Not sure your business is right for community giving? Do any of these sound familiar?

“Well, my business doesn’t really have something to give to charity.”

“We don’t currently do much for our community.”

“I don’t have money to spare at the moment to give to needy groups.”

These are sentiments that we have heard from small and medium-sized business owners when they start to think about their community responsibility efforts.

You are probably already doing it!

The truth is, most of them are doing something, and just don’t realize that their kindness and giving has real, tangible value for the community groups, nonprofits and charities they are helping.  Here are a few ideas of where to start with your community giving strategy:

Take stock

Perhaps you offer regular use of your firm’s meeting room to a charity to hold their board meetings. Maybe you spend time at a local youth centre showing kids how to find and fix issues with computers. Maybe your bakery gives a box of donuts to the seniors centre across the street twice a week. If you think about it, you may already be giving plenty! You just need to name what you are doing as the community investment it is.

Take advantage of your assets

If you have a shop, lobby or reception area, you could help causes by collecting donations on their behalf, or selling their goods or services for them. Your storefront or website could offer advertising space to direct people towards their need. Mobile businesses might be able to help a nonprofit call-to-action on the side or back of a service vehicle.

Consider giving money

You can usually count on the gift of funds being well-received by nonprofits and charities. (And even better if it is unrestricted, as they usually know where they need it most!) If it is easier for you, a monthly gift can make a small amount add up significantly over a year.  You can always give from your general net business surplus, but there are other ways to generate cash gifts for organizations in need. For instance, you could give a percentage of sales from a particular day, week or product, or ask customers if they would like to top up their purchase with a gift at your point of sale.

Donate inkind space, services or stuff

If giving money is not an option for your business, look to your strengths.  For instance, space, services and sales stock can be great ways to have an impact and to do it at a potentially low cost to you.

Leverage your relationship with a nonprofit by offering your contribution as a sponsorship instead

What benefits can the recipient organization offer you in return? Recognition of your business, access to an event, opportunities to connect with their audiences are all tangible benefits that your business could see through a well thought out partnership agreement.

What to do next

Start by brainstorming a list of ways you have supported causes recently.  Then think about innovative ways that you could help companies too.  Are there 1 or 2 ideas that would align with your work, your reputation and your business goals? Chances are you’ve done more and are doing more than you might think!

Keep a record and tell your community about it!

Once you have a strategy and are doing things that support important initiatives and organizations in your community, make sure you record them and tell your community about your efforts.  Remember, your giving strategy isn’t just good for your recipients – it can result in tangible marketing write offs for your business, and a boost to your reputation among current and future customers.