While many firms encourage volunteering among their employees, some firms are now using charitable projects as leadership-development tools. Each year, UPS places 40 to 50 managers with non-profit social service sites for its Community Internship Program. These assignments give employees the opportunity to interact with different types of people and develop new ways of problem solving.
See "Corner-office volunteers", Stacy A. Teicher, The Christian Science Monitor, July 18, 2004