7 Ways Your Business Can Give Back to the Community

Businesses are always looking for ways to get more involved in their community to show that they care and to take social responsibility. Supporting your community will boost your reputation as an upstanding business and build new relationships. If you’re looking to make a positive impact, here are 7 ways your business can give back to the community:

Supporting Other Local Businesses

SMBs don’t just look to customers for support; they look to other businesses too. Develop partnerships with and support other businesses that share your values. Get your breakroom snacks from the local café or bakery and ask them to cater your business meetings and office parties. Turn to the local garden centre for plants to fill the planters and beds at the front of your building. If a local Beverly Hills moving company helps you to move into your new business premises and provides exceptional service, recommend them to others and leave a positive review online. When you and other local businesses band together, you all win.

Sponsoring Local Events and Organisations

Sponsoring local events and organisations is a great way to show your support for your community and to get your brand out there. Sponsor something that is associated with your brand. For example, if you’re a gym or leisure centre owner, you could sponsor a youth programme or sports team by providing kits and equipment with your logo on them and offer your space as a place for them to train or practice.

If you’re an SEO company in Toronto, you could sponsor community events such as concerts, markets, fairs, and charity fundraisers. You could use your skills to market the events, reach your target audience, and reach more potential customers since your brand would be featured in the promotional material.

Organise Your Own Fundraising Events

As well as sponsoring events, you could organise your own fundraising events. Get your employees involved and treat it like a team-building activity. Hold a meeting with your employees and ask for their input on the kind of fundraiser they want to do. You could have a walk-a-thon, a bake sale, host a silent auction or raffle, or ask your employees to design items of clothing to sell. Once a year, you could organise a summer fair and ask other local businesses to get involved. This will bring the community together and give you the chance to do some networking.

Donating to Local Charities and Non-Profit Organisations

There are many ways to donate to local charities and non-profit organisations. You could offer a payroll deduction program, so that your employees can opt into donating automatically. To boost morale, you could match their donations through a company matching gift programme.

Alternatively, you could donate a certain percentage of your profits to the charity or charities of your choice or you could allow shoppers to choose which charity their contribution goes to.

Depending on your business, you could donate your products. For example, if you offer print-on-demand merchandise, you could donate clothes to your local homeless shelter.

Volunteering Days and Offering Volunteer Time Off (VTO)

It’s easy to give money to a worthy cause, but charities and non-profit organisations are always looking for volunteers. You could organise one day each month where your employees could volunteer at a food bank, toy drive, or community clean-up programme. Many businesses are now offering paid time off for volunteering, where each employee gets a certain number of hours off each year to do charitable work that they are passionate about.

Training Programmes

This a great opportunity for you to share your knowledge and help others achieve success. You can share your skills and experience through training programmes, mentoring, and internships. Set aside some of your marketing budget to invest in other people’s futures. You could also offer to teach a class at a local community college or offer workshops to a nearby high school. Use your insights in your unique field to provide educational opportunities to youths and to offer adults another chance to thrive.

Pro Bono Work

Another use for your expertise is offering pro bono work to people in your community who need your help. Set aside some time each week and work with the people who need it the most. If you’re a contractor, you could offer to help lower-income communities to make home improvements. See this website for some examples.

Image Credits: RDNE Stock project