The community where your business is located is most likely also
the neighborhood where you and your employees live, meaning that
when you support the nonprofit organizations in the community,
you are also giving back to your neighbors. Corporate
philanthropy most frequently comes in the form of office giving
campaigns. These campaigns can be pledge drives for fundraising
or collecting donations of goods for a local nonprofit.
Volunteering your time for a community service project or to
advocate for those who are less fortunate is another way to
engage with those in your area.
No matter how it is presented or which options management
chooses, any type of corporate philanthropy program helps your
bottom line. According to several studies of consumer practices,
a company who is dedicated to serving nonprofits in its community
reaps many benefits. In fact, the company receives as many
benefits from its philanthropy as the people who live in the area
do. Partnering with a charity can help to raise brand awareness
for your company, making it a strategic business move as well as
a philanthropic investment.
One of these studies, known as the
Cone Cause Evolution Study, found that 85 percent of
Americans are more likely to buy a product or use a company’s
services because they support a cause that matters. Almost 80
percent said they would even be willing to switch brands,
providers, or retailers based on the company’s corporate
philanthropy. Giving as a business also builds employee morale
and creates a feeling of being a team — meaning corporate
philanthropy can be used as a form of team building for
employees.
The biggest benefit of supporting nonprofit organizations in your
community, though, is that these groups help to make your
community more livable, healthier, and more economically stable.
All across your community, these groups work to promote health,
improve education, and stabilize income for all people.
Like many United Ways across the country, United Way California
Capital Region utilizes partnerships with businesses across our
service area. We build communities within the workplace while
also raising funds for our important, life-changing programs. We
also work with community business partners to recruit volunteers
for their projects.
United Way California Capital Region also uses its annual
workplace campaign to fund many of the projects in the community.
In just the past year we have raised $11.3 million to advance the
common good in the greater Sacramento area.
Almost every United Way across the country runs workplace campaigns as a part of
their fundraising process. Many also offer opportunities for
volunteering or advocating for those who need your assistance in
your community. United Way works hand-in-hand with local
businesses to improve the communities where employees live, work,
and play, focusing primarily on education, income, and health.