This post will show you why your company should join in and find a way to participate in local programs to benefit its community, and to discover where the ROI lies.
Work with a Non-Profit
Donating your services, money, team members, manpower or time is a great way for businesses to get their names out in the community in an organic way. Helping your business gain visibility and also building a relationship with a non-profit is a great business decision... plus, it's two birds, one stone!
Volunteer
The easiest to organize and potentially your cheapest option for community outreach is definitely volunteering. Organize a company-wide beach cleanup, serve food at a local homeless shelter, work with underprivileged kids during the holidays (or any time of year), or do some research and find out what your local community really needs the most help with and start there.
Design a Business Model that Gives Back
Talk with your management or leadership team about donating a portion of the proceeds you earn each month (or during particular months, like the holidays) to a local charity your employees align with. You can even add something to your website or on the invoices you send out that notify customers where the proceeds are going. This way, your customers can be aware that some of their payment is going back to a good cause, and shows your company is ethically and morally responsible.
Team Up With Another Business
Building trusted partnerships and helping the community creates a natural, genuine experience for everyone involved. Maybe you host a free event every summer, or team up to sponsor a popular local event so everyone can benefit from some positive brand exposure. There's always power in numbers, right? Your business will gain far more by teaming up with another local business than you would by going at it alone.
Get Customers Involved, Too
You never know who community service may touch in any particular way. It's very likely that some of your customers are aligned with a particular non-profit organization, or have been wanting to get involved with one. By simply sharing (perhaps in your company newsletter) what community service activities your business is doing, you're opening the door for customers to get involved if they feel pulled to. Often times, all people need is a slight push in a direction and they'll jump at the chance to get involved in their community.
