If you own a business, then you know how much your community helps you. They provide patronage to your business, support you when you ask, and provide excellent word of mouth advertising when they bring out-of-town visitors to check your business out. Starting a business means becoming part of a community of caring people, and it’s a good idea to give back to them as well.
Many companies have started to make giving back to their community a priority. This is excellent, as organizations with a strong corporate social responsibility program can significantly impact a community in a positive way. It takes energy and time to invest in charitable programs and get your staff involved, but the benefits of giving back far outweigh the effort.
Even if your company doesn’t have a corporate program to facilitate giving back to your community, there are plenty of things your business can do to give back. One of the most obvious ones is donating cash to charitable causes and to areas of the highest need. This can be part of an annual giving program or as a sponsorship for public charity events. No matter how you go about it, monetary donations can substantially help charities reach their goals.
You can also offer training or services to your community at no charge. Promoting pro bono services is perfect for employees who prefer one-on-one engagement rather than volunteering for a large group event. Whether your employees donate their time to mentor others and teach them new job skills or provide free services to an organization, volunteering this way will both impact others in a meaningful way and set the foundation for long-lasting relationships.
Of course, not everyone can donate their time, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help out and give back to their community. Hosting office drives is a worthwhile way to give back without giving up hours that can be used on the job. Your business can collect donations for various causes and donate them to their proper organizations. Employees can also give back through letter campaigns and create homemade cards for hospitalized or traumatized kids, write letters to military personnel abroad, and more.