ChicExecs Co-Founder and Co-President Nikki Carlson shares six tips to choose a give-back initiate for your brand on Forbes blog. Here’s an excerpt from the piece.
There are so many benefits of creating a give-back initiative at your company. According to one survey (registration required), 71% of employees say they want to work at a business that gives back. Plus, according to a 2016 report by Aflac, 61% of investors say charitable initiatives are a sign of an ethical (and less risky) business.
You know you want to partner with a charity, but where do you start? Follow these six steps to choose the right give-back initiative for your brand.
1. Start local.
There’s nothing wrong with partnering with a national or international charity, but sometimes it’s best to start local — especially if you have a small business. Partner with local children’s charities, food pantries and more to show you’re engaged in the local community.
2. Partner with reputable charities.
Maybe you want to start a brand new charity of your own, or you want to support a little-known charity or cause. That’s all well and good, but to reap the PR benefits of this partnership, it’s a good idea to go with recognizable, reputable charities. If customers recognize the name of the charity you support, they’ll be more likely to support your partnership.
3. Choose a nonprofit that aligns with your brand.
It’s great if you want to support a nonprofit that provides mosquito nets to impoverished areas, but this needs to tie in with your brand’s story, product or mission. Otherwise, your customers will think, “What do mosquito nets have to do with body wash?”
As tempting as it is to partner with a cause you personally support, this give-back initiative needs to match your product, company identity and customer expectations. For example, if your main audience is women, you could partner with a charity that supports women’s education or maternal healthcare.
4. Vet the charity’s work.
Consult charity guides like GuideStar to make sure the nonprofit is a good steward of its resources. You should vet the nonprofit both before your partnership and annually so you know where your money is going. For example, if the charity spends your donations on fundraising events and not on the people they serve, it might be time to support a different charity.
5. Ask employees for their input.
If you want more employee engagement, make sure you choose a give-back initiative that your team is excited about. According to one survey(registration required), 31% of employees say they don’t volunteer or participate in their employer’s give-back programs because it isn’t for a cause they personally support.
6. Choose a communicative, marketable charity.
Ideally, you should partner with a charity that’s marketable. If they have a large communications team, it means they have the resources to spread the word about your partnership. If the charity has a ready-made audience that’s receptive to messaging about your partnership, that’s a huge win for your PR, too!
Read Nikki’s full blog here.
