You are probably familiar with the research that shows volunteering and service improves individual health, but did you know it is also good for the health of your business? Eighty-five percent of consumers say they like supporting businesses that support causes they care about. Giving to your community provides your company with unique opportunities to strengthen your place in the market, and it also impacts employee engagement and satisfaction. Let’s take a closer look at the why a culture of service and volunteering helps your business.
Choose Where to Lend Your Support Wisely
Before you begin any sort of social responsibility initiative, it is critical to understand the importance of authenticity. Don’t just toss support behind a cause that happens to be getting a lot of media attention. Authenticity matters when it comes to service. In some cases, it makes sense to align your support behind the business you run. If your tech company makes an app that lets owners track their pets, for example, it would make sense to support animal rescue groups. However, it doesn’t always have to align too closely. Organizations like food pantries, homeless outreach, disaster support, etc., are causes nearly anyone can get behind. Just make sure the organizations you do support have missions that align with your company values.
How a Service Culture Impacts Your Business
There are several ways a culture of volunteering and service has a direct impact on your bottom line, including:
- Visibility: When a business gives to the community, the media takes notice. The coverage you get through news outlets and social media are invaluable free publicity, and they also draw attention to the organization you’re supporting.
- Improved customer relationships: When your employees are volunteering alongside other members of the community, people will take notice. They’ll want to learn more about your business and will be more inclined to support you with their dollars.
- Strengthens your local community: Investing in local organizations means you’re investing in local infrastructure. Members of the community will remember your presence as their buying power and position in society increases.
- Strengthens awareness of your values: When you associate with organizations that give back, you reinforce your values as a company and increase people’s awareness of your brand.
Finally, adopting a culture of service and volunteering will help improve your relationships with your employees. People want to work for companies that care about more than just profits. When they know your business cares about making an impact in the community, it increases morale and engagement.
A Service Culture Helps You Recruit
Millennials are more interested in corporate social responsibility than any previous generation, and when you establish you are a pillar of giving back to the community, it will grab the attention of young talent.
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