Incorporating charity into your business is an excellent way to revive a flagging staff spirit and to inject some perspective into your daily work life.
(PRWEB) November 27, 2013
Many businesses are adopting unique ways to incorporate charity drives into the workplace, such as the popular “Movember” movement, where men are encouraged to grow out their mustaches during the month of November as a way to raise funds for a good cause. San Diego web design company Bop Design released their own list of suggestions for businesses to integrate charitable giving into the work environment.
“As business owners and marketers, we often get consumed by our own enterprise goals and forget that there are others out there who are struggling with issues greater than our own,” says Bop Design principal Jeremy Durant. “Incorporating charity into your business is an excellent way to revive a flagging staff spirit and to inject some perspective into your daily work life.”
Here are five ways to incorporate charity into a business. Not all require money, but they all provide the satisfaction and joy that comes from making a difference for others.
- Give time off to employees who volunteer.
Once a week, allow employees to come in a little later, leave a little earlier, or take an extended lunch break so they can volunteer their time to a worthy cause. Compensate them as if they were at work during that time period. “The extra hour or so per week that employees spend in service outside of the office will boost their productivity by giving them something new and stimulating to think about, and by breaking up their weekly work schedule,” says Durant. Encourage staff to share their experiences with their co-workers, either through organized meetings or in informal settings, like the lunchroom or water cooler conversation.
- Participate in a charity event as a business.
Teambuilding exercises can be helpful for a staff and can have an even greater impact when employees are spending time together for a good cause. Marathons, walk-a-thons, bicycle rides, and color runs are a fun way to rally employees and unite them in the spirit of helping others.
- Hire someone in need.
Businesses can consult with employment groups that work with returning veterans, battered women, or individuals trying to break out of homelessness to find enthusiastic employees who need a hand up. Hire employees from this untapped pool to support departments with high workloads like accounting, marketing, or data entry.
- Donate business services.
Whatever service a business performs might be the exact thing a charitable organization or needy person seeks. Even B2B services can be extraordinarily helpful for struggling non-profit groups looking for basic legal services, accounting, marketing, web design, or transportation. Business owners should ask around for someone who might benefit from their business offerings or post an ad or flier in a place that will be seen by people in need.
- Give a monetary donation to a worthy cause instead of distributing client holiday gifts.
Many businesses are restricting the ability of their staff to receive gifts from vendors, for tax and ethical reasons. Businesses can do some good in the world and remind clients of their stand-up organization by making a cash donation to a reputable charity. Mail holiday cards to clients that contain an insert with information about the charity so recipients can learn more about the cause and can also contribute personally if they feel moved. Business should pick charities that are unaffiliated with political or other hot-button groups to ensure that they are not inadvertently offending their clients’ sensibilities while trying to do a good deed.
“Remember, these charitable tendencies need not be isolated to just the holiday season,” concludes Durant. “Incorporating charity into your business year-round can inject a newfound upbeat spirit into your workplace and can make a huge difference in someone else’s life.”
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Bop Design is a San Diego web design agency with offices also in Orange County, CA and the New York metro area. Specializing in B2B marketing, Bop Design creates holistic marketing plans geared toward lead generation and business development. Bop Design offers services in branding, logo design, website design and development, responsive web design, SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing. http://www.bopdesign.com