Many nonprofit organizations in our communities do good work that helps different groups of people by raising awareness of people in a particular group they represent, educating the community on how that group needs help and how they help a specific group. Businesses play a role in helping nonprofits in our community. We spoke to Jennifer Dotson, a long-time nonprofit leader, to find out about the importance of corporate giving from a nonprofit perspective.
Jennifer has been involved with nonprofit organizations for the past thirty-one years. Her first involvement came when she was sixteen years old and one of her school requirements was to get involved with a nonprofit. After completing her assignment, she continued volunteering at the nonprofit organization, which led her to getting hired at her first nonprofit job.
During her years working in nonprofits, she worked with corporate giving programs, from small businesses to very large corporations, including Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing. She’s found that corporate giving to nonprofits benefits businesses in several ways:
Builds morale by showing employees that their place of employment is supportive and care about helping in the community
Exposes employees to community service
It’s fun gathering together for a purpose that improves the world and is not just getting together to finish a work product that has a deadline to make more profit for the company
Employees get to interact with the world
How does corporate giving benefit small businesses?
Jennifer explained that small businesses experience the same benefits as large corporations, but another benefit is publicity and awareness for smaller businesses!
By getting your name out there and joining a movement or a cause that helps align yourself with likeminded people, you get connected with businesses and partners that may share the same values.
How can organizations start corporate giving programs?
Corporate giving programs start with organizational values and with a leader who champions corporate giving.
Organizational values to give starts with a passion (fire in your belly) and reason to drive a person or people to do something above and beyond the normal day-to-day activities.
It also takes the momentum of employees to share and would be in favor of giving-several stars should align!
Jennifer personally feels so happy, excited and fulfilled when she sees corporate giving programs making a different and impact on communities. This is especially so during the pandemic. It gives a boost that nonprofits need to survive during really tough times.
Wedding Estates Hawaii has committed to making a small impact on our community by contributing to the Salvation Army, who is responsive when the community is in need, and Hawaii Public Radio, providing quality classical music. We encourage all businesses, small, medium or large, to find your passion to help your community and start a corporate giving program today.
Photos courtesy Jennifer Dotson and Wedding Estates Hawaii