth that is being given to CSR through think tanks with an academic foundation.

The General Assembly consists of the members of the board of directors, together with Eric Kessels (VOKA), Jan Boulogne (UNIZO), Koen Peeters (KBC), Anne-Marie Descamps (Markant), Luc Muylaert (National Bank of Belgium), Norbert Verkimpe (WDM) and Koen Snyders (Riziv).