Even with the economy the way it is, it's still possible to incorporate social causes into your business plan. Some people may view charity as something only large corporations or successful companies can get involved in, however, the sooner you include charity into your business the sooner you can benefit from it.
There are both short and long term benefits that occur when some type of charitable program is incorporated into business operations. These include customer and employee loyalty, competitive differentiation, improved public relations, and an overall perception of social responsibility.
Types of Giving
No matter how small a donation may be, it can still have a significant impact on both the company giving and the community or organization that receives. Incorporating a charitable program as early as possible in the development of a business will make managing the program much easier. Some methods of doing straight financial donations include setting a fixed-rate per unit sold amount or giving a portion of sales or profits over a given period of time.
Rather than making a financial donation, some companies choose to make a product donation instead. These donations can be given to individuals directly, such as giving a blanket to a homeless person for every blanket sold, or indirectly, by supporting a non-profit during a charity auction or fundraiser. In the latter case, you might donate a dozen watches to be incorporated into gift baskets.
Who receives the donation?
It's important to carefully choose a charitable cause that will benefit the most amount people, including your business and employees. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
1. What group of people could get the most out of what I sell?
2. What charitable organization or cause has a similar mission?
3. What organization can I associate myself with that will endorse me the most?
As soon as you identify a possible candidate, check them out on a charity watch-dog website at http://www.charitywatch.com. The organization hosting the website rates charities to help people make informed giving decisions.
The financial impact of associating a cause with your business could be slight when starting a business and eventually ramped up to benefit more people. Affecting the lives of the needy and the benefits of a positive social image will eventually overshadow the associated expenditures.
There are both short and long term benefits that occur when some type of charitable program is incorporated into business operations. These include customer and employee loyalty, competitive differentiation, improved public relations, and an overall perception of social responsibility.
Types of Giving
No matter how small a donation may be, it can still have a significant impact on both the company giving and the community or organization that receives. Incorporating a charitable program as early as possible in the development of a business will make managing the program much easier. Some methods of doing straight financial donations include setting a fixed-rate per unit sold amount or giving a portion of sales or profits over a given period of time.
Rather than making a financial donation, some companies choose to make a product donation instead. These donations can be given to individuals directly, such as giving a blanket to a homeless person for every blanket sold, or indirectly, by supporting a non-profit during a charity auction or fundraiser. In the latter case, you might donate a dozen watches to be incorporated into gift baskets.
Who receives the donation?
It's important to carefully choose a charitable cause that will benefit the most amount people, including your business and employees. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
1. What group of people could get the most out of what I sell?
2. What charitable organization or cause has a similar mission?
3. What organization can I associate myself with that will endorse me the most?
As soon as you identify a possible candidate, check them out on a charity watch-dog website at http://www.charitywatch.com. The organization hosting the website rates charities to help people make informed giving decisions.
The financial impact of associating a cause with your business could be slight when starting a business and eventually ramped up to benefit more people. Affecting the lives of the needy and the benefits of a positive social image will eventually overshadow the associated expenditures.
About the Author:
Author Mark de Grasse can assist you in developing your organization. For charitable cause information, view his free articles on organization development.
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