There’s no greater success for a business owner than genuinely giving back to the world while still succeeding in your field. Aiming for these two lofty goals can be daunting. Charity should only come after business growth is secured, right? It feels like common sense that you can only really give back if you have something to offer. But just donating a portion of your profits to a popular charity is so last year.
Today, most of your clients or customers really do care about the causes you support and the reasons you run your business. And the efforts you make to give back to your community are a massive part of what they’re looking for. So don’t wait to make money and make a few donations to advertise on social media. Build philanthropy into your business from the roots and operate in a way that makes you proud.
So, how do you choose a cause that aligns with you? Here are some businesses that get it right.
Businesses that give back
It’s a surefire sign of success when a brand is well-known for philanthropy in a competitive industry. When your charity or sustainable practices stand out from the crowd, people engage with your brand. And a business that’s well known for its giving nature can teach us a lot of great lessons.
TOMS
The buy-one-give-one (BOGO) shoe company famously donated a pair of shoes for every pair sold. TOMS has since halted its BOGO charity work due to the impact an overwhelming number of free shoes had on poorer countries. Instead, today they donate 1/3 of their profits to grass-roots charities and mental health organisations.
Profit-sharing toward charity can make a huge impact when done by a large corporation, but it was their original, simple concept that had people engaged. And that’s the lesson here. They made shoes, so they donated shoes.
Patagonia
Patagonia has a strong reputation for philanthropy, specialising in apparel for surfers, hikers, and any extreme sport. Besides imposing a 1% self-tax on every sale they make, they support communities, celebrate minimal waste design, and give back to grass-roots charities all over the globe.
Charity and sustainability have been part of the Patagonia brand from the start, and their customers are engaged with their chosen goal. Not to mention, they have the highest rank in several B-corp rankings!
Lululemon
The fitness wear retailer Lululemon has a recycling program that keeps a portion of their used textiles out of landfill and provides funds to circular product design, renew and recycle programs, and store environmental programs. They also make significant efforts to reduce their textiles’ environmental impact.
While they may not make huge donations to large charities, they use their position as a high-end clothing business to tackle an issue inside their industry, with tools only a textile company has access to.
There are plenty of brands with stories to learn from. You can look at the B-corporation website to see how businesses rank up and get some ideas for your own. So, you aren’t a huge corporation; how can you build your brand around a cause?
How to champion your cause
Purposeful donations aren’t as easy as sending money to a big charity and then posting about it on social media. Giant corporations with full teams of branding experts have been accused of greenwashing by the evaluating eyes of the public. People are too smart to be tricked by fake attempts to sound magnanimous, and you’ll do much more harm than good if you aren’t genuine.
So, how do you align your business around a purpose you genuinely believe in?
Choose the right purpose for you
An excellent place to start for a small business is finding an issue caused by some fault or side-effect of your industry. As I mentioned, Lululemon makes the landfill caused by the waste in the textile industry their mission. What can that be for you?
You can also give what you’re best at. TOMS originally donated a pair of shoes for every sale they made. Any non-footwear retailer would be far less efficient in that cause. Donate your time or services; you can have a far greater impact than simply giving money.
Attract the right people
Working with value-aligned teammates will help you establish a culture of generosity. And not only can they elevate your business, but more capable, driven people will be interested in working with you. Motivated, driven teammates are also the best place to get new ideas and causes for your brand to support.
Building your brand around a purpose helps you find the best people to work with and can drive great partnerships with charitable organisations too!
Build your brand around what you can offer
The social impact of your business is quickly becoming one of the most prominent questions in the minds of potential clients or customers. How are you giving, and why?
If you’re hungry for more information about building your social impact, read my free eBook.
And if you have any tips, stories, or questions about giving back, I’d love to hear from you.
