Most companies have volunteer programs that encourage employees to give their time and efforts back to the community. While studies have shown that volunteering boosts happiness, and in most cases is never a bad thing, I wonder sometimes if my time giving back could be spent in a more efficient manner.

Sure, it’s great to rebuild a playground in need or spend the day building a house. But unless I’m a skilled carpenter, I’ll probably spend most of my time figuring out the work that needs to be done versus just doing it. This is why I was especially interested to have met Rachael Chong, a former investment banker, who is on a mission to make giving back more efficient and meaningful through skill-based volunteerism.

Rachael Chong is CEO of CatchaFire, a network that matches skill-based volunteers with non-profits and social enterprises in need. The model gives people the opportunity to volunteer their skills working on specific projects which frees up the non-profits and social enterprises to spend their time focusing on moving the organization forward (versus spending time trying to figure out what needs to be done).

Projects on CatchaFire range from designing a non-profit’s logo to crafting their social media outreach plan, all of which last roughly 30 days. It’s not your typical Saturday afternoon volunteerism project, which is why heavy pre-screening on both ends is necessary to ensure a successful outcome for both parties.

A big part of CatchaFire’s success to date and the reason why skills based volunteerism is so effective is it accomplishes three distinct things: a) helps the non-profit reach its bottom-line b) re-enforces the employee’s skills which makes him/her more satisfied at work c) ultimately makes the employee’s company more successful by employing happier and more efficient workers

We all spend hours at our jobs honing skills and acquiring knowledge that most people wouldn’t normally have, so why wouldn’t we apply that expertise to giving back? According to the Independent Sector, regular volunteering is valued at $18 to $20 an hour, while skill-based volunteering ranges from $40 to $500 an hour (based on the market value at that time).

Yes, our time is extremely valuable, but clearly, so is our expertise. Try to keep this in mind the next time you think about wanting to give back. Skill-based volunteerism not only lets us give our valuable time more efficiently, but has far greater long-term effects on yourself, the non-profit, and your company, than a one-time donation or volunteer project ever could.