Giving back to your community does more than just make you feel good. From volunteering and donating to sponsoring and fundraising, there are various ways to spread kindness and hope in your local community. In this article, Vinod Ramchandra Jadhav discusses how and why entrepreneurs should be generous in helping those in need.
Why give back to your community?
The best reason to help those in need is that it is the right thing to do. But there’s more to it than that. So, let’s examine why you should, who benefits, and how.
The apparent benefactors of any charitable giving are the recipients—the person or group of people toward whom the generosity is directed. But good will reaches further than the intended target. A kind helping hand affects the recipient, the giver, and those associated with them. As a result, tangential relationships on both sides of the giving/receiving transaction are elevated.
To illustrate how giving time and resources to a worthy cause elevates the receiver and the giver, consider what happened when a small engineering firm decided to organize and execute a community beautification project. After considering various options, the staff decided to spend a Saturday painting over graffiti.
Working with the city where they are located, the group of employees identified a few streets in town that were covered in graffiti. They picked a date and purchased the needed paint and painting supplies. They used social media to invite other local businesses to participate if they wanted.
During the community beautification event, the volunteers worked alongside many community members. They developed relationships that carried well beyond that single event.
By giving back to their community, this small group of entrepreneurs helped shape their company’s culture—they now saw themselves as a community-minded team, deeply integrated with and interested in their neighbors. They created invaluable positive branding for their company.
They beautified the downtown area, and a spirit of unity and cooperation was born. Even those that couldn’t participate were affected by the new outlook and attitude of many in the community.
How entrepreneurs can give back to their community.
Not every business is in a position to carry out a huge volunteer event. This is especially true for small companies and startups working hard to keep their doors open and the lights on. But, giving back doesn’t have to be a significant endeavor; you can start small and try a few different ideas to see what works best for you.
Most communities have food pantries that always need volunteers to sort and distribute food items. You will see more teamwork and cooperation by simply coordinating a day when a group from your company can work alongside each other to help those in need.
During the holidays, you could organize a toy drive for underprivileged children. Your team will get excited as they see the stack of toys grow, and the spirit of giving will elevate everyone.
If your business offers a service, try doing some pro bono work for those in need. As you do, you are investing in your business’s long-term goodwill and positive brand.
Whatever you decide, rest assured that giving back to your community is a win-win for everyone involved. It will be worth your time, effort, and resources to make it a regular part of your company culture.
About Vinod Ramchandra Jadhav
A self-described first-generation Entrepreneur, Mr. Vinod Ramchandra Jadhav is the Chairman of SAVA Group and Devtech M2M. With a professional career spanning more than two decades, he is well versed in marketing, sales, supply chain management, and regulatory and corporate affairs in various capacities. Mr. Jadhav holds Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and a graduate degree in Materials Management.
