Charity and business are two things that can go hand-in-hand, and if you’re strategic, you can derive a lot of value in terms of marketing and branding from the charity work you do.
There are so many ways to get involved in charities on behalf of your business. For example, maybe you set up a booth at a local event that’s raising money for a charity, or perhaps you partner with a specific charity and donate a portion of certain sales to them. You could also work directly as a volunteer with a local charity and encourage your employees to do the same.
Some of the ways giving back can make good business sense include:
- If you’re working with charities in the local community, then people who might not otherwise know about your business can hear about you through your work. It gives you the chance to get out and about in the community and make your presence and brand known.
- Working with charities and non-profits can expand your network and help you get to know people you might not come in contact with in other situations.
- Your employees will see that you’re interested in giving back, and that’s likely to make them feel more engaged in the workplace. That engagement can translate to improvements in productivity and efficiency. It will also boost your employer brand, so more high-quality candidates will be interested in working for you.
- There are specific financial benefits of giving back—namely, you may be able to lower your tax liability for your business.
- Consumers want to connect with businesses they feel reflect their values and that promote corporate social responsibility. You can showcase your values through the charities and nonprofits you choose to work with.
- Participating in charity events can get you press attention and put your brand in the spotlight in a positive way. It can give you content ideas for social media, and you can do things like writing press releases about any events you’re participating in.
The following are some ideas of events you could host or participate in and specific tips for making charity part of your business.
How Do You Choose a Charity to Work With?
First, before you can start thinking about specific events to participate in, you have to choose the right charity. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin and try to work with too many organizations because then the work you’re doing won’t be as meaningful.
Try to choose one organization that resonates with you or your employees on a personal level.
If somehow there’s a connection with your business, even better.
You want to look for a charity that you’re interested in and that you feel passionate about because that’s going to make it easier to get involved.
From a business standpoint, when you choose an organization to work with, think about your targeted customers. What organizations are most likely to resonate with them?
The most value both personal and for your business is likely to come from long-standing relationships you have with a charitable organization, so keep that in mind. You want your customers to see that you have a long-time connection with your charity work and the organization you’ve chosen to work with.
You do have to go beyond self-promotion, though. Customers are savvy and if they think your charity work is inauthentic it’s going to be a turn-off.
Types of Events
Events are a great way to raise money, get involved in the community and get the word out about the charity you’re working and your business. Some of the events you could consider hosting in conjunction with the nonprofit you work with include:
- Seasonal Festivals: Fall or Halloween festivals or perhaps spring festivals or other seasonally-themed events are a fun way to get people out and to promote both your business and the charity you work with. Even if you don’t set up the entire event, you could co-sponsor it. Events that involve kids can draw a big crowd because parents are often looking for family-friendly things to do, especially on the weekends.
- Donate to a charity. Depending on your business, you could create a special product or service and then donate some or all of that profits from that to the charity. Then, you can advertise the special product or service along with the charitable aspect.
- Have a meal-based fundraiser. You may be able to partner with a restaurant in your local community and host a fundraiser based around a particular meal. This could be anything from a pancake breakfast to a high-end dinner with wine pairings. Whatever fits with your business and the charity is great.
- Have a golf tournament. This can be one of the most labor-intensive types of events, but also one of the most fun for everyone involved.
Marketing Your Charitable Contributions
If you include charity as part of your marketing strategy, you have to be careful how you present it. You want to balance it between using your charity work as a way to promote your business in a positive light and overdoing it to the point that it ends up seeming like it’s not genuine.
Make it natural in the way you market your donations and charity work. For example, include pictures of events or perhaps volunteer work your employees are doing on social media and give updates to your current customers on the progress of your fundraising goals.
The more involved you become with one charity and the more work you do with that group, the more natural the marketing will be.
Perhaps the most important thing to do is take the time to choose the right charity or organization. Do your research and think it through rather than jumping in and then it can be a long-term relationship and ongoing positive marketing and public relations for your business.
If you’re not sure where to start, assess your company values and go from there.
Don’t forget, you can also market your charitable giving using small business SEO. This way, you can reach out to your target audience online and get them interested in what you’re doing, without having to spend a fortune on advertising.
For instance, SEO is a kind of shortcut that you can use to funnel relevant people in your direction. You can use it to talk about your charitable contributions to people who care the most about them. You could even target specific keywords and use these in your posts, blogs and newsletters. While SEO is typically associated with small business strategy, it also works wonders for improving your brand image and associating your company with good causes in the minds of your audience.
