Earlier this week, we released the findings from the 2010 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey. I believe that the data offers great news and tremendous promise, especially to those who have championed skilled volunteerism as a means to accomplish significant social goals.

Corporate America is getting it – business leaders are seeing the tremendous value of volunteerism and have high expectations for what it can achieve in their communities. More than eight in 10 companies (84 percent) believe that volunteerism can help nonprofits accomplish long-term social goals. And for many, the ability to alleviate social issues serves as the key driver of volunteer engagement,even more so than the business benefits.

Yet, while the needle is indeed moving in the right direction, I am concerned that the reported widespread lack of planning, accountability and measurement will limit the full potential of volunteerism. Less than half of companies ask nonprofits in receipt of volunteer time to report back on what social impact resulted from the volunteer engagement. Further, just 38 percent of companies work with nonprofits to customize metrics that measure the impact of a volunteer’s time.

Deep social impact starts with good intentions, but they are not enough to deliver real results. Businesses must employ the same rigor that they use to tackle other business issues if they are to reach their lofty philanthropic goals. When grounded in an actionable plan with solid objectives and accountability measures built in, I believe that transforming high expectations into powerful social impact is well within corporate America’s reach.

Guest blogger Evan Hochberg is the National Director of Community Involvement at Deloitte. This post was also published on the Chamber of Commerce's BCLC Blog.

Reposted under Creative Commons License.