I recently added headers at the top of my website pages and just about each header is a question…to get the reader to think or go “hmmm”. If you are a company that gives back to your community, ask yourself, “What does my giving STAND for?” If you can answer this firmly without having to think about it, good for you! If you had to pause and can’t readily let an answer roll off your tongue, you need focus.
Most companies I work with, and I work mostly with small to medium sized companies, do not have a focus for their giving. It generally comes down to giving a little to a lot and it’s all across the giving spectrum. I’ve even seen it --- first come-first serve and when they money is gone, that’s it for the year! Ugh!!! While giving this way seems easier and you like giving to a lot of causes…it may sound like a good thing to do, but it doesn’t convey a clear message or differentiate your company from a competitor.
It’s obvious, your company overall has a mission statement that drives what and why you do what you do everyday. For example, mine is “To inspire others to improve giving to improve lives”. So too, your company’s giving program should have a mission statement that drives what you give to and how you give.
There are several benefits to having a mission statement for your giving program.
These are just some of the benefits. So, if your company giving program does not have a mission statement… draft one. Bounce it off employees or better yet, have them be a part of creating it. Post it on your website and add it to your materials. Use it as the focus for making all giving decisions. I promise, this will help you make a difference.
Remember, it’s not how much money you can give. That is not the measure of success for giving. It’s how you make an impact with what you give.
Boost Your Brand by Giving Back
Did you know that customers/clients have a more positive image of businesses that support causes? It's based on solid studies and it's not just for Fortune 500 companies. Any business of any size can have successes for their brand by giving back.
Focusing Your Business Giving Creates Long Term Impact
Business directly benefit when their charitable giving is focused. By focusing your giving on those issues that align with your long term business interests and values, you experience the depth rather than the breadth of giving back. This leads to savings for your company, impact for causes and growth in private-social partnerships.
Evaluating Your Company's Philanthropy Improves Business Giving
To improve your business's giving implies that you must track, monitor and evaluate your charitable donations and sponsorships. The process doesn't have to a big undertaking. Here are a few simple steps you can use.
