3 Ways Your Company Can Give Back
It feels good to give back, especially around the holidays. It feels particularly great to be a part of a larger entity that gives back substantially more than one single person could alone. For many company managers, these good feelings provide a great reason to promote company-wide humanitarian acts.
Good deeds such as these not only help the company participate positively within the community, they also boost morale and feelings of connectivity among staff members. Here are a few ways your company can give back.
Food/Clothing Drives
Perhaps one of the most popular ways to give back to the community is to host either a food or clothing drive. Willing employees are able to bring in what they can spare without making an extra trip to the food bank or thrift store. Plus they have the pleasure of knowing they will be part of a large donation that will go to those that truly need it.
Another way to make donations is through company matching. For instance, companies such as Gift-A-Feast donate a percentage of their sales to non-profit organizations like Feeding America during the holidays. Sales-based companies can involve employees by donating a percentage of employee sales to the organization of the employees’ choice. Doing so provides great motivation to make big transactions during the holiday season.
Blood Donations
Outside of donating purchased goods, it’s possible to host events where employees donate something they don’t buy: their blood. According to research from the University of Cincinnati’s Medical Lab, upward of 37 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only about 5 percent do regularly. This is predominately because people find it inconvenient and are unlikely to return if they are deferred for any reason.
Hosting a blood drive in the office is a great way to enable willing employees to donate to a great cause. It also provides a catalyst for employees to connect over both good deeds and conquering fears of needles, together. Furthermore, it will contribute to life saving procedures for hundreds of individuals in the greater community.
Adopt-a-Family
Choosing to adopt a family is another way many smaller companies can make a significant difference in the lives of local community members. In these programs companies are assigned a family that has been identified as “in need” through a local food bank, church, or school district. Employees delegate gifts and food items to purchase for the family to give them a better holiday than they would have otherwise.
Typically the delegation is completed through a “giving tree” where items are listed on ornaments and willing employees can choose which to purchase. They may also decide to purchase a gift card to a local grocery store so the family can purchase their own holiday meal. Many employees appreciate the opportunity to give back to a specific family, and enjoy the group effort involved in family adoptions for the holidays.
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Finding ways to donate to the local community is a great way to build company morale and positive standing in the area. More importantly, it improves the lives of individuals during the holidays. Creating a tradition of giving back within your company is a wonderful holiday activity.
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Brittni Brown
Brittni Brown is a recent graduate of The College of Idaho; she currently works for a local marketing startup. In her free time, she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities as well as reading and trivia.