Here's how you can foster a culture of philanthropy within your organization.

Focusing on participation, rather than in dollar amounts, always helps build an organisation's culture of generosity. Also, celebrating every donor regardless of the donation amount, with small gestures and thank yous goes a long way in spreading the spirit of giving.

I learned this very quickly in my career: People join the effort when they trust the leaders are doing their part. In nearly all of my conversations, new donors/supporters ask about how to get more involved, and I am happy to share how I got into philanthropy myself and how I am giving back. I also find educating new supporters on how the organization values their support is extremely valuable. Board membership, volunteer activities, being a speaker at an event/classroom...all these are easy ways to take the first step, which creates deeper engagement and hopefully fosters a culture of wanting to give back.

Matching donations 1 for 1 demonstrates the company's serious commitment to philanthropy. Once we secure top-level buy-in, the rest of the organization is likely to follow, as many companies adopt a top-down approach. Without management's support, it will be challenging to convince the broader company. Fundraising is crucial, as second-generation wealth prioritizes not only the quality of the product but also its environmental impact.

Show, show, show! To be frank, people enjoy being recognized for their charitable contributions. At one event, we displayed each donor's name and personal message on a large screen for everyone to see. This resulted in the highest donation count ever, as employees felt the joy of donating and the empowerment of sharing a heartfelt message publicly. It was a highly engaging event, and many didn't mind donating extra because it served multiple objectives and provided greater value for each dollar donated.

It’s also important to spend time, one on one, with the power brokers (or the people who have leadership whether implied or designated) to fully demystify the processes around giving, and remain present in a regularly scheduled fashion. When something happens they don’t understand they may not call you, but their misunderstanding can quickly resonate and can be contagious. It’s important to know at the outset from leadership who these people are, and to address this from the start.

What I've found to be particularly valuable is stories from recipients or beneficiaries as to the impact the philanthropy had on them. Being able to provide tangible results (both for the community and professionally) can make the results "real". Doing a showcase of "what X cause did for you" or similar can be a great way to connect with your organization and create evergreen content around that tangible impact.

Make it celebratory! At a few organizations I've worked at we have utilized events to capture donors from within our organization. At Hill Learning Center (a community non-profit), we had a one mile race and invited faculty and staff to participate and consider fundraising from their community. At Poole College, we use our annual Day of Giving and host faculty and staff specific events to encourage and invite philanthropic participation. Our faculty and staff have been participating at a higher rate annually and are excited to come to the event. It has become a part of the year that individuals look forward to - everyone gets to be part of something bigger together.