If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner that wants to give back to the community, but aren’t sure that you have the funds to make a real impact? There are several ways to get involved with NPOs that do not necessarily involve funding.
1. Donate your time
If you are a busy entrepreneur, you might be tempted to simply donate money to a charity, but making an impact is about more than just the money. Your time and commitment to a cause that you are passionate about can make a real difference. Ask what an NPO can achieve with the time and skills you are able to donate, and partner with them to reach their goals in a sustainable manner.
2. Involve your employees
Your staff and your company’s time and expertise can be extremely valuable in building capacity, by sharing knowledge and skills with NPOs. Volunteering can make your employees feel good about themselves and proud to be part of your business, improving morale. It can even help you to retain or attract staff. Millennials, especially, want to work for companies that are part of something meaningful.
3. Focus your efforts
Try focusing on one or two causes where your resources and energies make a real impact, rather than attempting to be part of solutions for too many causes. You will end up making very little difference if your efforts are spread too thin. Take the time to determine what social or development issues are close to your company’s DNA, purpose and vision.
By making sure the cause is a good fit with your company’s brand and core objectives you ensure that whatever you can offer an NPO will make an impact on their operation.
4. Be committed
Effective social engagement is about long-term relationships and commitment. It takes time and sustained effort to make a real difference to the organisations with which you partner. Take the time to understand their core purpose, capacity, resources as well as the needs of that organisation in order to make a meaningful contribution.
5. Donations of goods or products
Does your company offer a service or produce goods that might be useful to an NPO? Offering services or products that NPOs most often do not have the budget for can equip and empower them to do their work more effectively for greater impact.
