September 25, 2023

8 Ways to Give Back as a Business

National Philanthropy Day is coming up, so we’re bringing you ideas to give back and feel good on a company level. Why? Well, giving back is good for the soul, but it also shows your clients, customers, and employees how your company values community and prioritizes charitable efforts.

Encourage Volunteering

Encourage your employees to volunteer for causes that matter to them. Track their time and allow for volunteering during company time. This shows your commitment to company values and can foster more significant connections between employees, especially when they volunteer together. Outfit them in company t-shirts and share photos on social to spread the word and encourage others to give back, too!

Integrate Giving Into Your HR Initiatives

Partnering at a company level with a charitable organization is a great way to make a big impact. Make it easy for employees to support through payroll deductions or demonstrate buy-in from company leadership by encouraging donations through gift matching. Want to take it the extra mile? Host raffle draws for those who donate or send small thank-you gifts with hand-written notes to show appreciation.

Choose Merch with a Purpose

Whether you’re buying swag for a company-wide event or stocking your store with branded merch, choosing products that give back will show your commitment to philanthropic initiatives. Brand ambassadors love knowing that your branded merch is making a difference, which can boost your brand’s reputation as a socially responsible business. We have access to a variety of products that give back, including merch made from sustainable materials, promo that gives 1% back to the planet and swag made from ocean plastic.

Launch a Company Challenge

Company-wide challenges, or even those that encourage buy-in from external brand ambassadors, are a great way to give back en masse and promote values that matter to your business. Food drives, fundraisers, recycling initiatives or walk-a-thons are excellent options and have ample opportunity to gamify the experience. Boost buy-in by outfitting participants with challenge merch or gifting them gadgets to help with their progress—like branded pedometers or notebooks to reflect on the experience.

Explore Sponsorship

Community events are happening constantly, and they need many hands to make it happen. There are many ways to get involved, from donating goods or services to volunteering as a company on the day of. Encourage employees to share news of events in the area to crowd-source ones to get involved with. Before you know it, you’ll have your own schedule of events to support every year.

Get in the Spirit of the Season

Take advantage of seasonal opportunities to give back. From participating in walks and runs in the warmer months, collecting food for your local food bank in the fall, or making it an annual tradition to sponsor a family in need during the holidays.

Go Eco and Give Back to the Earth

When we think about giving back, donating time and money comes first to mind, but there are other ways to give back! As we feel the effects of climate change, we must take care of planet Earth. Start a recycling program to reduce waste, give out coffee mugs and reusable water bottles to discourage single-use drinkware or go paperless for meetings, memos and more.

Give the Gift of Giving Back

Loyalty and rewards programs have huge benefits! They encourage employee engagement, foster brand loyalty, and promote retention. When employees earn enough rewards, they can redeem for an item of their choice...or donate it! Over at Smile.io, employees were given rewards to spend on branded merch with the option to donate some or all of their reward’s monetary value!

Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of running a business is easy, but giving back to the community is imperative.