This article is for our business owning or future business owners. This comes from Winn Claybaugh’s site www.beniceorelse.com and came from his January/February 2010 newsletter…we loved the message and wanted to pass it along. 🙂

Corporate Corner
Giving Back Is Good for the Giver

While many companies are laying off employees, slashing product prices, and spreading messages of doom and floom, others are embracing a spirit of giving and turning their attention toward those in need.  They know that giving back and helping others is the kind, compassionate, right thing to do, and it also makes good business sense.

In companies that only engage their people’s time from nine to five, the employees show up to work for one thing and one thing only: to receive a paycheck.  By allowing and even empowering people to use their time and resources through work to raise money and awareness for causes they are passionate about, you will begin to engage their minds andhearts as well.  And when that happens, their performance at work skyrockets.

As the leader of your business, only you can be the loving and involved coach and cheerleader who communicates to your team their valuable purpose.  Your commitment and and involvement in charitable activities shows your staff that their presence at work each day involves more than it says in their job description.  It’s one thing when people can say, “I’m an [Insert your job title here].” It’s another when they can claim, “I’m also involved in changing the world. healing the planet, and helping those in need”

If you want to increase business, passion, and creativity in your company while giving back to those in need, follow these simple strategies for engaging your team in a charitable fundraising campaign:

1. Set a clear fundraising goal. Make sure everyone knows how much you’re going to raise and how you’re going to get there.

2. Measure your progress every day. Make a fun, effective, visible “thermometer” for counting and reporting every dollar, and update it every day.

3. Get personally involved. You may not realize it, but your team spends a lot of time watching you.  You are their entor, and they will follow your lead.

4. Personally celebrate every fundraising victory. Get out of your office and praise that staff member who baked cookies for the bake sale or brought donations for the rummage sale.  Encourage your company’s other leaders to celebrate with the team, too.

In a time when statistics show that 75% of Americans are fearful of losing their jobs, let’s all remember that the antidotes to fearare hope, action, and opportunities.  Yes, fundraising can require a lot of work, but it’s good for your team, good for business, and a really nice thing to do  If you full embrace your company’s fundraising campaign, you and your entire team will fall more in love with your business than ever before.