Practicing philanthropy is a feel-good way for businesses to show they care for others in the community. A business will donate its time or funds from its company to fund a charitable organization or to do an act of good in the community.
Here are eight ways a business can be more philanthropic for its community and enhance overall public relations.
Environmental Efforts
Business owners use FigBytes to evaluate Environmental, Social, and Governance efforts that encompass ESG data management. The software evaluates compliance standards about how green your company is. In the social section, the software will analyze how much of a community impact you are making in your local area. ESG data management software can also remind you to stay within diversity requirements when you hire new talent.
Other environmental efforts, such as a day devoted to community clean-up, is another way your business can be philanthropic.
Donate gently used items from your business to a thrift store
Call on the support of a junk removal service if you have a lot of items in your company storage unit. Anything gently used and in excellent condition can be donated to a local thrift store.
Decluttering your company’s storage area will free up more space for when you need to store more inventory and unused equipment. Meanwhile, you will assist community members who could use the items the most at a reduced cost. This action makes for a commendable press release showing the community that you are willing to be philanthropic.
Collect donations for a cause
Have you ever seen the containers collecting pennies for St. Jude patients? Why not choose a cause to support and collect donations to keep it? Ask paying customers if they would like to round up their purchase to support breast cancer, leukemia, or other organization of your choice.
Change out the organization you support once a quarter or yearly to see how much you can raise for each one. Hold at least one monthly fundraiser for the cause, such as a gift basket raffle or a bake sale, and donate the sales proceeds.
If employees want to donate to the cause, track these and overall corporate donations in human resources management software.
Host a coat or toy drive during the holiday season
Holidays are the season of giving. Find a philanthropic initiative your company can do to help the community somehow. Coat drives and toy drives are the most popular charitable initiatives for the holiday season.
For example, One Warm Coat has partnered with about 1,400 nonprofits to host 43,000 coat drives in the past 30 years.
Toy drives help less fortunate children with struggling family members who have trouble purchasing gifts for Christmas. Have employees and customers start donating popular toys in late October and distribute them to a local organization a couple of weeks before Christmas.
Sponsor a nonprofit organization
While collecting donations for different nonprofit organizations, you can also pick a specific nonprofit and support a sector in its business. Maybe you can sponsor them with supplies from your business in a particular event.
Being on a list of company sponsors in an event brochure will enhance positive public relations. People are more willing to support companies that sponsor community initiatives and nonprofits.
Donate 5% of your sales to a cause
Choose a cause once a quarter and donate 5% of your sales to it. Let your customers know how the donation will benefit the organization. Hence, they are encouraged to purchase more of your products and services to support it and your business simultaneously. Plus, you can write this off on your business tax return at the end of the year.
Have meetings to generate new philanthropic ideas
Especially if your team hits a rabbit hole in trying to discover their next philanthropic endeavor, hold a gathering once a month to talk about new ideas on what organizations to support. Have employees chime in on their thoughts about giving back to the community.
Some ideas may include the following:
- A school supply drives in the summer to prepare for the new school season.
- Donate to an organization in memory of a co-worker’s family member or friend who died from a specific type of cancer or condition.
- Join a community day event and hand out free company products to those that need them most.
Pay your employees to volunteer for a day
Give your employees and management team—you get in on the action, too—a paid day off to go volunteer at their chosen nonprofit organization in the community. Try to do this about once a quarter.
Public service is so important because it connects different organizations and people while achieving a common goal and purpose to serve others around us.
Conclusion
No matter which way you choose your business to be philanthropic, the beneficiaries will appreciate your time and contribution. Think about how your business can be philanthropic today.
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