1. Critical Pathfinders offers Volun-TeamBuilding programs including one called Pay It Forward, which gives groups a certain amount of money to do good deeds in their community, like buying toys for a hospital or making sandwiches for the homeless. The company is based in Ontario, but runs programs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Pricing ranges from $40 to $80 per person, and 10 percent of the cost is donated to a charity of the host company’s choosing.
2. Chico, California-based Odyssey Teams’ newest package, Helping Hands, allows participants to assemble prosthetic hands for children in developing countries. Each session includes icebreaking activities and motivational presentations led by the staff at Odyssey, who tailor their message to an organization’s purpose and goals. Groups can range in size from as few as 10 to as many as 10,000. The minimum program fee is $4,950 for the first 30 participants.
3. Recreation Picnic Service has a new program called Art4Charity that allows guests at a meeting or event to devote 30 minutes to three hours to creating a piece of art, like a tile mural, to be donated to a school, hospital, or other facility. Designs can include photos, a corporate name, and patterns in a paint-by-number format. The minimum cost (including supplies) is $550 for a group of 15 people; additional charges apply to events outside the New York City area.
4. Event planning and marketing company the Laureli Group has a division called Meetings That Give Back, which specializes in team-based community service projects for corporations. The company can put together outings such as a program to assemble (and donate) playthings for the nonprofit Many Mansions, which manages affordable housing for low-income families. As many as 150 participants may be involved, and pricing starts around $7,500; activities can be conducted worldwide.
5. City Hunt can create scavenger outings geared toward charitable organizations—say, a food pantry. After a discussion about the charity’s mission and needs, a minimum of 12 people break into teams and comb the city for clues that lead them to foods to help stock the pantry. Hunts typically last about two hours, and members take photos to document tasks, then return to the kitchen to present their finds, and can even work out a plan to serve meals. An online photo diary can serve as a record of the excursion. City Hunt can customize outings and conduct them in the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington areas. Prices start at $85 per person.
