How Businesses Can Include Philanthropy in Their Culture
Although running a business is all about making money, it’s always of the utmost importance that we give back in any way we can. In fact, a number of cultures and religions are formed upon the basis of giving and other charitable practices. For instance, Muslims are required to give Sadaqah, Christians often donate to the church on a regular basis, and Jews follow the concept of Tzedakah. As a result, businesses are commonly comprised of individuals who all feel some obligation to give to charity, and detailed below are just some of the ways in which businesses can include philanthropy in their culture.
Promote the Donation of Clothes and Electronics
To begin with, businesses might employ practices that encourage their employees to donate their used clothes and electronics to charity. This should be more than simply saying that it would be good if they could donate their clothes and electronics. Instead, there should be some kind of incentive that makes the donation through work worth their while. For instance, a certain number of donations through work might provide employees with the opportunity to earn a reward. These rewards could be financial, but they don’t have to be; you might consider asking what your employees would be keen to receive.
Cover Employee Donations
Financial bonuses are always appreciated by employees. As well as having employees work towards a bonus for themselves, you might also give them the option to donate to a charity of their choice on top of this. This would involve the employee selecting a charity and the business covering the cost of a donation in the employee’s name. As a result, even if the employee isn’t in the most financially secure place, they can still feel as though they’ve made a difference to a cause that they care deeply about.
Endorse Ethical Labor Practices
The saying “charity starts at home” couldn’t be truer in this instance. As an employer, you can start by including philanthropy in your culture by ensuring your employees are paid fairly. This means that they’re incentivized well for the work that they put in rather than having to stretch a minimum salary. Not only does this help you include philanthropy in your culture, but it also allows you to show employees their worth, which also contributes to your employee retention rates. Ethical labor practices need to be at the center of any philanthropical workplace culture.
Create Team-Building Volunteering Products
Volunteering is so important that getting the whole team involved is crucial. Therefore, you might consider starting a volunteer job as a team. This might include building a house, helping a school, or anything else that could benefit the society. Not only will this allow the company to make a positive difference to the community, but it will bring the team together as it does so. What’s more, it allows you to establish your business as a valuable part of the community, further contributing to the philanthropy of your work culture.
Offer Volunteer Time Off
Last but not least, giving your employees the opportunity to still earn money while volunteering their time elsewhere allows you to make a huge difference to the community. The main reason that people don’t volunteer more is that they don’t have the financial capability to take time off work. By allowing employees paid time off to volunteer, you can help combat this shortage of volunteers. This way, your business will be taking social responsibility and encouraging its employees to do the same. By clubbing together in this way, a huge difference could be made.
