Businesses large and small are in a unique position to leverage their resources to make a positive impact in their communities. And studies show your workforce wants the opportunity to get involved. From social causes to volunteering at a local food bank, there are countless opportunities at all levels to make a difference. So, how can you be sure you’re picking the right one?
Here are three tips to help begin the process of selecting a charitable organization for your company.
Make it personal
The best way to encourage your workforce to rally around a cause is to make it personal. People want to support charities that are important to them and will be more enthusiastic about participating in volunteer opportunities or fund raising events when they truly believe in the cause.
Give your workforce a voice to help ensure you’re considering charities that are meaningful to the company. Ask for suggestions from employees and have a process to evaluate each. Then, put it up to a vote.
Be sure to lay out a few parameters for your employees to consider when submitting ideas for how to get involved. Encourage them to think about charities that complement the company mission or that align with your company’s core values. For example, if your company develops education software, you could encourage them to think about charities that support local schools or early childhood development programs that are important to them.
Do your due diligence
While there are many incredible charitable organizations that are truly doing amazing work for their causes, there are also those that are not quite so virtuous. Unfortunately, charity scams are common and many people have fallen victim to unscrupulous organizations that are more interested in turning a quick buck or that have serious operational challenges. Resources like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S. or the Little Black Book of Scams in Canada, which produced by the RCMP, can be useful when vetting charities.
The FTC provides some great information about some of the warning signs to watch out for, including:
- Refusing to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs, and how donations are used.
- Won’t provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.
- Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.
- Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.
- Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.
- Guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution. By law, you never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.
There are also a variety of online resources you can use to research individual charities, like CharityNavigator.org or CharityWatch.org.
Start small
Take your time getting to know a charitable organization before committing a large amount of resources. From meeting with a charity’s leadership to participating in smaller volunteer events, slowly building a relationship with the organization will allow time to better understand its mission and what kind of impact it actually makes in your community. Once you decide you’ve found the right fit for your company, you can ramp up your involvement and start to build a long-term partnership you and your employees can be proud of.
How do you vet charitable organizations? What kind of involvement do you encourage among your workforce? Let us know in the comments section below.
Refresh Leadership is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
No comments yet.