Why companies should embrace their Corporate Social Responsibilities

Within business, it’s a tricky and ongoing game of juggling money, time scales and staff, in order to see your business grow. What companies are beginning to encourage and place importance on, though, is their corporate social responsibilities and work alongside charities.

Encouraging your team to get involved in charity work in and around the workplace has a positive effect on team morale and doesn’t hurt your company’s reputation either.

Need a little bit of convincing on the benefits? Below are some reasons why it is such an important thing to action on a corporate level:

Team morale

Letting your team get out and about to do events for charity gives them a positive feeling of giving back to the community. Giving your team an annual charity days allowance is something companies have adopted in recent years. It’s a great idea as it means the team members can take that time and choose where they give it.

Team building

If the team are organizing charity events in and around the office (fun runs, cake sales, fun days etc) it lets them bond, whilst they’re also doing something good for charity. It’s rewarding and great for morale around the office.

Sharing the takings

By choosing a house charity, you aren’t just giving away your businesses hard-earned profits. If your team are creative enough with their fundraising ideas, the only thing you will be giving up is time to organize and host events.

Building connections

Although your charity work is about giving, by building up new contacts in the community, you not only get their name out there, but they get your name out there in a positive light. You never know – it might bring you new custom.

Unintentional marketing

It doesn’t hurt your company’s reputation to shout about your charity work and, by doing case studies on your charity, you help get their name out there too, which will help raise even more awareness and money for the worthy cause.

Giving the option to give

By offering the option for people to donate to your house charity after they have completed a transaction with you, you can continue to build up the pennies into pounds as you go about your day to day work, without pressuring your customers to give.

Want to help but don’t know where to start? Check out this CAFOD website for an A-Z of fundraising ideas for inspiration!

Here at Search Office Space, we have a house charity, as well as encouraging the team to participate in events and volunteer work of their own.

We support ‘The Michael Green Foundation’, a charity which raises awareness of Type 2 Diabetes and raises valuable funds for the Michael Clements Diabetes Centre at Watford General Hospital. In their own recent fundraising, schoolgirl Amy had her long hair cut to raise money for the foundation and donated her hair to The Little Princess Trust, which uses the hair to make wigs for young cancer sufferers. She raised over £2000! SOS will, for the second year, be sending a team to run the London 10k in July to raise money for the foundation, with other events in the pipeline, such as a Golf Day and Cake Sales.

Steve Moore, Global Marketing Director, said, “Businesses should be embracing work with charities, as it helps employees build upon their inter-personal skills, helps them to develop friendships outside of work and widens their networking circles. It makes a brand stand out and helps to build a relationship within the community. And, more than anything, it is fulfilling and rewarding."

Why not get involved in charity work at your organisation or, if they haven’t started a charity initiative yet, get the ball rolling for them. Good luck, and let us know what you’ve been up to or have planned with your company for charity this year!