Companies want to do good, but diverse perspectives and opinions can confuse the issue. Choosing how to give back to the community together can be harder than it seems.
What’s the best way to practice active community involvement? Here are four smart suggestions for getting started, detailed by UE.co, founder of the UE.co Community Scholarship:
1. Volunteer as a Group
Charitable organizations and nonprofits are always on the lookout for volunteers. Fulfill the need by pitching in as a team. Getting together to discuss the options may make the experience more reflective of shared office values.
Kicking things off doesn’t have to be difficult — Just use a mapping app or search engine to find nearby nonprofits. From there, a few friendly inquiries should open up a world of direct service opportunities to build a thriving employee volunteering program around.
2. Foster Partnerships You Believe In
Many charitable organizations and business enterprises join forces to form philanthropic partnerships. Such arrangements further a range of mutually beneficial goals, such as
• Increasing both parties’ brand exposure,
• Raising more nonprofit funds, and
• Giving the company good publicity.
Ideally, nonprofit partnerships should be founded on well-planned, legally binding agreements. It may also be wise to ask a corporate attorney about any tax implications before finalizing these relationships.
The partner selection process can be a great chance to foster group participation for a cause. Try letting employees nominate and vote for charities to maximize the involvement incentive.
3. Start Selective Giving More Frequently
Community involvement should be ongoing — Those who support the business community deserve the same in return, and there are always people in need. This doesn’t mean, however, that your team can’t make special occasions out of helping others.
Heed the water cooler chat. If a recent event or disaster particularly struck people, then make a group commitment to contribute to a relevant charity together — Bosses and managers can keep others motivated by matching their contributions or furnishing the in-kind gifts for the nonprofit.
4. Know What’s Happening in Your Community
Corporate involvement works best when it supports existing community initiatives. Working with established giving programs, such as scholarship funds, may be an effective way to ensure that your contributions reach those who need them most.
Why Wait to Make a Difference?
Corporate community service has many benefits. Volunteering ties staff members closer together and instills them with pride in their accomplishments. It also lets you build relationships that might increase your growth chances — What better way to connect your company to a broader world?