Community involvement is one of the five essential components of business social responsibility.  Community involvement (CI) refers to the myriad ways businesses can draw upon their unique expertise, resources, and connections to actively engage with community organizations to address local and global issues.  Most commonly, companies provide contributions of cash, in-kind, and people to support the work of nonprofit organizations.  However, more and more companies are now engaging with nonprofits through commerce. 

To be most effective, community involvement needs to be authentic, strategic and linked to a company’s specific business model, mission, and needs.  Community involvement initiatives, while providing benefit to a nonprofit, also need to be designed to help the company address such issues as reputation/visibility, customers, employees, and investors.  

There are more than one million nonprofits in the United States today – and all need business support.  Therefore, companies need to be very intentional about the causes and organizations with which they choose to get involved.   There may be some very worthy organizations that are best supported as part of your individual philanthropy but for a variety of reasons may not be an optimal choice from a business perspective.   I am not suggesting businesses should support causes they don’t really care about just to make a buck.  What I am suggesting is that “all win” choices are good.  If you would like your employees to be stronger as a team, choosing to support an organization that really needs volunteers for a project might be a wiser choice than one that only wants a silent auction gift certificate.  

Food for Thought

How have you selected which nonprofits are supported by your company?

What benefits did your support provide for the nonprofit?  For your company?