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Clayton Urbano, Manager of Internal Communication and Culture

Volunteering as a corporate engagement

Helping others, donating time, money, or work is a desire of many people. Volunteering is one of the best ways to practice this desire. It doesn't matter if the work is one-off or with a defined frequency, what matters, in itself, is to do good. The volunteer is someone who donates himself for someone and, consequently, for the sake of a cause. This engagement is important for personal and professional life, since we are shaped to always defend and seek the evolution or solution of something.

Throughout my career, I understood that volunteer work also provides an improvement in organizational culture, makes people develop in various areas of their lives, in addition to bringing fulfillment and well-being to those involved in the actions.

There are several ways to volunteer and help people who need it most. Voluntary actions can be carried out every day and contribute to a better future. The causes may even be aligned with the purpose of the companies, such as environment and animals, education and culture, sports, among others.

At Neoenergia, our Volunteer Program seeks to support causes in synergy with the company's actions, especially in the concession areas where we operate. Anyone can apply to be a volunteer at any time and there are no prerequisites, just choose an area of activity or activity that is most interesting for those who want to donate themselves.

We relate volunteer work to five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations, which are the same commitments adopted by the company. The company's mission is related to SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 13 (action against global climate change). In addition to these, the opportunities offered are part of SDGs 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality) and 10 (reduction of inequalities).

Since 2020, Neoenergia has organized its International Volunteer Week, a global initiative of the Iberdrola Group, its shareholder and controller.

During one week, activities are promoted to stimulate employee engagement. The actions take place in several countries where the group operates, such as Brazil (Neoenergia), Spain (Iberdrola), the United States (Avangrid), Mexico (Iberdrola Mexico) and the United Kingdom (Scottish Power), among others.

The best part is that it's not just International Volunteer Week that employees can participate in charitable actions. The Volunteer Program is permanent and offers opportunities through its own online platform. In 2024, more than 3,500 voluntary participations were registered and the actions impacted more than 40,000 people in various parts of Brazil.

I have noticed since the beginning of our program that volunteering brings benefits to those who receive and to those who donate. In addition, social and professional competencies such as teamwork, empathy and many others are developed, characteristics that every company seeks and values in its staff. The initiatives also add together so that employees get to know each other better, create ties with different departments, and provide a light and fun moment in the midst of the work routine. The benefits are many and my tip is always the same for everyone: volunteer!