Explore the Many Rewards of Giving Back to the Community
What are you waiting for? Get your business behind a local cause and reap the rewards.
Why should you engage?
You can express your firm’s ethos & its values, traditions, and attitudes & by engaging with your community. When you get your people involved with local organizations and charities, you’re also fostering a positive workplace culture. Community involvement can:
Increase brand awareness. Say your florist business supports a fundraising dinner by providing centerpieces for the tables. Later, one or more of the 150 people who attended may refer you to a friend. It’s just like advertising, but with a greater sense of satisfaction.
Encourage a more productive workplace. Happy employees are more productive, stay with you longer, and keep hiring costs low. Research from Barclays Bank shows that 58% of managers reported better intra-staff relations after volunteering together.
Broaden your employees’ skills. Volunteer projects can round out employees’ capabilities and foster their growth. In a recent Deloitte poll, 92% of respondents agree that volunteering is an effective way to improve leadership skills.
Send the right message. Community involvement says that you’re invested in your town or city’s future. Plus, it simply feels good to know you’ve made a difference.
How can you get started?
Consider these ways to get started on finding the best community-involvement option for your business:
Sponsor an event or a sports team. If you’re strapped for time, this is a great option. If it’s a sports team, make sure your logo appears on those uniforms!
Start a charity drive. Ask employees to donate books, clothing, canned goods, or other items for contributions to a local charity.
Share your knowledge. Can your firm donate its goods or services to individuals, other small businesses, or the entire town?
Provide donor matching. Support a cause by matching donations up to a specific amount. Track your donations on a chart to motivate further participation.
How can you get employees psyched about volunteering?
“Give your people choices,” says Cassandra Gomez, Director of Human Resources at Samlend Financial. “Whether you pick a day when everyone does one activity together or chooses their own cause, or you have ongoing programs, be sure to poll your staff for maximum impact. At Fora, we’ve been involved with New York Cares for years, with amazing results!”
Did You Know?
52% reduction in turnover among employees in volunteer programs.
Share your successes with us.
Proud of what you’re doing for your community? Tell us about it. You may be included in a future post!
Since 2008, Samlend Financial has distributed $4 billion to 55,000 businesses. Click here or call (725) 247-3823 for more information on how Samlend Financial's working capital solutions can help your business thrive.