Why Giving Back Matters for Small Businesses

From donating services to leadership mentoring, small business owners and entrepreneurs are discovering how to “give back” without breaking their budgets.

When companies engage in community outreach, their efforts often extend beyond the intended recipients. Supporting local initiatives can boost employee engagement and morale, helps create a more vibrant community, and impacts how customers and employees view you.

When small businesses participate in community initiatives, they often build connections that lead to stronger customer relationships and new opportunities. Giving back can foster goodwill, create loyalty, and help your business become more deeply rooted in the community it serves.

Here are budget-friendly ideas for small businesses looking for ways to give back to their local communities.

Join Local Community Events

Organized events are an easy place to start when seeking volunteer opportunities for your small business and employees.

Possibilities range from helping with neighborhood clean-up days and food drives to more formal galas that benefit charities and other local organizations dedicated to the populations you and your employees care about.

Explore social media and websites for event calendars for local organizations, schools, city and other agencies to find volunteer opportunities for your small business and staff.

Volunteers are seen as invaluable to nonprofit organizations and other groups serving community members.

“Volunteers are a tremendous resource for charitable nonprofits. Absent volunteers, many charitable nonprofits would not be able to conduct programs, raise funds, or serve clients,” says a post by the National Council of Nonprofits. 

Support Youth Teams and School Groups

While the level of sponsorship that gets your business name on a big banner in a sports stadium is likely out of reach, there are other sponsorship-like options for small businesses.

To identify matchups with your company, check with community youth organizations and schools in your area for potential activities, students and/or local participants seeking assistance.

For example, your business may be able to help cover the cost of equipment or team gear like shirts and caps for a team, or contribute to the cost of other supplies, such as water bottles for practices or snacks for concessions at games.

Think beyond local sports too. Consider sponsorship opportunities that support local youth groups and activities in areas such as drama, debate, cheer and dance teams.

In some cases, your small business may be acknowledged as a local sponsor, whether in printed materials and/or in an announcement during an event you contributed to.

Donate Products, Services, or Skills

Another affordable route for small businesses wanting to give back is by offering their services, products or skills for free to benefit a community organization.

A natural fit, for example, would be a food-based business that donates to a local food pantry or provides meals to volunteers during a fundraising event for a charity.

Also, look into skills-based volunteering, by giving access to the skills and expertise held by you and your employees to a nonprofit that needs assistance in particular areas.

Start by thinking internally and involving your employees, suggests Common Impact CEO Rachel Hutchisson in a post by CO, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s digital platform for small business.

“You start within, understand your skills, understand the interest of your people, and then you look for ways to engage with the outside world,” Hutchisson says in the article by Erica Sweeney.

To learn more about giving back to your communities, see this Strategic Guide for Businesses Committed to Philanthropy and 5 Reasons Giving Back Should Be In Your Marketing Strategy.