We Are Volunteer Employees (WAVE)

Background Information on the We Are Volunteer Employees (WAVE) Program

In 1990, the Fannie Mae Foundation and Fannie Mae established WAVE, a volunteer program designed to:

Assist interested employees in finding meaningful volunteer opportunities
Provide support for employees who participate in volunteer activities
Recognize employees for their accomplishments as volunteers

WAVE Program Elements

ONE-ON-ONE VOLUNTEER MATCHING: Helps employees find enriching volunteer opportunities of interest to them
WAVE SUBCOMMITTEES: WAVE organizes volunteer projects into subcommittees designed to address social problems in the community. Current subcommittees include: AIDS/HIV; animal welfare; arts; children; environment; homelessness; neighborhood revitalization; public education; seniors; and special events
DOLLARS FOR DOERS GRANTS: Matches the hours employees volunteer with dollars for the organizations where they volunteer
PAID RELEASE TIME: Offers employees 10 hours of paid leave per month (or up to 120 hours per year) to participate in volunteer activities, as well as 37.5 hours of paid volunteer service in the Gulf Coast region
TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES: WAVE coordinates community service team-building activities, which give employees the opportunity to work together, see the impact of their service, and develop new skills
PC DONATIONS PROGRAM: Provides used computer hardware to nonprofits in the greater Washington, D.C., area
EMPLOYEE MATCHING GIFTS PROGRAM: Matches personal financial contributions by employees
CREST OF THE WAVE AWARD: Each April, National Volunteer Month, WAVE honors outstanding volunteers through the Crest of the WAVE Award. The award recognizes employees for outstanding volunteer service to nonprofit organizations. Winners choose a 501(c)(3) public charity to receive a $5,000 grant.

Statistics
In 2006, the Fannie Mae Foundation and Fannie Mae employees put in more than 42,000 volunteer hours. According to Independent Sector, the value of a volunteer hour is $18.04, which means employees have more than $750,000 in human resources.

WAVE's Contribution to the Help the Homeless Program
Each year, WAVE significantly contributes to the Help the Homeless Program through a variety of fund-raising activities. Since its inception in 1988, the Help the Homeless Program has grown into the largest funding collaborative focused on homelessness in Washington, D.C., and in the nation. To date, more than $62.5 million has been raised through the Help the Homeless Program.