7 Ways Businesses Can Support Charities and Make a Difference

No matter the size of your business, there will always be ways for you to do some good in your community (and beyond) and share your success with those less fortunate. After all, if you’ve been successful enough to change your own life for the better, why not do the same for others who aren’t in the position to follow in your footsteps?

This doesn’t only make perfect sense from a moral point of view, but also as an extremely potent business model. For a modern millennial, as well as other conscientious employees and shoppers, charity work and other ethical actions have become one of the key drivers of loyalty. Let’s see how you can introduce some of them into your own operations and make the world a better place.

1. Team-building through volunteering

Although the traditional paintball sessions and wine tasting are always a wonderful option every once in a while, you should consider making volunteering your regular team-building practice. Use your weekends to donate your time and skills to the local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or Conservation Volunteers Australia. Whether you spend your time planting trees, rescuing animals, or building homes, your team will bond more than ever, and you’ll make a tremendous difference.

2. Support local businesses

As a business, you can use your influence to partner up with local companies instead of those overseas and give back through your cooperation. Whether you need packaging supplies, shipping services, or simply designing your website, reach out to your neighboring business owners and support your local economy.

3. Empower education

Since not everyone has the same opportunities, you can donate a portion of your company profits to ensure that more kids will get their high school education. For example, you can donate towards girls’ scholarshipsto empower young ladies from disadvantaged communities to gain skills and knowledge that will change their lives. These kids often come from families who have trouble providing even for their most essential needs, and giving them an education means giving them an opportunity to also help their struggling families.

4. Donate through sales

Another way to donate is to automate your practice so that a certain percentage of your sales goes directly to a charity of your choice. Companies such as Bombas are a great example, since their practice to donate a pair of socks for every pair sold helps improve the lives of the homeless. Of course, this may not be applicable for those who sell cars or software development services, but a portion of your sales can certainly make a difference in many realms of your society.

5. Encourage the holiday spirit

While it’s best to maintain your charitable practice throughout the entire year, you can pick up the pace during the holiday season. For example, many senior citizens in homes are lonely and could use some company, so you can arrange for your team to spend some time with them by partnering up with nursing homes in your area. You can give your employees a few extra days off and spend one of them in a local soup kitchen, or by donating meals to those in need.

6. Event organization

Even smaller businesses can afford to sponsor an occasional charitable event, even with the help of your partner companies. Events such as marathons, blood drives, concerts, and art exhibitions are great examples of what you can do to connect with your community, but you can also make it an ongoing engagement by sponsoring a local youth sports team.

7. Introduce new employment practices

How you conduct your business makes up for a significant part of the impact you can have in your country. Everything from the internships you organize, free workshops and lectures, all the way to your employee program can make a world of a difference. If it’s possible depending on your niche, you can employ more people with disabilities, war veterans, and other groups of people who typically have a hard time finding their place in the society. In case you have single parents on your team, find ways to give them more support, through in-house child care, to remote working days to spend more time with their kids.

Some of these efforts may start out as a way to improve your brand visibility and inspire people to be more loyal to your company, no matter if they are employees or customers. However, these practices are meant to resonate with the core of your company and when people around you see that you truly care for a cause, you will become a pillar of hope in your community, and a role model for other businesses to follow suit.

***This was a Guest Post written by Claire Adams***

Claire is a personal and professional development expert who believes that positive attitude is one of the keys to success.

You can find her online writing and giving tips about lifestyle and development as a regular contributor to High Style Life.

Or you can follow her on Twitter @Adamsnclaire or on Facebook.