Why You Should Contribute !!

A few weeks ago, my friend Ben Eubanks asked if a few of us would be interested in having new HR pros guest post on our sites.  It’s part of the North Alabama SHRM Mentor University program and I really dig this.  I think ALL HR pros should mentor future HR folks and allow them to learn from you . . . and YOU from them !!

The following guest post is by Kirsten Stutts, PHR.  Kirsten is an HR Manager for a company is Huntsville, Alabama and she is encouraging HR pros to understand the value and contribute to the SHRM Foundation.  Check out her 1st blog post ever !!

*******************************************************************

SHRM Foundation’s Support for the HR Profession

I have been a member of North Alabama SHRM (NASHRM) for several years, and this year I finally decided to volunteer.  In June, I was invited to join the NASHRM Board as their SHRM Foundation Director.

What is the SHRM Foundation Director you might ask?  Well, I didn’t know either.  Luckily SHRM has a webpage called the Volunteer Leaders’ Resource Center (VLRC) dedicated to answering many of your questions about your new volunteer role and offering a host of resources for you to utilize.  Really, the SHRM Foundation Director role serves two purposes:

• To  raise money for the SHRM Foundation, and
• To  educate people about the Foundation and how it supports the HR profession.

Did you know that . . .

• You can apply for a scholarship to pay for your tuition towards an HR degree or certification?
• The SHRM Foundation offers complimentary resources such as DVDs, Effective Practice Guidelines, and Executive Briefings that you can use personally or as a program for your Chapter?
• When used as part of a 1-hour educational session, the DVDs even qualify for HRCI credit!
• SHRM Foundation is also the leading funder of HR research!

I didn’t know any of this before I accepted the role of SHRM Foundation Director.  So what can you do to get more connected and involved?

• Click here for their home page, SHRM Foundation, to check out the resources that the SHRM Foundation has to offer!
• Support the SHRM Foundation when your local chapter has a fundraiser or donate to the SHRM Foundation directly; and
• Volunteer to be a part of your local chapter of SHRM.  You may get more out of the experience than you think!

I think people will benefit from knowing more about the SHRM Foundation and how it helps us all as HR professionals and as an entire profession.