In the modern business environment, more emphasis is being placed on a company's responsibility not only to its staff and customers, but to the wider community. This includes not only sourcing ethical materials or environmentally-friendly suppliers, but extends to the way in which a business structures its corporate activities, which in turn can provide many benefits to the business, including building relationships and improving employee engagement.

Particularly during the uncertain times of Covid-19, businesses have come to realise that it is in their best interests as well as their responsibility to extend their wealth, power and positive influence by supporting charities and good causes. The younger generation now entering the working world are placing a greater emphasis on a company’s ethics when deciding on which organisation to work for. Opportunities to make a difference and give back to the community are becoming essential factors in attracting and retaining the best talent.

Time spent on charitable activities can provide many positive benefits to both the individuals involved and the organisation as a whole. In this article we look at why fundraising as part of your business strategies can be so rewarding.

Boosting company profile

Fundraising initiatives can be a way to differentiate and set your business apart from another and is notably becoming an element worth sharing throughout the difficult times that we are facing throughout the pandemic. It is worth directing investment where possible in this area and putting the right people at the forefront to lead the organisation’s events. Fundraising provides a different perspective on the company, looking outside of the more formal business matters such as company performance and profits and instead looking at ways a business can use their skills and influence to give back. Putting your business name to fundraising helps to create links with new potential partners and in turn grow your business. Any initiatives taken up by the organisation will also benefit the business in terms of positive PR; with a good team on side you will create opportunities to obtain coverage both locally and on a wider scale.

Enhancing employee engagement

No matter what business you are in, one of the fundamental assets of any successful business is its employees. Making sure they feel valued, safe and are happy in their role is a crucial element at present and will have a butterfly effect on the amount and quality of work they produce. It will also provide valuable opportunities for team building within departments as a way to build morale across a company.

If you haven't already, a good start to fundraising is to form a committee. Within your committee you are able to designate roles and create the best environment to brainstorm ideas which are most likely to gain the interest of your staff. It is also worth bearing in mind that charitable activities don’t just need to focus on raising money through charity fun runs or dressing up days. Donating time and skills to organisations who need help with marketing, PR, accounting, business strategy for example, will also benefit employees by enhancing their existing skills in new settings.

Seek out local opportunities

We have seen the nation unite for many worthy causes and even more so in local communities  so when looking for charity initiatives, it is worth checking out what is close to home. There will be many initiatives running in your local area which are in desperate need of support, but don’t often have the budget available to promote themselves in the same way as some of the larger charities do. This means that often organisations opt for supporting larger, well known causes simply because they are easily recognisable and employees are likely to engage with the cause easily. Although it can take a little more work, identifying local charities or non-profits to support instead can help employees to feel more connected with their local communities and actually see the difference being made through their efforts.

Don’t just focus on Christmas

The unforeseen circumstances of the pandemic has certainly opened the eyes of many to the impact of charitable work and on the adverse lack of funding. December has long been known as the most important month for charities, with over 50% of charitable giving taking place in December. That said, many charities and charitable initiatives are overloaded with donations and offers of help around the festive season, so much so, that often they have to decline the offers of help, only to need it in the weeks and months following. If your organisation has set up a Christmas charitable initiative, it might be worth considering bringing this forward or if you should extend your activities throughout the entire year, enabling charities to receive support all year round when needed most and not just at Christmas.

In summary, even though businesses and charities alike are facing tough times, fundraising is a great way to support worthy causes, boost employee morale and build company culture. It can provide opportunities for your employees to gain skills and take part in opportunities they might not usually be exposed to. It will also attract new talent into the organisation, who are driven by more ethically-minded organisations, and will help to retain long-standing employees too, a key aspect for businesses that are looking ahead to the future.

By Charlotte Baldwin, Operations Manager at IQ Cards:

IQ Cards are a fundraising company that provide schools and establishments with the necessary tools to fundraise via selling high-quality and unique gifts designed by pupils. As part of the established on-demand print and digital solutions provider The IQ Digital House, ensures that all requirements and products are produced to the highest standards, delivered on time and at great value prices. Several of the IQ cards team are mothers and PTA members themselves appreciating and understanding school protocols extremely well. They are the preferred supplier for PTA UK. For more information please visit: http://www.iqcards.co.uk/