If you’re involved in any type of business, you’ve probably heard the term “corporate greed”—you’ve also probably heard of “giving back”.
We get it—some people who criticize companies for their lack of community work and giving aren’t familiar with the decisions you’re making on behalf of your business and employees. But did you know that giving back to the community you serve is the best decision you could make for your company?
Why You Should Give Back
The first step of using your success to give back to a community or organization in need is to first identify your community’s greatest needs and weaknesses, then find organizations that fill these needs and make targeted contributions.
1. Build Respect
Regardless of who is reaching out to donate, that person is the one responsible for forming a relationship with the community or organization that they’re giving back to. And if we learned anything from running or being involved in a business, it’s that community partnerships and trust matter.
When a company uses their profits to help other people and build up their community, this trust will make your community want to invest in and support your company. Just like community support is everything in business, so is supporting the people you serve.
2. Better Community
We all know that the purpose of giving back is supposed to be selfless—specifically, an act of kindness without expectations of results for yourself. Not only will you improve your community trust and image, but you also will be an active solution to building a better community and future for others.
3. Leadership Trust
Oftentimes business owners forget about the people who make up our communities: their employees! Valuing the people around you and showing your dedication and appreciation to them is just as important as your sales and products. After all, how can you be an effective leader if your team doesn’t trust you or support you?
People want to follow leaders who have a selfless leadership style—the leaders who truly care about their employees and their community are the ones with the most respect. When you show that your company is doing positive things with its money, more employees will respect you and want to work for you, increasing your employee morale and retention.
4. Community Connections
Simply donating money is a good way to give back but donating both your money and time is even better. When you donate your time to serve others, you’re building a relationship based on mutual trust, appreciation, and understanding of the cause at hand. Signing your team up for volunteer days is a great way to get involved in the community, show your commitment, get your name out there as a community ally, and network.
How You Can Give Back
When you decide to be active in community work, don’t just pick a charity or cause at random—do your research, meet with community leaders, and ask your employees what organizations they support or would like to support.
Herer are a few ideas to help you get started:
- Volunteer. Sign yourself and your employees up for a volunteer day. This can range from participating in a build day with non-profits like Habitat for Humanity or Veterans Community Project.
- Donate. If you can’t spare the time, spare the money. Commit to donating money to a charity of your choice or promote community clothing drives for organizations like Toys for Tots or Sox Place.
- Sponsor. Another great way to show your support is by sponsoring a fundraising event like Daddy Bruce Thanksgiving Feed a Family—this will increase community awareness while also raising funds for those in need.
Whether you volunteer, donate, or sponsor, any form of giving back will be greatly appreciated by both your community and employees.
Dedicated to Giving Back to the Communities We Serve
At Kodiak Building Partners, our vision is to “create a culture that empowers local leaders to succeed in the communities they serve”. We believe part of our success is rooted in giving back to and supporting both our local and global communities in need through the Kodiak Building Partners Foundation.
While continuing to work on our businesses and profitability, Kodiak and our family of businesses are encouraged to support or partner with four giving programs a year such as Habitat for Humanity, Veterans Community Project, Giving Tuesday, Toys for Tots, Daddy Bruce Randolph Thanksgiving Feed a Family, and other organizations that are positively impacting our communities. To learn more about the organizations we support and how you can give back, visit www.kodiakbp.com.