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While more than half of Aussie workers know their workplace donates to charity, more than four in 10 employees don’t actually know the causes their business supports.
Product supply solutions company, COS, has commissioned a study of more than 1,000 Australian workers, finding a pervasive belief among employees that “all companies should give back”.
More than six in 10 respondents whose workplace does not donate to charity (63 per cent) indicated a “wish” that their organisation did, while 46 per cent of employees who did belong to a business where charity was commonplace expressed the belief that all companies should give back.
A further 35 per cent of those surveyed said they like working for a company that provides support for the community.
At a deeper level, COS highlighted the apparent disconnect between a business that does donate money to charity and the causes to which that money is going. To that point, more than two-thirds of workers said they would like to be part of the decision-making as to where funds do go.
Amie Lyone, co-CEO of COS, said it’s apparent “that many businesses aren’t connecting the dots when it comes to involving employees in their philanthropic efforts”.
She believes there is a missed opportunity by businesses to involve their staff in the charity process, offering up a number of tips as to how employers can better engage their staff in philanthropic efforts.
- Gather the team
Let the leadership team take the reins when deciding on a charity stream that does align with company values.
According to Ms Lyone: “All businesses, whether they are small local entities or global companies, have the power to improve people’s lives and be a vehicle for giving.
- Take it company-wide
Ms Lyone said a company-wide meeting sounds simple, but can be worth its weight in gold.
“Gathering all employees together to discuss the company’s plans for donations is an effective way to engage the team and allow for them to understand where the funds are going,” she stated.
“Giving people the opportunity to put charities forward is a strong way to engage with staff on a deeper level, and also highlights how the company is committed to giving back to causes that are meaningful to them.”
- Create a committee
Then, form a committee of employees who can be tasked with researching nominated charities.
Once the wider organisation is on the same page with the donation goals and strategy, and individuals have been given the opportunity to share their thoughts about where they would like to see the donations go, Ms Lyone recommends nominating “a handful of people” who are passionate about the chosen area to do some background research.
This can even involve contacting the charities in an effort to find out what they will actually do with donated funds.
Ms Lyone advised that following on from this, either the team can decide on the charity themselves or share their findings with the whole company to vote on.
- Provide regular updates
Once the charity or charities have been decided, your employees must be kept in the loop.
Ms Lyone noted this should include messages about how funds have helped nominated charities, and can be done through internal newsletters.
Another suggestion is to organise a day each month or quarter where employees can volunteer, “so they can experience the impact their company has in person”.
From the CEO’s perspective: “If you work through the process with your team, you’ll be amazed at the transformation that happens to staff, especially those involved in the committee, and the morale that comes with it.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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