The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has once again arrived. It is a time when many of us pause and reflect on what we’re grateful for in our lives. Whether it be on an individual basis, or as part of a larger group, GivingTuesday is a perfect opportunity to consider the sheer power of generosity.
First created in 2012, the idea behind GivingTuesday is simple: it’s a day that encourages people to do good. Celebrated each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this global generosity movement puts radical generosity and selflessness at the forefront.
As an organization founded on a people-first philosophy, we believe all companies can find a way to make an impact – big or small. If you’re an HR professional wondering where to start, here are three easy ways you can get your team involved.
1) Find volunteer opportunities that your employees are passionate about – then support them with dedicated time off to lend a hand. Start with an easy survey to your employees using a free tool such as SurveyMonkey. Rather than the company dictating, learn what causes they are passionate about supporting. With this information on hand, you can compile a list of volunteer opportunities to share and encourage participation. But don’t just encourage participation, help make it a reality! Here at Atrium, we created a volunteer program called Atrium Cares – where each employee is given one “free day off” per year (paid!) to go out and do something philanthropic. GivingTuesday is the perfect opportunity to inspire your staff to take advantage and make a difference in their community. If you already have a volunteer program in place, consider organizing a companywide event and get in some great team building time for a cause.
2) If volunteering isn’t in the cards this year for your employees, consider organizing a food drive. Last year, an estimated 1 in 8 Americans (38 million) were food insecure. Donating food to shelters to help keep them stocked is an easy but great way for your employees to make a difference on GivingTuesday. Encourage your staff to bring a can or two of food and create a food drive station in your office. At the end of the day, you can donate it to a local shelter or food pantry in your neighborhood. Check out Feeding America for more tips on how to set up a food drive in your community.
3) Consider starting a corporate matching gift program. Corporate matching gift programs are not only a great tactic for raising money, but also an awesome way to support your employees and the causes that are near & dear to their hearts. These programs are set up so that whenever an employee donates to a charity, they can request that their company match the donation, typically on a 1:1 ratio. This is a remarkable way to maximize the impact by ultimately raising twice as much money for the selected cause.
It’s important to remember that the idea behind GivingTuesday is that you can participate (or encourage participation) in so many ways – from promoting positivity, to volunteering time, to raising funds. Kindness has a ripple effect that can fuel an endless stream of generous behaviors. We encourage you to be a voice for your organization this #GivingTuesday and create your own radical acts of generosity.
