Community involvement is more than a branding opportunity for your business. While showcasing your values is never a bad idea, there’s more to the story.
Your employees are also members of the community. Their sense of how your company gives back to that community can affect their engagement levels at work. Companies that are heavily involved in their communities have high levels of employee engagement.
Why is that? Because employees want their work to be aligned with the things they value. When your company makes an effort to improve where they live and work, they see that.
The good news is, there are many ways for your company — and its employees — to get involved. Take a look at the following ideas to jumpstart your company’s local involvement:
1. Institute volunteering days.
Many local organizations need manpower just as much, if not more, than monetary donations. Volunteering takes time: That’s why employees would probably appreciate a day off centered around volunteering.
One way to make this happen is to give employees paid time off to volunteer. Let them choose the day and organization. Link employees to local opportunities they are interested in.
Another way to do it is to volunteer as a team. In this case, you’d get your team together to figure out what organization to serve. After reaching out to the organization, you’d all take the day off together. Not only can this scale your contribution, but it acts as an opportunity for your team members to build stronger social bonds.
The key to company volunteering is that it’s ongoing. Continue to reach out to organizations in need. Build service into your company calendar on a monthly basis. Volunteering isn’t just an investment in the organizations you’re helping; it’s also an investment in your employees.
2. Sign up for sponsorships.
Another great way for a company to get involved in its community is by sponsoring philanthropic events or programs. People call companies for these kinds of opportunities all the time.
Don’t ignore them. Better yet, go the extra mile and seek out initiatives to sponsor. Common opportunities include:
- A charity race, such as a marathon or triathlon
- An annual festival that is a staple of your community
- A local art gallery
- A library or nonprofit bookshop
- A local school’s theater production
- An afterschool program for kids
- A sporting event
Look around: The opportunities are endless. And if you’re not in a position to donate money, you could always offer to do pro bono work. You could provide free samples of your product. This way, you’ve both marketed your company and helped make an event possible.
3. Organize your own local event.
Although other organizations would appreciate your help, why not throw your own community event? It could be something educational or artistic. It might be something purely fun, such as a block party with food vendors and performers. You could even get other companies in your network involved.
The key to event planning is to know who will attend. That knowledge allows you to tailor your event to the audience you expect. And while it might be appropriate to organize an event that directly correlates to what your company does, don’t feel limited. Planning something with a wider appeal is a great way to get attention for your company.
Encourage employees to help you plan the event. Those who do will get to witness their community impact firsthand.
4. Invite students for a company visit.
The students in your community can benefit from engaging with your company. Bringing them in for a field trip can be inspiring, while giving your team a sense of gratification.
Reach out to local schools. Let them know what you could teach young people. For younger children, you could discuss what your business does and show off product concepts.
For secondary students, talk through your industry as a possible career path. You could pair employees up with students and have them discuss what they do. What does the work look like? What difference does it make? How can they follow in your team’s footsteps?
Another option is young adults. Bring college students in to talk through internship opportunities. Work with local colleges to offer course credit for the work they do. Put students who might not be a perfect fit for you in touch with other companies in your network.
Contributing to your community boosts your company’s image within your community. Your employees will see that, and they’ll feel all the better about their role within it.
