Businesses are the new agents of social change. They have the power and resources to provide organizations and the planet with gifts they would have otherwise not received. Impact investing catalyzes corporate and systemic shifts driven by worker values instead of relying on lawmakers to care for the world’s needs.
SMBs are leading the way to improved environmental health, greater access to education and more stable financial opportunities. Here is how they make a difference in the world and why other companies should follow in their footsteps.
How Can Companies Engage in Purposeful Giving?
Managerial staff puts their brand on a positive trajectory by leading by example. If they want to become a company known for improving the world, then the expectation must come from the top. It instills workplace values and culture in colleagues to inspire self-motivated involvement.
Tracking progress and disclosing information to customers is the most satisfying part of engagement. Keeping tabs on the dollars donated and hours volunteered to quantify effort against results is beneficial. It forces employers to become more transparent about utilizing their financial and workplace resources for instigating development.
It sets a precedent for open communications. Customers and employees provide feedback as the records make themselves known. This creates productive discourse on serving the initiatives an operation commits to by sparking new ideas and collaboration with organizations and projects.
What Could Businesses Change by Giving?
Businesses can influence any cause they want with giving and positivity. They can donate money or resources. Sending staff for volunteer work is an impactful way to help nonprofits that are generally underfunded or relying on fundraising to stay afloat while getting more business.
Retail expectations are one of the most significant alterations leaders can offer by dedicating themselves to social good. Customers hold where they buy products from to a higher standard than in years past — companies must be allies and advocates. It leads to increased consumer loyalty and brand awareness, which is ideal for bottom lines.
The more critical shift is within the industry itself. Every business has a platform. Therefore, it is no longer optional not to contribute to global betterment.
Additionally, every group of people is a chance for innovation. Agencies that want to give back think of entertaining and compelling ways to execute their plans, opening the minds of creators and world-changers everywhere. It makes philanthropic projects fun, competitive, engaging and purposeful. It will transition giving landscapes past traditional mindsets that think fundraising is the only path to charitable giving.
Are There Social Change Success Stories?
Some corporations are known for their continuing social responsibility programs and others focus on growth. They could commit to matching gifts for a specific cause or start a social media marketing campaign. Every project with an authentic intention will yield success, primarily if the objective aligns with company values or appeals to the staff’s emotions.
Pela
Pela is a groundbreaking tech accessories organization creating everything from phone cases to compostable sunglasses. It also makes countertop composters, resulting in a powerful combo to reduce food waste. The store promotes enough social good in its ethical products, but the company goes above and beyond. It develops limited-edition products and donates proceeds to charities like Save The Waves, Surfrider and Water.org.
It advocates for social good in non-monetary ways, such as spreading the word about movements like #GreenFriday and #OptOutside to reduce hyperconsumerism and ethical purchasing decisions against Black Friday trends.
Nova Credit
Credit scores are not universal. Every country has unique requirements, regulatory bodies, and ranges for what constitutes a score worth earning a home or auto loan. Therefore, immigrants encounter obstacles when moving. Entering a country means they must rebuild their scores from scratch, delaying their potential for stability. Nova Credit’s contribution to social good is purposeful giving with its time and ingenuity.
It has engineered a technology to translate international credit scores, giving immigrants a more stable shot at starting new lives with momentum. The more opportunities aspiring citizens have, the better other establishments and the economy will flourish from increased patronage.
Complexly and the Awesome Clubs
Internet educational personality and author Hank Green is Complexly’s CEO. He has garnered a YouTube following with his brother John Green since the late 2000s. The two have countless educational projects under the parent company, including Crash Course and SciShow. The objective is to distribute high-quality, free educational resources to anyone with an internet connection, dismantling the barriers between humans and knowledge.
Side initiatives include the revolutionary Awesome Coffee and Awesome Socks clubs. The subscription-based ventures donate 100% of the proceeds toward work that decreases maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone. Combined with The Project for Awesome annual charity stream and The Foundation to Decrease World Suck nonprofit, these efforts have donated millions to countless charities. They are among the most influential and creative philanthropists on the planet.
Being an Agent for Social Good
Well-intended giving can take myriad shapes. It spreads knowledge or donates funds to existing charities. It empowers employees to pay off student loans or invest in companies creating technology to reverse climate change. Making a difference can help companies stand out as true motivators of change.
Every organization should take a stand for what it is passionate about, regardless of size. People can rewrite the assumption that institutions are only in their sector to make a profit — they can also make a difference.
