How Supporting a Charity Can Benefit your Business

Many businesses find success solely through offering great products and services. But it’s the businesses that go above and beyond that truly thrive. Leaders should aim to add depth to their organisations by using their position of power to make a difference in the community.

Doing so doesn’t just make you feel good – it can genuinely boost your bottom line too! Here are a few examples of how supporting a charity will benefit your business.

Charity:Water wristbands
photo credit: Silicon Prairie News / Flickr

Compassion Boosts Company Morale

Creating a compassionate culture in the workplace boosts morale. Employees who work for businesses with a heart and a good reputation take pride in their work.

Including compassion in your business’s core mission will not only keep existing staff happy, but will attract the kind of candidates you want working for you. If you’re unsure about what charity to support, choose a cause that your staff are passionate about. The Mater Foundation’s Cars for Cancer is a great example, as cancer affects hundreds of thousands of Australians and is an issue that will be close to the heart of many of your employees.

Shelby Super Snake 650 HP
Shelby Super Snake 650 HP – Cars for Cancer Charity Prize

Charity Brings Employees Together

Working towards a common goal strengthens relationships and introduces a sense of camaraderie into the workplace. By raising money at work, employees are able to make connections with people in other departments and work in team environments outside of their regular work groups.

There are many team-based activities you can organise in support of your chosen charity. Perhaps organise a company marathon, or a bake sale and car wash. If your chosen charity is a food pantry, making a difference can be as simple as running a canned food drive.

Supporting A Charity Attracts Customers

One benefit of supporting a charity is that it spreads the word about your values and good intentions. People like to buy from charitable companies, so it’s a great way to attract loyal customers.

Be sure to tie your business purpose to a charity that aligns with the work you do. You may even find you gain customers currently volunteering for the selected charity. Showing your support can be as simple as saving a portion of your profits every month to make a small donation, or making a more generous donation at the end of each year.

LinkedIn running event
photo credit: smi23le / Flickr

Events Generate Exposure

Photos of your employees participating in charity events make for great content on your social media channels, as does including upcoming charity events in your business’s newsletter and marketing materials.

Take it a step further and create a blog for your business. Write about your involvement and encourage others to support the good cause. Your selected charity may even give back to you by including your business name on their own marketing materials.

Takeaway

Whether you’re thinking strategically, or supporting a charity to feel great about giving back to others, be honest with yourself about your intentions.

Finally, all boils down to your effort; the amount of work you put in will reflect back on your business. The more passionate you are, the more your employees and customers will want to get involved.