Employee enthusiasm and commitment to your company’s charitable initiatives is critical to achieving your philanthropic goals. Together, your team has the power to make a substantial impact within your community. Leverage these four strategies to boost employee participation in your corporate philanthropy programs and effect positive change:
1. Find out what interests your employees
Your employees are most likely to take part in opportunities that align with their interests and goals. Whether it’s by survey, focus group, or informal conversations, ask your employees what philanthropic initiatives and programs would excite them the most. Upon seeing that their input was implemented, they will not only feel valued, but they will also feel a greater sense of ownership over the opportunity. Your employees will be motivated to join the company’s efforts and they will be more likely to continue their participation.
2. Provide options
As you will find when speaking with your employees, every member of your company has unique wants and needs. Some employees may be excited to participate in team volunteer days where they can connect with their coworkers while making an impact. Others who are more reserved or have busier schedules may prefer participating in a matching gift program. By offering a few options, employees will be able to choose the opportunity that best suits them rather than opting out because they don’t connect with your programs.
3. Give reminders
Employees are often told about a company’s philanthropic efforts during onboarding when they are being bombarded with information regarding important topics such as training, policies, and benefits. During this time it’s easy for employees to overlook your corporate philanthropy initiatives. To ensure your employees know what programs you have, regularly share ways to get involved in your efforts via social media, email, or posters in the office. Tied up in their busy lives, your employees may also simply forget to submit their volunteer hours or matching gift requests. Send simple reminders to submit hours and requests before the deadline to ensure that their efforts are being maximized.
4. Acknowledge employees’ participation and impact
People love to be recognized for their positive actions. Celebrate employees who join in your philanthropic efforts. At company events, pass out awards for those who showed the most engagement and/or had the greatest impact. On your website, social media, or newsletters, highlight employees who have taken part in your philanthropic programs. Be sure to share the overall impact of your employees’ efforts. At the end of the year, create an impact report that contains the number of volunteer hours completed and the amount of funds donated. Include stories from your nonprofit partners so employees can see how their donations were used and the positive change that they made.
Interested in discovering how your company can partner with Almora Advisors to improve your corporate philanthropy strategy? Contact michelle@almoraadvisors.com to learn more.