Social responsibility has become increasingly popular as a way for businesses to stand out amongst the crowd.When done the right way, engaging with the community benefits all parties involved. Not only does it help attract potential customers, but it also makes employees happier and more engaged. Jason Kulpa, an experienced serial entrepreneur, shares five creative ways businesses can help give back to their local communities.
Promote “Going Green”
While composting isn’t necessarily a new fad by any means, finding a way to incorporate it into your business model is a unique and engaging idea. Your business can put out a compost bin at work in either breakrooms or the company cafeteria and use that compost to give back to a local community garden.
With the popularity of community gardens on the rise, using table scraps to promote a local herb or produce garden can be rewarding. Additionally, you can encourage employees to donate their time to help in the garden, which will ultimately provide to those in the community in need.
Use Your Workspace to Host a Community Event
One way to demonstrate your company’s dedication to the local community is to find ways to interact with it. Volunteering to host a free event, fundraiser, or donate your space for meetings can go a long way.
Whether it is a free movie night, offering your meeting rooms for non-profits to use after hours, or donating proceeds from a small paid networking event to a local charity, there are multiple ways to take your workspace and use it to do some good in the community.
Make Giving a Special Occasion for Employees
Many companies offer a type of matching incentive to encourage their employees to donate to causes of their choice. One way to spice it up is to give employees a “donation credit” for important milestones such as a birthday or work anniversary. During a birthday month or special occasion, your business can donate to a cause of their choice, making giving that much more impactful.
Donate Your Experience and Skills
Businesses often make the mistake of believing that giving back to the community is measured by monetary funding, which prevents some small businesses from diving in. However, many nonprofits need services such as building a website or teaching a class. Having employees donate their time to work on essential tasks or volunteering to teach certain skills to other volunteers can be a great way to connect with the community.
Sponsor a Charity Event
Many businesses give back to the community by donating to charitable groups and non-profit organizations. For instance, they contribute to an independent non-profit organization that works for civil liberties to help improve human rights conditions. Sponsoring charity events is another great way to show appreciation to local customers.
Most communities have annual charity events, whether it is a race supporting an important cause or festival to raise awareness for what’s going on in the community. One way your business can stand out is to help sponsor the event. Examples can include running the marketing campaign for the event, helping the planning committee, or providing some of the goods or services needed to make things run smoothly.
For events such as a local marathon, your company can even go as far as to support certain athletes – providing them with branded gear, water, and any essentials they might need.
Sponsoring fundraising concert events include paying for the performers’ fees, stage decors, or food stalls. You can even give away branded shirts, towels, and lightsabers to make the concert fun and comfortable for attendees.
If you’re more of an environmentalist, your business can support tree-planting activities, coastal cleanups, or waste management training programs. You can hire key resource speakers to educate locals about recycling, water treatment, or using solar energy. Furthermore, you can sponsor buying trash bins or eco-friendly portable urinals for community parks and other public areas.
Conclusion
Donate, teach, and dedicate some of your profit and time to giving back to the community. With creativity, resourcefulness, and willingness, your business can think of many ways to give back to the locals. This business activity is an excellent way to promote your brand and boost customer loyalty for long-term success. It’s never too early or too late to start a program.
About Jason Kulpa
Jason Kulpa is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of UE.co, San Diego’s Fastest Growing Business multi-year award winner, and a Certified Great Place to Work multi-year winner. Mr. Kulpa is a San Diego’s two-time winner of the Most Admired CEO Award of the San Diego Business Journal and a semi-finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur award. Under Mr. Kulpa’s leadership, in 2018, his teams volunteered at over 24 events and worked side-by-side to improve the San Diego community.
They hosted a gala dinner benefiting individuals with autism, cheered on Special Olympic athletes as they broke their records on the track, and brought school supplies and cold-weather gear to students impacted by homelessness. Jason’s mission is to bring awareness, support, and inclusion for special needs causes.
Interesting related article: “Corporate social responsibility improves customer service.”