In our last post , we talked about the three T’s of giving and how individuals can optimize their philanthropic efforts by focusing not just on Treasure, but Time and Talent as well. But it’s not just individual givers who benefit from taking a more diverse approach to their charitable giving. Companies can also maximize the impact of workplace giving programs by expanding beyond the usual channels. And focusing on all three areas can help your bottom line since companies that give back see a boost in employee engagement, retention, and productivity.
Treasure
If you have a corporate social responsibility program or annual donation budget, you might think you’re doing enough to give back to your community and keep employees engaged. But involving employees in how and where money is donated can amplify your impact.
Consider innovative approaches to your charitable donations such as allowing employees to convert unused PTO into charitable dollars. You can also convert referral bonuses into donations to an employee’s charity of choice. If your company has an annual giving budget, consider allowing employees to vote on how those funds are distributed.
Pinkaloo can help your company establish a Modern Workplace Giving Program that engages your employees by putting the power in their hands. Whether you want to offer matching funds, PTO conversion, or automatic deposits Pinkaloo can help. Employees will feel empowered to make philanthropy a part of their lives, and your company will gain valuable insights into the causes they care about.
Time
Organizations like United Way have long offered facilitated days of services for corporations but going through an intermediary isn’t the only way for your company to donate time. Providing PTO specifically for volunteering is one great way to support employees in their charitable efforts. Creating a Dollars for Doers program where your company matches volunteer hours with a financial contribution (for example, twenty dollars per hour per employee) can incentivize employees to give of their time. And if you want to increase engagement as a group, consider transforming a company retreat or holiday party into a day of service.
But how do you decide what organization should be the beneficiary of your company’s valuable time? If you’re organizing a day of service or company service project, gaining insight into what causes your employees care about most will make event more appealing and engaging. Gather ideas from Pinkaloo’s insights on where employees are donating and have them vote on the activity and organization they want to support.
Talent
Of course, dollars can go a long way to helping a charity achieve their goals but donating your company’s expertise may be even more valuable. To make your company run at its best, you’ve assembled a team of experts. Whether it’s your accounting, legal, or marketing departments, each employee on your staff has a wealth of knowledge that charities could benefit from. And while you can offer your products or services for free, there are other ways to donate the talent you’ve gathered.
Consider integrating talent donations into education and training benefits, helping employees practice new skills with charities that could benefit from the help. Or host lunch and learn events or shadowing programs where representatives from charities learn from employees on the job. And much like the opportunities for donating time, providing special PTO or financial contributions can incentivize employees to donate their expertise.