4 Top Stress Relief Strategies for Your Nonprofit Staff
Without engaged staff members, your nonprofit would have a harder time working toward its mission. Learn the top stress relief tips to keep staff members happy.
Guest post by MassageBook
As nonprofits often have limited budgets, staff members may need to wear many hats and fulfill various responsibilities, from human resources to donor management to event planning. However, juggling multiple roles can be extremely stressful for staff members, potentially leading to disengagement, burnout, and turnover.
Staff members are the silent heroes of your organization—much like you need donors to fund your mission, you need staff members to help you acquire those donors and allocate resources to further your cause. That’s why it’s crucial to help your staff members manage their stress levels.
In this guide, we’ll outline four top stress relief strategies you can use to create a better working environment, increase employee engagement, and ultimately see greater success for your nonprofit. Let’s get started!
1. Encourage mindfulness.
The word “mindfulness” usually conjures up images of yoga, but it actually refers to the practice of self-awareness, or remaining in tune with what you’re sensing and feeling physically, mentally, and spiritually. The first step to reducing stress is recognizing that it exists, and mindfulness provides a way to do that.
Although it’s easy to get engrossed in work, encourage staff members to check in with themselves every hour or so. At this point, they should stop working and assess how they feel. You might also take a leaf from the books of doctors and massage therapists and advise team members to take notes on their stress symptoms. That way, they’ll be able to identify patterns for when they feel most stressed and work toward mitigating those circumstances.
For example, a team member may experience a pounding headache every single day during work. This constant pain may lead them to form a negative opinion of their job and even dread going to work. With mindful check-ins, the team member might realize that they frequently feel thirsty, helping them recognize that the source of their headache is dehydration rather than stress. They can then resolve this issue by drinking more water, which results in them feeling much better and increasing their productivity.
2. Allow flexibility.
Another way you can help nonprofit staff members relieve stress is to give them more flexibility in their work. Here are a few ways to add flexibility for team members:
Breaks. Allow your nonprofit’s staff members to take short breaks to help them stay fresh with their work—after all, employees who take short breaks are about 9% more productive than those who do not. For example, you might allow them to go for a 10-minute walk every few hours.
Sick leave. Many organizations only offer paid time off (PTO), which employees use up if they want to go on vacation or if they’re sick. Instead, offer dedicated sick time. That way, team members won’t feel stressed about using up their PTO when they’re ill, allowing them to rest, recover, and come back feeling ready to work.
Flexible start. Instead of requiring employees to start work at a specific time every day, allow them to begin work at a time that best suits their schedule. For instance, you might require that all employees work 8 hours, starting between 6 AM and 9 AM.
Remote or hybrid work. For nonprofits willing to make a more drastic change to improve employee morale, consider allowing remote or hybrid work. These work models increase flexibility by allowing employees to save time on their commutes by working at home or another location of their choosing.
With greater flexibility, your nonprofit’s team members will be able to achieve a better work-life balance, which will greatly reduce the stress they feel and increase their satisfaction with their role.
3. Use software to reduce workload.
With 39% of workers citing workload as the cause of their workplace stress, relieving staff members’ stress may require you to reduce their workload. However, as a nonprofit, your budget may not be able to accommodate hiring new employees to reduce the workload on current team members. So what can you do?
Just as massage businesses might purchase appointment management software to streamline their operations, your nonprofit can also purchase software that will make your employees’ lives easier. Here are a few tech tools to consider:
Nonprofit CRM. A constituent relationship management system (CRM) stores information about your nonprofit’s donors in one centralized database. It will also help you identify giving trends and leverage insights to increase the likelihood of receiving future donations.
Fundraising platforms. With a fundraising platform, you can create customizable donation forms, accept recurring donations, organize crowdfunding and peer-to-peer campaigns, and more. Through these solutions, you’ll empower team members to fundraise more efficiently and effectively without increasing their workload.
Marketing and communications tools. According to MassageBook, the right marketing tool will streamline your communications and help you acquire new constituents. Look for a robust solution that automates your outreach efforts, including thank-you messages, weekly newsletters, social media posts, and more. You should be able to segment supporters into groups to send more targeted messages.
Volunteer management software. If your nonprofit relies on volunteers to help out, consider investing in a tool that allows you to streamline managing your volunteers. The right solution will empower you to recruit, onboard, train, schedule, and evaluate your volunteers to ensure that you get the help you need.
As you look into software solutions, be sure to follow all the steps for investing in software laid out by your organization. Be thorough with your research—create lists of tools that would best aid your processes, read reviews from existing clients, and book demos with providers. During your demo meeting, ask any questions you have about the software.
Although it may require a lot of effort to find a tool that works for you, the benefits you reap from reducing your employees’ workflow will be well worth it.
4. Foster a positive workplace culture.
Our final stress relief strategy for nonprofit staff members is to foster a positive workplace culture. You can do this in various ways, but the two main ways are to ensure that employees feel supported in their roles and to recognize the great work that they do.
To provide team members with the support they need, make sure that they know they always have resources to turn to if they have any questions. For instance, you can encourage managers to schedule weekly meetings with their direct reports. This allows them to check in on the employee’s work regularly and allows the employee to bring up questions or concerns they may have. When employees feel supported, they’ll feel less stressed about mistakes and their workload.
In terms of employee recognition, Double the Donation recommends establishing a recognition program. With a formal process, you’ll ensure that all employees are properly commended for their hard work and contributions, fostering a positive work environment where team members are motivated to do their best. You may also pair your recognition with little gifts, such as branded merchandise, gift cards, tickets to special events, and more.
Less stressed, more engaged, and happier nonprofit staff members are more motivated to work hard to further your nonprofit’s mission. Regardless of whether they work in fundraising, marketing, or volunteer management, your team members deserve a great work environment that keeps them excited to come back, day after day.
The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.
How Hybrid Work Models Are Impacting Nonprofit Organizations
Explore the impact of hybrid work on nonprofit organizations, uncovering opportunities and challenges. We’ll also cover some strategies for hybrid work success.
Guest post by Jill Krumholz, Managing Partner at RealHR
In the rapidly evolving work landscape, hybrid work has become an increasingly popular option for companies seeking to retain elements of the traditional workplace while incorporating the flexibility and adaptability of remote work that many workers and employers have come to expect over the past several years.
The hybrid model requires any business to rethink everything from floor plans to budgets to management styles, but hybrid work offers mission-driven organizations particularly unique opportunities and challenges.
The Shift to Hybrid Work
Like many organizations, nonprofits have undergone a transformative shift in organizing their workplaces and workforces. Technological developments had begun to drive an increase in remote work even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, over the last several years, necessity has accelerated that shift and forced employers to embrace creative, often personalized solutions to the issues of where and when people get their work done.
This was a bumpy road for many, but as systems were developed and technologies improved, employers and employees realized that workplaces could be designed to allow for greater flexibility and accommodate employee needs without compromising productivity.
In light of the easing pandemic restrictions, many nonprofits are contemplating a “new normal.” Many seek to revert to the traditional on-site setup while still embracing the advantages of remote work, benefiting both employees and employers. The hybrid work model aims to blend on-site and remote workdays, offering flexibility while nurturing teamwork and structure found in shared physical workspaces. This new model brings benefits, opportunities, and challenges to nonprofit organizations.
Positive Impacts of Hybrid Work on Nonprofits
Employee Satisfaction and Retention
Offering flexibility in work arrangements positively impacts employee satisfaction and retention rates, which in turn affect a nonprofit’s ability to deliver its mission. Hybrid work can allow nonprofit employees to better balance their professional and personal lives and resolve conflicts between work and other priorities. At the same time, requiring a degree of in-office time can help resolve issues of disengagement, burnout, and isolation that some fully remote workers grapple with. Hybrid work also allows nonprofits to prioritize the well-being of their staff to create a more loyal and engaged workforce; in addition, it’s a lower-cost benefit that budget-limited organizations can use to attract new talent.
Access to a Broader Talent Pool
Geographic constraints are diminished in a hybrid work environment, enabling nonprofits to tap into a more diverse talent pool and reach passionate potential team members across a wider geographic area.
While fully remote jobs offer the greatest flexibility in this respect, hybrid jobs that only require employees to commute once or twice a week can appeal to candidates who live outside a daily commuting distance. This increased access to skilled individuals can enhance the organization's capabilities and effectiveness.
Cost Savings and Resource Allocation
The hybrid model brings about cost efficiencies for nonprofits by reducing office space and facility expenses.
Perhaps your organization only requires employees to come in for weekly meetings or collaborative working sessions; in that case, permanent individual offices or cubicles can be replaced with meeting spaces or open-plan work areas.
These savings can be redirected toward supporting the organization's core mission and programs. Additionally, the flexibility of hybrid work as a lower-cost, high-impact benefit is an asset to budget-conscious nonprofits who prioritize employees through thoughtful, effective compensation and benefits.
Challenges for Nonprofits in the Hybrid Work Model
Maintaining Organizational Culture
Nonprofits often thrive on a strong sense of community and shared values. Maintaining this culture becomes challenging in a remote or hybrid work setting with limited physical interactions. While some roles readily lend themselves to remote work, others inherently require a physical presence, such as those involving direct community engagement or constituent services.
This may result in closer relationships within particular groups of employees, and care should be taken to prevent an us-and-them mentality from developing. Team building is an ongoing process for organizations with these kinds of splits. Time spent on-site should be used for bonding and working to keep staff on the same page, invested in each other and the organization. Maintaining culture is a large and important task with which managers, and even leadership, may need guidance.
Furthermore, the dichotomy between on-site, remote, or hybrid jobs amplifies the need for nuanced policies and practices tailored to different positions within an organization. An experienced HR consulting firm can assist in creating successful hybrid work strategies and supporting their implementation.
Communication and Collaboration Challenges
Effective communication becomes more crucial than ever in a hybrid work model—for the creation of a strong culture but also for doing the work of the organization itself.
Nonprofits must find innovative ways to foster collaboration and ensure that team members remain connected and engaged. This exciting challenge can drive organizational growth, but it also requires real effort and adaptability on the part of leadership and management. Striking a balance between enough communication and excessive meetings, messages, and touchpoints will take ongoing attention from management and a collaborative spirit throughout the organization.
Technology Gaps and Security Concerns
Nonprofits need to invest in robust technology infrastructure to support remote work. While remote-collaborative technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the past several years, work styles must still be adapted to these new platforms, and the learning curves and support needs of employees adopting new systems will vary.
Additionally, cybersecurity becomes a critical consideration to protect sensitive donor data and maintain the integrity of operations. IT departments must step up as critical partners to other teams across their organization, not only in developing and implementing nonprofits’ technology strategies but in providing timely, appropriate assistance to employees in and out of the office.
4 Strategies for Optimizing Hybrid Work in Nonprofits
To make the most of the hybrid work model, nonprofits can focus on the following strategies:
Implementing effective communication models. Utilize a combination of virtual communication tools to facilitate seamless collaboration and maintain open lines of communication.
Investing in technology and training. Prioritize technology investments and provide training to ensure that employees are equipped with the skills needed for successful remote work.
Prioritizing mental health and well-being. Incorporate initiatives that prioritize mental health, such as virtual wellness programs and flexible schedules, to support the overall well-being of nonprofit staff.
Balancing remote and in-person collaboration. Strive for a balance between remote work and in-person collaboration, recognizing the importance of face-to-face interactions for team cohesion.
The impact of hybrid work on nonprofit organizations is multifaceted, bringing both opportunities and challenges.
Successfully adopting a hybrid work model at your nonprofit may unearth areas for improvement or gaps in knowledge or strategy, posing challenges and opportunities for growth and innovation. By continuously evaluating and refining their approaches, nonprofit organizations can harness the benefits of hybrid work to further their missions and create lasting social impact.
Jill Krumholz, Managing Partner
Jill brings to RealHR Solutions experience as a business owner, executive search consultant and corporate HR professional. Throughout her career, she has had the ability to build strong relationships, identify client needs and help company’s find solutions. As a search professional she used these strengths to source and identify talent. Before joining RealHR, Jill was a Principal at Charleston Partners, a global executive search and talent advisory firm for Fortune 500 companies. She was also a Partner at Hayden Resource and previously founded her own search firm. Her prior HR experience includes retail and healthcare industry HR and operations. management positions. Jill holds a Masters in Industrial Social Work from Fordham University and a B.A. from CUNY City College. She is currently an active member of The Society of Human Resources Management nationally and locally.
The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.
Corporate Philanthropy: What Your Business Needs to Know
Discover how your business can leverage corporate philanthropy to increase employee engagement, secure customer loyalty, and positively promote your brand.
With social activism and ethical business practices taking center stage in national conversations, it makes sense that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy programs are on the rise. Instead of just selling valuable products and services, your business is now expected to take an active role in social causes.
In fact, according to a Cone Communications study on CSR, 63% of Americans hope businesses will take charge in driving social and environmental change in the absence of government regulation. Corporate philanthropy is increasingly becoming less of a “nice-to-have” offering and more of a “must-have” element for businesses to keep up with consumer desires.
But while your organization may be facing pressure to implement these programs, you don’t have to view them as a burden. In fact, if implemented correctly, your corporate philanthropy programs can be a driving force for customer loyalty, cause marketing, brand awareness, and employee engagement.
This guide will provide a roadmap for marketing managers, community giving managers, and HR professionals taking the dive into the world of corporate philanthropy. You’ll not only learn what corporate philanthropy is and its different types, but how to start a successful CSR program of your own by going over the key essentials of CSR, including:
No matter your business’s products or services, these strategies should help you take action and launch your own robust corporate philanthropy program. Let’s get started with a brief overview of what corporate philanthropy is and what it might look like for your business!
What is Corporate Philanthropy?
Corporate philanthropy is the voluntary actions that businesses take to improve their impact on the environment, their communities, and society at large. These programs have become incredibly popular in the business sector, with over $21 billion in corporate gifts given to nonprofits last year alone.
This may seem like a hefty investment to please your customers, but the benefits of corporate philanthropy go far beyond presenting a positive image for your business.
For instance, corporate philanthropy can provide an essential boost to your employee engagement rates. Over 71% of employees say it is imperative or very important to work at a business where the culture supports giving and volunteering.
This statistic might seem surprising if your idea of corporate philanthropy is just cutting a check to a local charity. For many people, the first idea that comes to mind when thinking of philanthropy is a cash donation. But there are a variety of different corporate giving programs that provide aid to nonprofits in different ways—which we’ll later discuss in more depth.
How Corporate Philanthropy Benefits Businesses
You may wonder if the cost of investing in corporate philanthropy is worth the benefits. After all, every single one of the corporate philanthropy programs we’ve discussed, with the exception of in-kind donations, involves donating money to an organization without necessarily receiving anything tangible in exchange.
So, how can corporate philanthropy strengthen your business and earn back its return on investment?
In addition to providing crucial support to worthy causes in your community, corporate philanthropy offers businesses many advantages such as:
Increased employee engagement. As mentioned earlier, corporate philanthropy can significantly improve employee engagement and retention rates. This Re:Charity report on corporate giving shows that employees who engage in corporate giving programs tend to have 75% longer tenures with their employers. The message is clear: your employees want to be a part of a business that improves their communities and creates change beyond the walls of their office. Your corporate philanthropy programs aren’t just for public vanity—they can and do create real, positive changes in your work environment’s quality and overall team member satisfaction.
Better engagement with customers. In an age when mass media is instantly available at everyone’s fingertips, customers have become increasingly mindful of the companies they support through their purchases. As quickly as bad news about a company will spread, good news about your company’s involvement in charitable causes will also reach customers. In fact, 87% of customers will purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they care about.
A marketing and reputation boost. When you partner with nonprofits and other charitable organizations, you can expand your marketing reach. These joint efforts, such as charitable events or fundraisers, expose both of your organizations to audiences that may have otherwise been difficult to reach. Additionally, these activities can lead community members to view your organization as a philanthropically-minded force for good. For example, this America’s Charities workplace giving survey shows that 69% of respondents reported increased sales after launching CSR programs.
Creating an effective cooperative giving program may require a bit of investment, but it will more than make up for the initial planning and donations required to keep these initiatives running.
For example, Six Flags North America has used its corporate philanthropy program to engage employees, partner with community leaders, and create a sense of customer loyalty that will last a lifetime. From its Project 6 program to its Make-a-Wish sponsorship, Six Flags has leveraged the power of in-kind donations to share thrilling theme park experiences with children and community members in need, cementing itself as a pillar of social good in its communities.
Types of Corporate Philanthropy
Corporate philanthropy programs can vary widely depending on a business’s industry and community engagement goals. Just as each business’s day-to-day operations, products, and services are different, every corporate philanthropy program will work differently.
That being said, there are several common corporate philanthropy initiatives, including:
Monetary Donations
DIRECT MONETARY DONATIONS
Direct monetary donations, sometimes structured as grants, are payments that your organization makes to nonprofits. This is one of the most common and straightforward forms of corporate philanthropy.
Direction donations can be as simple as writing a check to a charity. Alternatively, you could partner to contribute a portion of your sales during a given time period to a designated nonprofit or host an ongoing donation drive.
MATCHING GIFTS
Matching gifts are donations that businesses make to match their employee’s monetary contributions to charitable causes. This allows you to engage your employees on a one-on-one basis, showing support and giving to organizations that each of them finds personally important.
The process of actually facilitating these matching gifts is usually a shared, online exchange between your matching gift system and the nonprofit’s matching gift database software, where:
Your employee logs into the nonprofit’s donation page to submit their gift.
Employees search for your company’s matching gift form through the matching gift database embedded in the donation page.
Employees can automatically submit a request for you to match their donation.
The ratio and maximum amount of these matches vary for each organization. For example, many businesses offer 1:1 matches, but some provide 2:1 or even 3:1 matches.
However you go about setting up your match ratio or your matching gift form, just be sure to make sure that employees know about the program!
SPONSORSHIPS
Corporate sponsorships are a form of corporate philanthropy where your business supports a nonprofit during an event or specific fundraising effort.
This time-based type of philanthropy is flexible and can be mixed and matched with other philanthropic initiatives, such as a holiday direct donation campaign, to build up a more concentrated wave of support. Consider implementing sponsorships into your current corporate philanthropy program to complement and enhance your other campaigns.
In-Kind Donations
IN-KIND DONATIONS
In-kind donations are the donation of goods, experiences, or services rather than money.
For example, DonationMatch has helped many product-based businesses donate their extra inventory and product samples to charity events, turning unnecessary overhead into a marketing opportunity.
On the nonprofit side of the engagement, these charitable organizations are able to get in touch with businesses and immediately receive valuable or otherwise unattainable items that can be put directly towards fundraising for their mission.
Even businesses that don’t sell physical products, such as the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, have been able to participate in in-kind giving by donating tours, tickets, and valuable experiences to local community programs.
SPONSORSHIPS
As we mentioned, corporate sponsorships involve your business offering support to a nonprofit during a specific event, campaign, or project. For instance, you might donate dining gift certificates to be put up for bid at a charity auction or send employee volunteers to help facilitate a 5K.
Corporate sponsorships intersect with several other types of corporate philanthropy. For example, donating those auctionable gift certificates would count as both a sponsorship and an in-kind donation program.
You can pair corporate sponsorships with all of the other types of corporate philanthropy on this list to create a concentrated, time-sensitive campaign that will bring attention to your philanthropic efforts.
talent donations
VOLUNTEER GRANTS
Volunteer grants are contributions that employers make to nonprofits that their employees have volunteered with for a specific amount of time.
Volunteer grants, volunteer grant funds, or dollars for doers programs are a particularly effective way to engage your employees, rewarding them for actively helping charitable missions.
No matter the most compatible corporate philanthropy program, be sure to choose one or two well-suited nonprofits with which to create ongoing partnerships. As you learn more about your nonprofit partners, you can understand what types of donations and giving initiatives are most helpful for them.
Additionally, partner with charitable causes that align with your business’s mission or sector. Doing so will help create a more consistent, positive public reception of your brand. Before getting started, be sure that your business has the right tools to find the best nonprofits for your philanthropic partnership.
5 Steps to Create a Corporate Philanthropy Program
Launching your own corporate philanthropy program can be difficult without a bit of guidance. The DonationMatch team has had years of experience organizing and facilitating in-kind corporate philanthropy initiatives for businesses, and with these fundamental strategies, you should be well on your way to starting your own program:
1. Establish your goals.
Before you decide what type of corporate philanthropy program to pursue, you need to establish your CSR campaign goals. Think about what you’re hoping to gain from your campaigns, such as increased employee engagement or a reputational boost. Only then can you really begin to build out your corporate philanthropy program.
Here’s how you should walk through the goal-setting process:
Determine target benefits. What are you looking for in your CSR program—employee engagement? Brand exposure through cause marketing?
Assess CSR strategy’s compatibility with your business. How does the giving program you’re considering help you achieve the goals in step 1? Are there other types of corporate philanthropy that might be more beneficial for your target goals?
Establish specific return on investment markers. In other words, figure out what specific key performance indicators (KPIs) you can measure to assess whether your program is doing well. We’ll touch more on this later.
For example, if your main goal is to create a more active and more public partnership of giving between your business and community organizations, then an in-kind donation program may be the best fit for you. By contrast, if you want to improve employee engagement, then a matching gifts or volunteer grant program may provide better results.
2. Gather the necessary technology.
Gathering the right tools is a must for building your corporate philanthropy program. While smaller businesses may be able to run a rudimentary corporate giving program through manual means, CSR software tools can optimize your campaigns and maximize their effectiveness.
To ensure that your program will run smoothly, reach the widest possible audience, and facilitate relationships with the right nonprofits, invest in these software solutions:
In-kind donation portal. There are thousands of charitable organizations and nonprofits that are eager for your donations. However, qualifying and choosing organizations that are well-suited for your program is a far greater challenge. Fortunately, an in-kind donation platform can help. This tool allows you to cut through the clutter and match your business with qualified nonprofits that meet the specific criteria that you’ve entered, which may include location, cause type, and supporter demographics that match your own customers.
Communication platforms. How you communicate with your customers and employees about your philanthropic initiatives can determine your program’s success. For example, a volunteer grant program won’t succeed if no one in your organization is aware that you are offering grants. Leverage communication platforms, such as your email marketing tools and social media strategies, to promote these opportunities.
A tracking and reporting system. Data tracking and data reportage are two of the most fundamental tools necessary for tracking your program’s performance. This data will show you where your program can improve and where you’re doing well. For instance, tracking data for your in-kind giving program will allow you to determine which nonprofit partnerships have been the most rewarding and what products you should continue to allocate to your partners.
Investing in these tools may seem like a costly investment. Fortunately, there are comprehensive platforms that can help you achieve all of these goals.
For example, the DonationMatch platform is able to automate and streamline nearly every step of the in-kind giving process, from partnership matching to facilitating donations and performance tracking.
When you begin searching for your own corporate giving tools, look for effective, turnkey platforms that centralize all of these features into one or two powerful solutions.
3. Connect with nonprofit partners.
Finding nonprofit partners that fit your corporate giving goals can be a challenge.
The number of nonprofits you want to engage will greatly influence the reach and depth of your campaigns.
Here are a few key features you should consider when choosing your nonprofit partner:
Years in operation
Community reach and impact
How their mission aligns with your business
Past corporations they’ve partnered with
What types of programs they might be open to
If a deeper, long-lasting, integrated relationship is desired, take your time to choose the right partner and foster a relationship. If you want to maximize brand visibility and reach, then engaging more organizations with a turnkey program will be more effective. The beauty of these programs is that you can do both. For instance, as we mentioned earlier, Six Flags North America chose to partner with Make a Wish to nurture a robust and highly beneficial relationship over years, yet continues to donate tickets to thousands of charity fundraisers each year.
4. Build excitement around your initiatives.
Your corporate philanthropy programs may serve a practical purpose, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be fun and engaging. In fact, that’s one of their most important benefits!
Stir up excitement amongst your employees and customers by:
Gathering employer and customer feedback
Promoting your initiatives during team gatherings
Creating an employee and/or customer-led corporate philanthropy council
Sharing information about your programs on your company website
This will help to better guarantee that your programs will perform successfully and make the most positive impact!
5. Track your progress.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: data tracking is one of the most fundamental parts of running an effective corporate philanthropy program. How else will you know how to avert failure or repeat the success of past campaigns?
Track the following key statistics to help measure the impact of your program and the level of engagement:
Total contributions annually
Participation rates (such as who took advantage of matching gifts!)
Changes in rates of employee retention and overall satisfaction
Changes in rates of customer retention and overall satisfaction
Changes in sales and net revenue
Changes in sources of new customers
Associated costs, savings, and ROI
Expressed feedback and appreciation for giving programs (through survey responses)
These essential metrics should give you a good starting point, but you’ll want to sit down with your team to decide what data points from your campaigns you should focus on. After all, your own corporate philanthropy is unique, and will have its own unique goals and objectives.
Wrapping Up
Appealing to your customer base, engaging employees, and positively promoting your business are worthwhile goals to strive for. The social changes that have begun to rock the corporate world have only accelerated the rise of corporate social responsibility as a necessary cornerstone of your business practices.
With this guide and the right, intuitive corporate giving tools, take your business one step closer to launching your own effective corporate philanthropy program.
For more information on corporate philanthropy, different CSR programs, and DonationMatch’s solution to corporate philanthropy, check out these additional resources:
Top 3 Things Donating Can Do For Your Business. Take a deeper look into the benefits of corporate giving and how it can generate greater exposure, customer loyalty, and even increased revenue for your company.
Corporate Philanthropy Made Easy — DonationMatch. DonationMatch is dedicated to your corporate philanthropy endeavors. Explore how our turnkey platform has revolutionized the in-kind donation process.
Workplace Giving: Explore Matching Gifts From the Other Side. Employee engagement is a high priority for all corporate philanthropy programs. Dive into tips, tools, and software solutions to initiate your workplace giving campaigns and engage employees.
The Engagement Issue: Rallying Your Employees to Donate
Guest Post By Tiffany Rowe
Consumers love to hear about companies with philanthropic sides, but the headline “Acme Corp. Gives $250k to Charity” rarely turns heads (or encourages clicks) in the new world of social media. Instead, businesses gain more visibility for their deeds when their entire workforce is engaged in doing good. Unfortunately, motivating workers to participate in donation drives or volunteering is easier said than done.
Employee contributions are incredibly beneficial ― not only do they add to a company’s donations but they have been shown to boost productivity and profits through brand image. Here are some strategies to help any business engage its employees in philanthropic efforts.
Make It Understandable
A significant barrier that prevents many charitable organizations from receiving the donations they deserve is a lack of information. If a potential donor doesn’t understand an organization’s aims, it’s unlikely he or she will cough up any cash. The same is true within your company: If your employees don’t fully comprehend the good they can do by donating or volunteering, they probably won’t waste their money or time.
Therefore, it behooves you to educate your workforce on your philanthropic goals. You can contact the organizations you support and request resources, like brochures, to help explain their causes and practices. Alternatively, you can schedule meetings between your teams and representatives of charities, during which your employees can become educated about donation and volunteering opportunities (and perhaps score some sweet swag).
Social media is an incredibly useful tool when it comes to encouraging charitable activity. You can promote workplace donation by urging your employees to visit the social pages of the organizations you support. There, they can learn more about recent activities hosted by the charities as well as upcoming events that might be of interest. UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund have particularly effective social sites, though you might want to support an organization closer to home. As long as your employees understand the goals of your company and your charitable partners, you will find it easier to generate employee good will.
Make It Easy
Even when employees fully grasp the implications of their potential good works, many will not participate because it demands too much effort. For example, food and toy drives require employees to spend time shopping for specific items and bringing those items to work ― or worse, to another location where the charities make collections. Fewer employees will bother engaging with charitable goals when it requires additional time and effort.
Instead, you must make it as easy as possible for your employees to contribute. Online donation opportunities are perhaps the best option because they allow your employees to add money in any amount at any time from any place; therefore, they don’t feel any social stigma for contributing too little, and they can add more whenever they catch the benevolent bug. You might also institute payroll deductions, which automatically takes a donation from your employees’ paychecks every payday, so they can participate in doing good without thinking about it.
If you want your employees to make donations of items as well as cash, you should be flexible regarding the type of gifts you’ll accept. Boat Angel is an excellent corporate partner as it accepts vehicles and vessels in nearly any condition and supports a wide range of charities that your employees can feel good about. You shouldn’t be restrictive of the contributions your employees make if you want them to feel engaged in your good works.
Make It Too Good to Miss
Any remaining employees who refuse to engage with your corporate giving attempts might object with the phrase, “What good does it do me?” Fortunately, you can win these holdouts over by incentivizing employee donations and volunteering in a number of ways to ensure that the activity truly does benefit everyone involved.
Plenty of charities offer gifts and rewards for donations, and you can do the same for your employees. For example, contributions of a certain size might earn workers gift certificates; you might even encourage teamwork by holding a catered lunch once donations reach a particular amount. Likely, such opportunities will ignite your employees’ sense of competition, which could earn you the donations you crave.
For the most part, people enjoy doing good. However, in a corporate setting, you must make it obvious and easy to do the right thing. Once your employees become engaged with your philanthropic goals, you won’t have to try so hard to earn donations; they will come to you ― as will the extra productivity and publicity associated with them.
About the Author: Tiffany Rowe is a marketing administrator who assists in contributing resourceful content throughout the World Wide Web. Tiffany prides herself in her strong ability to provide high quality content that readers will find valuable. She enjoys connecting with other bloggers and collaborating for exclusive content in various niches. Favorite quote: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou