Why working with charities works for business

You might be a fledgling business just making your way in the world, a medium sized SME that has struggled to get through Covid, or a large corporate whose shareholders scrutinize every digit in the management accounts.

So how can you justify supporting a charity?

On a superficial level, you want to support a good cause, one that might be close to your heart. Off The Fence has a couple of supporters who have been homeless themselves.

Supporting a charity can also be good for your business. Here's why. 

Raising morale as well as funds

The benefit most often fed back to me is the boost to staff morale. One hundred people took part in our Big Sleep-out last November. Amongst these were three companies with teams led by chief executives. The sense of achievement as a team was immense. One company alone (take a bow Sutton Winson Insurance in Burgess Hill!) doubled the £8,500 raised by employees through sponsorship. Fun, fulfilling, profile raising.

It’s also a great reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Get your staff to select what charity they want to support, and then as a team engage – with photos, testimonials, certificates and engagement - with both the charity and its clients.

Keeping your best staff for the long haul

Your best people (you know, the ones who bring you a coffee in the morning with a smile) are the ones most likely to enjoy working with a charity. It makes them feel good about themselves and the community they share.

If you allow them to explore their charitable instincts through volunteering or fundraising, it means that they're more likely to stick around. Loyalty usually means more things get done and done faster.

Talent retention also means that core skills don’t need to be replaced every five minutes – and you save on recruitment costs.

Customers will say nice things about you

Creating a conversation with your customers by encouraging them to fundraise or volunteer is also a positive win for your business. Which business are they going to patronise? The socially responsible one or the one that averts its community face?

Ask them to leave reviews saying why they do business with your company. (Go and check out your fellow Chamber member Phillip Bloxsome at Pysdro and the next level of business review platform.)

You’ll be surprised by how many cite your charity involvement. Use My Favourite Voucher Codes that funnels 20% of their profits to your chosen charity. Your customers save money, donate and love you more all in the same very satisfying package.

Media darlings...media

Charities also have a great relationship the media. Getting regularly mentioned in their press releases, blogs, social media and websites will add to your reputation at little or no cost.

In networking environments your relationship with your chosen charity or charities will stand up in sharp relief, shaping the image of your company.

An improved public profile can help to accelerate profit margins - you can even donate a percentage of your profits and even better, it could be tax deductible.

Back to our Big Sleep Out. Our patrons Graham Potter and Bruno Saltor along with Micky Reid came and slept out with the rest of the 100. That week Premier League football clubs were told they couldn’t wear away kits for home games in aid of the homeless. By doing what he did, Graham Potter became a football folk hero overnight and we got TV, radio and press coverage, plus a 4-minute video shot by the club’s film crew, shown in front of 31,000 at the Brighton-Leeds game. I think that’s a win-win! (Something the Seagulls could do with at present.)

So, those are my top reasons why supporting a charity is good for your business. 

By the way, if you want to get involved in Off The Fence’s 25th Anniversary celebrations and challenges visit www.offthefence.org.uk/25years - you’ll be in good company.

Roy Stannard is Head of Income Generation at Off The Fence.

Find out more about Off The Fence on their website, and contact Roy at: roy.stannard@offthefence.org.uk or on 01273 933885

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk