Supporting charities can help identify your business values and is a great way to extend your network to attract potential employees, customers and other business owners who share a similar ethos.
There are many ways you can support a charity through your business.
Making Financial Donations
Your business can make financial contributions in a variety of ways:
- Donating regularly – you can contribute fixed amounts every week, month or year.
- Making ad-hoc donations – whatever the quantity and frequency of the contributions, you can choose when to you want to donate.
- Based on your sales percentage – you can make a contribution according to your monthly or weekly revenue.
Donating Resources or Product
Your business can gift resources or products in several ways:
- Donating unsold goods – instead of throwing away stock that can no longer be sold, you can donate it to a charitable cause that would appreciate it. For instance, if you are a food retailer and cannot sell pantry food due to packaging damage, you could donate it to a charity with a food bank.
- Donating resources or products for every item sold – for example, if you own a clothes shop, you could donate a hat to organisations like the British Red Cross for every hat sold to a customer.
Inviting Your Customers to Make Donations
Your business can encourage buyers to donate their spare change, or any other amount, when they checkout at your shop or buy a specific service from you. Asking customers to round up their bill to the next pound is an effective way to raise money for charities.
Sourcing Your Business Supplies from Charities
You could buy resources that are essential for running your business from charitable organisations and help make a positive impact. Suppose that you own an accountancy firm. You could purchase your stationery supplies from organisations like In Kind Direct. Not only will sourcing your supplies from charities help thousands of people, but it will also ensure savings for your business.
Fundraising
Charity events are a powerful way to raise money. They allow you to showcase your knowledge, extend your connections with the community, and raise funds for charity. Additionally, fundraising events can also enhance the performance of your marketing campaigns. Here are some great examples of charity events:
- The Memory Walk, organised by the Alzheimer’s Society.
- The London to Brighton Bike Ride, organised by the British Heart Foundation.
- The Race for Life, organised by Cancer Research UK.
As a business, you could join an existing fundraising event or organise your own.
Providing Services to Charitable Organisations
Providing free or discounted services to charities can also help highlight your commitment to charitable causes. For instance, if you own a digital marketing agency, your business could support organisations in their advertising campaigns.
Promoting Charitable Events Organised by Others
You can help other businesses and organisations plan their charity events.
- Sponsoring – a straightforward and quick way to support events organised by other entities. You can make financial contributions, donate gifts, or directly promote the event.
- Becoming an ambassador – spreading the word about a charitable cause and advising the community on how to support it.
Sharing Your Business Resources with Charitable Organisations
You could give charities access to your business’ resources, such as physical space, equipment and your team’s skills. For instance, if you own a restaurant, you could let charity use one of your rooms to host an event. Staff members, such as chefs and wait staff, could also help on the day by preparing and serving meals.
Supporting charitable organisations through your business is mutually beneficial for both parties. If you want to learn more about charities, visit our Support and Resources page.
