Giving Pays: The Business Benefits of Being Charitable

You may remember a story from a few months ago about a pizzeria in Philadelphia that allowed patrons to buy $1 slices for homeless customers. A recent update from upworthy.com shares that business is booming for the little pizza shop. Proof that giving back pays.

Why your company should give back

Corporate charity, when it is done with sincerity and not just for a tax break, affects more than just those supported by the charitable organizations.

  • Give employees a feeling of purpose and pride. Happy employees are more efficient!
  • Attract better quality employees who are dedicated, hard working, collaborative and vested in your company’s success.
  • Be welcomed in a new community. If you’re brand new to a community, win them over by doing everything you can to clean up, support and give back locally.
  • Build customer loyalty. It feels good to support a “good” company, one that takes care of its employees and its community. It fosters a personal connection to a brand. Keep up the good deeds and keep a customer for life!

How to build a charitable culture

If your company is large enough, one of the best ways to get started is to establish a committee. Gather those employees who are already passionate about supporting their community. They will undoubtedly have a wealth of knowledge about community needs and programs and will have ideas to get the rest of the company involved. Here are some additional ways to get started:

Support volunteer efforts

  • Pay employees to volunteer a certain amount of hours to an organization of their choosing or have them select one from a “company approved” list.
  • Organize company-wide volunteering events, encouraging all employees and members of management to come together for a good cause. This will develop respect, appreciation and teamwork skills.

Make donations as a company

  • Lead by example. Select a cause that is important in your community or relevant to your business and make a commitment to donate a percentage of your profits every year.
  • Donate your product or service. If you print tee shirts, offer to print tees for a charitable event at cost. If you own a restaurant, offer an unpriced entrée, allowing patrons pay what they can afford for that one item. Find a way to utilize what you’re already doing and what you do best to benefit others.
  • Give employees the opportunity to donate a dollar from each paycheck, let them vote on which charities are important to them and report what was donated to let them know the good they’ve done.

Let the community know you support them

  • Post information about your charitable efforts on your website.
  • Share photos from volunteer activities on social media and your blog.
  • Put out a press release when your company reaches donation benchmarks, supports races or events, or organizes its own charitable efforts.
  • Be seen at community-wide events: make donations to get your logo on tee shirts and printed materials, put up a booth or just encourage employees to volunteer.

Trust us, when you grow and establish deeper roots your company will thrive!