5 Creative Ways To Give Back To the Community

Every small business owner knows how important it is to give back to the community. It’s a perfect way to engage with the folks around you, plus it’s great for PR and goes a long way toward securing customer loyalty. But not every business can afford to donate money. The good news is there are plenty of creative ways to give back that don’t cost much at all.

Let’s take a look.

Run a Facebook “like” drive for charity

This one does several things at once.  Not only will it get you more followers on Facebook, but it also promotes your favorite charity at the same time! Announce to your followers that if you reach a certain number of likes, you’ll donate a product or service to a charity.  So, for example, if you’re a restaurant, you might donate food to a homeless shelter or open up to the homeless for an hour or two one day.  Think of the warm and fuzzy PR and how good you’ll feel about helping out!  Make sure to tell the local news about it too.  You want to inspire your fellow business owners to step up and help out!

Organize a volunteer day

Organize a day when your whole team goes to volunteer somewhere.  It could be anything from cleaning up a park for a couple of hours to walking dogs at the animal shelter! A volunteer day is also a great team building activity. Bonding will inevitably take place through a shared experience that makes everyone feel good about themselves and the work they do.

Organize a collection

Have employees collect items to be donated.  It could be a peanut butter drive to donate to a local food pantry (they always need peanut butter) or a backpack and school supply drive in August, or a coat drive in November. Maybe your whole team could sponsor a needy family during the holidays and each sign up to purchase an item from their wish list. This is also a great way to involve the friends and family members of your employees who’ll probably reach out to them for donations.

Be on the board of a non-profit

What a great way to donate your time while networking with local people who share your values and interests! Serving on a board can also help you practice your leadership skills in a different context, and it can help you build your reputation as an upstanding citizen in the community.

Start a rumble

Invite other businesses your size to compete with you in a donations race to see who can raise the most money.  Imagine the good-natured smack talking that can take place amongst the participating businesses on Facebook and Twitter! Plus, it’s a great way to cross promote and get to know other business owners in your area.

These are only a few simple ideas that don’t take a ton of resources to pull off, but the benefits can be huge—especially in the way it makes you feel!  It’s just good business.

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