Giving back to the community is a goal of many companies. While the reasons for doing so may vary, the fact is that philanthropy can have significant benefits that ripple throughout the organization.

First, contributing to a livable community can lead to a stronger workforce. When quality of life is high, so is the caliber of people who choose to move to or stay in a community. Eventually, that can come back to favor businesses, as they have a quality pool of employees to choose from at hiring time.

Second, surveys and studies show that employees want to work for businesses that give back to the community.

Third, the community tends to show higher regard and levels of trust for companies that are involved in their communities and support causes they care about. According to a survey by Cone, Inc., 87% of consumers will switch brands or retailers in favor of one that supports a good cause, when price and quality are the same.

So how can the average business become more charity-minded? Following these three simple steps can take any firm from the idea stage to achieving true philanthropy.

1. Establish a plan. Decide what types of charities to support, or detail the actual non-profits that will be on the receiving end of your efforts. Research charities in your community that align with your company’s objectives. Ask employees for their input so they feel a sense of ownership in the process. When requests come from organizations outside your strict parameters, it’s easier to say “no.”
2. Establish a giving budget. Set an annual budget that your company can comfortably handle. Determine whether it will consist of cash donations, volunteer hours, in-kind gifts, or a combination of these three. Find out if employees are interested and willing to donate their time to volunteering, and offer them the time off to do so.
3. Manage philanthropy like any other department. Stick to your budget. Say no to requests that don’t match your objectives. Work your plan and build relationships that boost your company’s reputation in the community.

Then, sit back and enjoy the benefits that come with being a philanthropic company!

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Volunteer Programs

This entry was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2012 at and is filed under Corporate Volunteer Programs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.