The best people are passionate people. People who are passionate about different things in their lives tend to also bring their passion to the workplace, and as a result care about the work that they do.
Charity work is a great way to find and unlock this passion. From volunteering to donating to research for a disease affecting a loved one, there are numerous ways people get involved to “do good” for others. And because these causes are usually very close to heart, taking an interest and supporting your employees in their charity endeavours is an important way to increase engagement and create a sense of community in the workplace.
While many companies offer their people the option to use several workdays out of the year to engage in charity work, there are other ways to encourage and support charity work that can yield greater results and create a sense of belonging to your organisation. Organising events and hosting fundraisers is a great way to support your peoples’ passions and also enables you to create new relationships externally, attract new talent and new customers.
Supporting your peoples’ charities and passions can come in many different forms. One of the easiest yet most effective ways is to encourage team to organise charity events themselves, ensuring they know they’ll receive support from the company. When your team knows that they have the support they need to accomplish something great, you’d be surprised at how much they can achieve.
Another great option is to champion the cause yourself. Taking on a charity event as a company-wide initiative reinforces corporate values, and demonstrates that the company is about more than just revenue. On top of that, bringing this type of charity to the workplace gives your people a sense of satisfaction in the work that they do, and they can leave work at the end of the day with the pride of doing good.
The best way to start is to find out what’s important to their hearts, put the power and decision-making in their hands. It would be impossible to support all the different causes championed by your team, particularly with larger companies. But that shouldn’t discourage you from diving in and finding the right cause.
By making the fundraising events as challenging as possible, not only are you making it possible to gain as much sponsorship as you can but you’re also providing the opportunity for your team to come together as a stronger unit.
Be inspired by your team and get involved – you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve when everyone works together.
