How to Create New Wins with Classic Philanthropic Approaches

As U.S. headlines turn to high employment, your interests turn to retaining your current employees. I’ve written a lot in this space about how corporate giving can help you keep top talent.

Today let’s zoom in on two common employee perks and how you might tweak them to:

• Stand out
• Gain new leverage on your investment
• Inspire a generous workplace (Read how to design effective partnerships here.)

Inspiration

Given my specialty in helping organizations to blow-up roadblocks in the way of their growth, you won’t be surprised to learn that a Wall Street Journal graphic listing next-level benefits in the tech industry, caught my interest. The perks included nap pods, running tracks, kombucha tea, and more. The “more” included service days at Twitter and matching donations at Apple.

Since you may already offer these perks, let’s explore ways to tweak them.

Matching Donations Tweak

Tweak your employee gift match with a “show and tell” element. For example, at staff meetings, for three minutes, an employee shares their favorite cause, how your company helps, and how to get involved. Or, invite a representative from the nonprofit and the employee to share the stage at your all-staff-meeting for a five-minute check presentation.

The Wins

You learn more about your employees, where your money goes, and its impact.

Your firm’s collective knowledge about the community expands.

Employees share what they love with co-workers and invite participation.

The cause develops a more satisfying connection with your business.

Service Days Tweak

You add to or move from individual service days, where employees go off on their own to work in nonprofits, to firm-wide family services days. During your new team days, as appropriate, you invite teens, children, and spouses to join in a giving-back experience.

The Wins

You meet your employees’ families and better appreciate their lives.

Staff at your firm creates event photos for internal and external branding.

 Employees help a good cause, share time with their families, and meet co-workers’ families.

The Cause benefits from an influx of labor and the opportunity to recruit volunteers and donors.

Today’s Challenge

Look at your giving back perks. How might you leverage what you do now to deliver new wins? Share what you discover.