Tag: Giving Back

Suggestions for a Company Volunteer Day

On September 23, 2019

Companies put a great deal of effort strengthening teamwork skills in an effort to make the work environment a better place. While there are numerous activities that can be done in the actual workplace to improve this, volunteer work is one of the best options. Having a company volunteer day not only gives workers the opportunity to give back to the local community in which they live but it can strengthen their bonds with each other as well. There are a wide variety of different company volunteers that can be held.

Food Banks provide the perfect opportunity for companies to give back to those in need of food to feed their families. Local food banks are in constant need of volunteers to help sort, package, cook, and serve local community members. Taking a weekend to lend a hand to those who are in need of food not only helps the hungry but is an excellent morale boost. Volunteering at a food bank also can provide employees with a sense of the scope and severity of hunger in their neighborhood, leading them to live a more sustainable life and produce less food waste.

Taking the time to spruce up and clean a local neighborhood or park is another great way to host a company volunteer day. This would also serve as an excellent team-building activity for the workers. Whether it be collecting litter, planting new trees, or helping to paint a community building, there are many things that can be done to improve the community that you live in.

Hosting a drive to help collect items such as backpacks or clothes for children at the beginning of a school year is also another wonderful company volunteer platform. While it doesn’t necessarily have to be these particular items being collected at the drive it could be something that your local community is in dire need of. During emergencies, many companies host a local blood drive when there is a shortage. Drives are a perfect way to rally the company together for a good cause. This is also a great opportunity for employees to contribute by bringing in items if they are unable to attend the actual volunteer event.

If these suggestions don’t seem to fit the bill for your particular company, take the time to meet together and let employees decide on a volunteer activity. Have an open discussion with the team to see what means the most to them right now, and make plans to form a company volunteer day. This type of volunteer work can boost morale and help to build leadership skills while building a sense of altruism.

How to Encourage Your Employees to Volunteer

By Jimmy Lustig

On September 17, 2019

In Blog, James Lustig, Jimmy Lustig

Of late, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the broad concept of philanthropy have gained increased attention where businesses commit themselves to give back to society. The success of CSR projects depends on how well-coordinated they are. To increase the success of charity projects, companies should endeavor to involve their workers by encouraging them to volunteer in various ways.

Making giving a corporate culture

The art of giving can be enforced within your company by making charity a corporate value and internal culture. Employees joining your company will be highly likely to adopt such a culture and commit themselves to live by it. Besides, businesses that have incorporated the culture of giving in their internal values stand a better chance of attracting employees that have a passion for philanthropy.

Allocating responsibilities

To win the hearts of your employees towards giving to charity, you should endeavor to allocate related responsibilities to workers who have a passion for CSR. Once you identify employees who are committed to serving society through charity, giving them an opportunity to organize and coordinate the fulfillment of the CSR projects cements their commitments.

Recognizing employees’ dedication

Employees who have dedicated themselves to fulfilling charity projects that are organized internally by your company should be appreciated and recognized. Recognizing the top participants in philanthropy encourages more workers to show commitment to similar projects in the future. Such recognition can be in the form of giving workers certificates of participation or even branded attire that recognizes their philanthropic efforts.

Showing commitment right from the top

Employees are highly likely to follow suit the foundations laid within the workplace by the senior managers. The entire C-suit structure of your company, including the president, Chief Executive Officer, and other senior managers, should show commitment by attending CSR projects. Whereas such projects should not be made mandatory for other employees, the senior management will generally serve as a role model and encourage employee participation.

Making CSR fun and attractive

The last incentive that can attract your employees’ participation in charity projects is by making the projects fun. Creating teams that compete and win prizes during the project brings even the workers who have no passion for philanthropy on board. Pictures and videos of the event can also be published on the company’s social media platforms as a way of fronting the workers to the market and showing their dedication.

The Most Philanthropic Athletes

By Jimmy Lustig

On August 20, 2019

In Blog, Jimmy Lustig

In this day and age, sports fans around the world demand far more philanthropic activity from athletes than ever before. With athletic contracts and sponsorship deals putting many of today’s athletes into countless Forbes “wealthiest people” lists, it would be quite surprising if these athletes were not giving back to their communities or donating to charities. Fortunately, many of today’s superstar athletes make it a priority to pursue philanthropic endeavors, propelling some of them to even start their own non-profit foundations.

The Top 10 Most Philanthropic Athletes

Serena Williams – The world-famous tennis superstar is arguably the leading philanthropic athlete, donating her time and money to a broad range of charities around the world, most notably including UNICEF.

Colin Kaepernick – This NFL star has a bad reputation amongst some football fans, however, the former football player has taken up activism full-time and has donated a large portion of his NFL earnings to causes like social justice and education.

Ronda Rousey – MMA’s top female athlete of all time has spent a lot of her free time helping out underprivileged children, teens, and young adults.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Soccer’s megastar might be one of the wealthiest athletes in the world currently. He is well known for helping children’s hospitals, schools, and other foundations. He also has a habit of donating his winnings from various competitions to charitable causes.

Lebron James – He is arguably in the top 5 list of greatest NBA stars to ever play the game. His off-court charity game is equally as impressive as he donates time and money to children’s education through his self-named organization.

John Cena – WWE is officially classified as a sport, despite its theatric qualities. There is no acting, however, behind Cena’s leading role in the Make a Wish Foundation charity, helping to grant over 500 wishes so far. He is also invested in spreading awareness and raising funds to beat breast cancer.

Conor McGregor – Despite his bad-boy image, Conor is heavily involved with Irish charities and mentorship programs. He has donated to help out homeless shelters, children’s hospitals, and more.

Michael Phelps – The most decorated Olympic athlete of all time is also the most giving. Phelps has donated millions of dollars of his own money and his time to help underprivileged kids through his own organization.

Carlos Beltran – Baseball’s most charitable player is without a doubt Carlos Beltran. He is known to occasionally drop millions of dollars into children’s charities that he supports, and has started his own organization to provide hurricane and natural disaster relief.

Tiger Woods – Despite his marital meltdown and slight fall from grace, Woods has always been a huge giver and continues to be. He is particularly well known for helping impoverished young adults pay for college.

Jimmy Lustig How To Know If Philanthropy Reaching Right People

How to Know if your Philanthropy is Reaching the Right People

By Jimmy Lustig

On March 22, 2019

In Blog, Jimmy Lustig, Philanthropy

Practicing generosity through philanthropy can give you a feeling of satisfaction, especially when giving towards a particular cause you’re passionate about. However, philanthropy is meaningless if your efforts aren’ t reaching your targeted groups. It’s important, with any type of philanthropy, to determine if your contributions are going where they’re supposed to. Follow these three steps to make sure your philanthropy is impacting the right people.

Evaluating the organization’s competence and commitment

The charity organization you contribute to should be well led by competent and committed leaders who have a passion for charity. Before making the partnership with any charitable organization as a philanthropist, you should evaluate the organization’s leadership, vision, mission and objectives. Your due diligence ensures that you are partnering with an accountable charity institution that will channel your contributions to the proper people.

Evaluating the organization’s previously completed projects

A good charity organization that would put your contributions to good use should be able to showcase its previous successes. When assessing their past projects, you may want to establish how well managed the projects were. Do some research into how much funding the project received, how the funds were utilized, how long the projects took to complete, the precise objective of the projects and how the projects are faring in terms of helping those targeted. A good profile of the previous projects should be a positive signal that the charity organization will put your funds to good use in helping the right people.

Getting in touch with other donors and volunteers

If you want to know the reputation of a given charity organization that you plan to partner with, you should speak with previous donors and volunteers who work with the organization. Most organization’s keep a record of past volunteers. Ask to see those records, if possible, and reach out to some of those volunteers. If not possible, speak with current volunteers in private. Donors showing concern and reservation for a given charitable organization are a clear indication that your funds will most likely suffer a similar fate of poor usage and management. Equally, talking to volunteers who work for the organization will give you an idea on how well-managed, focused and accountable the charitable institution, which may equate to how focused and accountable they are when handling money.