CSR: Giving back is not for wimps….

In her latest blog, Laura discusses Corporate Social Responsibilities and why charitable giving can be really important for your SME. 

By Laura Hayden

It’s becoming more and more common for organisations to give back to the community as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities, but very often this can be a tick box exercise and little thought is put into where to give back to and how. 

It has previously been found that giving back and paying it forward can help to create and embed a culture of caring for those around us including; family, friends and of course, our colleagues. With findings indicating that charitable focus, in whatever form, can help boost morale and retain talent!

And there’s more, engaging charitably with your local community as an SME can help to extend your network and even give you a competitive edge, as companies who take their ethical responsibilities and local community more seriously are often viewed more positively in their markets.

Understandably, charitable giving can seem a daunting prospect for small organisations, particularly start-ups. This is because it’s not always possible to pay forward or donate a percentage of income to charity, simply because all money into the business is required for its success. 

But fear not! Giving back to the community can be done in a multitude of different ways; whether it’s donating time or money, it can be hugely beneficial for the company and for those involved. 

Whilst not all businesses are in an able position to donate a percentage of their profit to charity, philanthropic endeavours in SME’s can be an excellent team building exercise and a great way to promote your company’s ethos. 

For example, getting employees involved in a sponsored event for a worthy cause close to the heart of your business or local community. This is a truly fun and engaging way to get everyone involved in fundraising (at a low cost and large charitable return) whilst raising awareness for the cause, raising money and increasing team cohesion and morale at the same time!

Another effective way for SME’s to promote charity in their company would be through the promotion of ‘social good,’ making it integral to the company’s culture. Whilst larger companies may give one day off per quarter to allow staff to give back their time to a cause – a luxury not shared by some smaller businesses – this is not to say there aren’t other ways of promoting social good among your team! For example; implementing dress down Fridays where employees must donate to charity for the option to dress down. 

To sum up – whilst larger businesses may have different methods of giving back, it’s certainly not to say that SME’s can’t make just as big a splash when paying it forward. Including reaping the positive rewards giving back can have for the community, for the businesses culture, employee engagement and cohesion.

To find out more about you can give back, just get in touch with the team!