How businesses can help charities to raise awareness

For a successful business strong links with the local community are deeply important. This may take the form of putting on functions, special events for local residents or providing help free of charge. Another way a business can enhance its standing in the local community is through supporting a local charity or charities, whether this is purely for public relations or a genuine desire to help, each case is different, but the end result is the same. The business promotes and champions the cause of a charity allowing it to thrive. Here are some ways to consider helping charity awareness.

Involve the Customer

Though this may seem obvious, you will be promoting the charity to your customers, it can be done in more tacit ways. One way would be to ask your customers which local scheme they feel your business should support, giving them involvement in the process and allowing the feeling of local residents to shape the outreach work you carry out. Another way is to encourage customers to donate in your location of business and provide them with information and feedback about where their donation will be going and which demographic it will specifically help; one way to encourage this may be a scheme where your business matches the donations made, for example.

Promote the Charity in Your Place of Business

Another way to directly help a charity or charitable cause is to bring them into your place of work or business. One way you can do this is by allowing the charity to advertise with posters or flyers which can be seen or given out to customers to raise awareness for the charity. Another way would be to invite the volunteers or employees of the charity to be physically in your place of business; packing bags for fundraising, talking to local people about what they do and stand for, or even allowing them to use your space free of charge to hold outreach projects directly for their service-users or to people who may need their help in your place of work.

Support Events or Campaigns

With the economic crisis and limits to disposable income for the general public, charities have had to become increasingly creative when planning events or campaigns they are running. They are often witty or amusing, such as Ladbroke’s ‘#shesgotballs’ campaign which is themed around bingo, with charities more frequently harnessing a successful brand or product to attach their campaign to. With this in mind, by involving your business in a charities campaign you can assist them whilst still continuing with your daily business. By donating your time or services to charity events or fundraisers you can do the same. Another development, over the past few years, is appointing an employee who works for you but as part of their job role dedicates time to work and represent your business in the charity community as a ‘Community Champion’.

With these three ideas in mind, to go with many more, why not support a local charity and give back to the community that keeps your business going?