Andrew Miller on 3 Ways Businesspeople Can Give Back to Their Communities

Corporate and greed are two words that people seem to view as intrinsically linked.  Fortunately, that’s not the case with every business, and not every CEO or company is out for blood and money. Business people can give back to the communities they live and work in, and it can be more than just paying taxes and recycling!

Here are the top three ways businesspeople can give back to the communities they live in- and why they should do it! This all comes directly from former Polycom CEO Andrew Miller, whose Andrew Miller Foundation has gotten a lot of practice at charitable giving over the years.

1. Donate and Partner with Charities

Look for charities and foundations that align with your company’s beliefs and with the wants and needs of your employees. It may be challenging to pick just one, and if that’s the case, you can put it up to a vote to find the perfect match. Raise money to donate within your company, and you can also possibly host dinners or galas to raise even more. The focus is on the charity, of course, but this will also help give your business’s brand recognition in the area so that potential customers will recognize and trust you more readily the next time they encounter your name. 

2. Spend Time Working and Volunteering for Nonprofits

Nonprofits do so many different things for countless people in endless communities.  Please work with your team to find a nonprofit that most of you believe in, and then put together sign-up sheets so that your employees can sign up for their own donated time. You can make it a group day so that everyone can use it as a team-building exercise, or let people donate their time whenever they want so that they may, instead, get to use the time to focus solely on the work that’s getting done.

You don’t have to do classic things like canned food drives or working in a soup kitchen. Some nonprofits need people to check if electronics work, sort through clothing, or even help take care of animals. If people are split between two different nonprofits, you can create teams and be competitive with how many hours are spent at each nonprofit. Make it fun for your employees, and you can help give back to the community you all call home.

3. Offer Your Services at a Discount for Locals

If your business is global but very much based in one city or area, there’s no harm in offering your services at a discount to those around you.  This discount lets people buy more and will also allow them to see that you appreciate the area that your business calls home. This idea may not work for every business model, but for those selling goods instead of services, this may be a great fit! You don’t have to give away everything; just offer a discount that you can afford to lose for anything within a specific zip code for shipping! They’ll be thankful, and it will fuel your brand’s appeal and name as a local brand.

Prove to your area that your company has heart and that you want to do everything you can to support and uplift those in need: it’s the right thing to do.

 

This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.