How to Engage Employees in Your Corporate Giving

You know your employees are passionate about the causes and charities they support. So why does their enthusiasm wane when it comes to championing your company's philanthropic initiatives?

This can be frustrating, but it's not unusual. Frequently, low employee commitment to corporate giving stems from a mismatch between the goals of leaders and the preferences of workers. For example, many organizations rely on the C-suite to choose which nonprofits deserve to receive funding. But if team members don't agree with those picks, they're probably not going to be enthusiastic about them. As a result, participation in and promotion of the company's corporate giving program begins to decline.

What is the easiest way to solve this problem? Above all, find ways to empower your employees to have a say in your company's philanthropic efforts. Not only will you be more likely to see a stronger corporate response, but you may also see an increase in employee engagement. That's a huge plus, especially with employee engagement rates dropping to 34% per Gallup.

It's time to refresh and update your philanthropic giving so it's more personal to your employees. Try these strategies to get started.

1. Match your employee gifts.

One ​​way to kick-start corporate giving is to use a matching program. It's no different than what many employers do with 401(k) benefits. Instead of earmarking money for workers' retirements, you would earmark funds for their favorite charities.

As a recent report from Groundswell, a corporate giving platform, shows, this benefit is something workers want. A majority of participants (60%) said they would feel more aligned with their employer's values ​​if they received a charitable allowance. And a majority of employees (60%) said a company reward would encourage them to be more generous.

How much should you pair and how can you make pairing easier? Work with your CFO to determine the right amount or percentage. Remember that any correspondence will affect your business taxes. At the same time, look for easy ways to streamline your system, such as using an app that can bring everyone's contributions together in one place.

2. Start a volunteer grant program.

Like employees donating games, volunteer grant programs can be great tools to help your employees contribute. Volunteer scholarships are a bit different, however, and are based on volunteer sessions.

Take for example Apple's Double the Donation program. Double the Donation offers $25 per hour for employee time spent volunteering with charities. Therefore, if an Apple employee spends three hours participating in a nonprofit event, Apple will donate $75 to the organization.

You can configure your volunteer grant program as you wish, including setting monthly, quarterly, or annual caps per worker. Remember to think about your part-time employees versus your full-time employees. Some companies choose to offer volunteer grant programs for everyone, while others focus only on full-time employees.

Don't be afraid to shine the spotlight on your volunteer grant initiative once it's up and running. Job seekers, consumers and investors increasingly want to know how companies are "doing well".

3. Brand your corporate gift...