Why and how every business should give back
My Christian faith prompts me to give regularly, to look after those who are less fortunate than me. Look around! It doesn’t take long before you see a need that requires money or time.
When I started Honey & Flint, I felt that it was important that this business, regardless of how much it earns me, should give back. And I personally think that every business should.
Why?
Here’s three reasons:
- Because people, wildlife, and the environment are struggling in many different ways, and they need our help. Poverty, pollution, population growth, poaching, these are a bunch of ‘p’ words that just scrape the surface of the need that exists.
- Because we can afford to help. Even small donations can make a difference! If you consider just a 5-10% portion of your business earnings, you could make quite a significant difference over time.
- Because there are business benefits. Come June 30, those donations can help you save on your tax bill.
How?
There are a range of ways you can choose to give.
- Make a once off donation to your charity of choice just before tax time
- Decide on a monthly amount to donate throughout the year. This is a great option for charities, as they can then depend on, and plan around your ongoing donations.
- If you have employees, consider offering workplace giving, where your employees can nominate a charity, and an amount of their salary to be donated on a regular basis.
- If money is difficult for you to give, I find that people are always in need of services. Perhaps you could decide to allot a certain number of hours each month to help out a charity, or do something for someone in the local community. I’ve definitely noticed that I get asked if it would be ok for me to do this or that, so if I know that I’ve allowed 2-5 hours a month to offer my services for free, then I can factor this in to my time.
There are plenty more ways to give, and a quick chat to your accountant can help you identify the best way for your business to give back.
And don’t be afraid to share your charitable acts. It’s not bragging to put your charity of choice on your website, it’s sharing your heart, and spreading the word. It should be commonplace for businesses to be charitable. So, advising your customers that you support World Vision, Cancer Council or A21 (like me) is a great way of showing them what you care about, and that you are deliberate in passing on some of the profits of your business.
Today, make the decision to give, and commit to it.