Unlocking the Value: The Business Benefit of Charity Partnerships

Unlocking the Value: The Business Benefit of Charity Partnerships

Introduction

The phrases “Social Value”, “CSR” and “Giving Back” are being heard more and more in the business world yet for so many businesses of all sizes, sometimes we just do not know where to start with our approach. One big element of Social Value is often around forming partnerships with local charities- as a business we have supported a number of charities over the years but our strongest partnership to date has been with We are Beams, a charity in Hextable, Kent that supports disabled children and their families in a number of ways (More information can be found at www.wearebeams.org.uk ). Our biggest achievement so far as well as a great amount of fundraising has been with my recent appointment as a trustee of the charity which gives our business an opportunity to offer a greater level of support in helping to ensure the charity is run to its full potential.

Over LinkedIn especially, you will see social media posts in abundance about charity partnerships and support but how do these partnerships actually benefit your business? This blog explores some of the key ways that a positive and productive charity partnership can bring about a number of enhancements to your business.

Supports Success in Winning Work and Achieving Accreditations

As part of my role, I help uphold the business memberships and accreditations as well as supporting others in doing so and I am also the lead for PQQs and tenders. Questions about Social Value are coming up more and more and whereas previously we would just be asked for some generation information or a policy, they are now often asking for actual evidence in the form of thank you letters, social media proof or similar. This involvement has to be recent (usually in the last 6-12 months) and specific so not having a strong partnership in place can make this a stressful, last-minute element to evidence.

Development of new Business Networks

Through our support of We are Beams and in my role as a trustee, I am now in a position to develop connections with a whole new network of people for completely free who I may not have previously come across or had access to. Whether it’s the staff or the people I meet at networking events, fundraisers or other charity focused engagements, it’s another brilliant way to grow our business connections. This also benefits the wider networks and the charity itself as there is lots of new groups of people to engage with who all share a common goal in terms of support the work the charity delivers.

Demonstrates and encourages positive company culture

By involving your people in the choice of a charity or the fundraising efforts you choose to participate in you can help increase employee engagement through the working towards a common goal and more than likely having great fun at the same time! We have had team members take part in a London to Brighton bike ride, quiz nights, fire walks, charity balls and now we are working to develop our own fundraising ideas- watch this space!

Less Corporation Tax

Limited companies can pay less Corporation Tax as a result of charity donations, and paying less which is a welcome relief for many, leaving your business with additional cash to invest into and continue to develop the businesss.

From experience, the key to a successful charity partnership includes considering the following elements:

·??????? Ensure you pick a charity that your employees and wider team are in support of – this will encourage a greater level of overall support because your people want to be involved.

·??????? Make sure your commitments are scalable, repeatable and beatable! There is zero benefit in pulling out all the stops one year to deliver a one-off donation or commitment that you cannot improve on or at least match in the future- the best support you can give is consistency and longevity

·??????? Take time to understand what the charity offers and how it works, this will help to build a strong and trusting partnership.

Developing Charity Partnerships is just one element of developing your businesses Social Value approach – if you would like to discuss this further or have additional support with other aspects of your strategy please contact me directly [email protected] or the wider team via [email protected]. Future blogs will also cover the topic of Social Value including educational partnerships and supporting the local community.

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