Help Animal Rescues via Corporate Giving

Helping out your neighbourhood animal shelter or local rescue as an individual results in making the world a better place for neglected animals to live in. Not only that, the act of helping can provide priceless benefits such as boosting your happiness and promoting a sense of well-being. But do you know what’s even better? Supporting an animal rescue or shelter as a corporation, which entails inviting more people to join in on the fun and reaping its benefits as a group! This Waldo’s Friends blog post tackles:  

• What is corporate giving?
• Why should you give as a corporation? 
• What are examples of corporate giving? 
• How can you start a corporate philanthropy program?

What is corporate giving?

Corporate giving pertains to social and philanthropic initiatives launched by a business or corporation. It is meant to support the welfare of another institution—such as a charity, foundation, or non-governmental organisation—and advocate a cause through charitable acts. These acts may include donations of money, time, goods, or services.  

Why should you give as a corporation?

Giving as a corporation does not only give employees a sense of purpose and belonging, it also helps create stronger relationships by providing bonding opportunities that extend beyond the workplace. Additionally, a 2013 study conducted by the Australian Charities Fund and the Centre for Social Impact revealed that people involved in workplace giving are more engaged and motivated towards their employer. Beyond fostering employee camaraderie and reinforcing employer-employee relationships, corporate giving can also help improve your company’s reputation, promote customer loyalty, and differentiate you from other businesses as you leave a positive impact on society. 

Animal rescue is one of the worthy causes that deserve more people’s attention, time, and effort. If you belong to a business that is considering partnering with a charity, think of the voiceless animals—especially ones that are neglected, abused, injured, or homeless—that will benefit from your company’s collective contributions. 

In Australia, there are many animal rescue and animal welfare groups such as WIRES and Australian Wildlife Conservancy that encourage corporations to start a giving program with them. However, you can reach out to lesser known rescue groups and local shelters to discover their urgent needs and help fund their short-term or long-term projects.

What are examples of corporate giving? 

There are many ways for a business to start a giving program for a local animal rescue or animal shelter. Review this list and explore which ones may be done by your business:

1 In cash or kind donations 

Companies can opt to do one-time, monthly, or annual cash or product donations, depending on their company’s budget or the goods and services their selected recipient needs. Animal rescues and shelters do not just need money for their day-to-day operations, they also need supplies such as newspapers, pet food, medicine, and more. 

2 Gift matching

One of the most popular forms of corporate giving, gift matching involves employees donating a certain amount of money to a non-profit, and their company donating the same (or even double!) amount given a specific period of time.   

3 Employee volunteer grants

This type of giving encourages individuals as well as teams to volunteer for a specific charity. The number of hours they spend volunteering in an animal shelter will be converted into an agreed-upon monetary amount that the corporation will donate to the same organisation. Definitely a win-win situation! 

4 Company-managed donations

In this program, the business automatically deducts a fixed amount from the employee’s pre-taxed salary, then donates it directly to the charitable institution. 

5 Community grants

These grants are initiated by the company, and may be offered to multiple recipients. Interested not-for-profit organisations are invited to request for the grant and explain how they would benefit from receiving the money. 

There are two types of community grants, namely programmatic and capability building. Programmatic grants usually support a specific cause and are tied to a particular project. Meanwhile, capacity building grants are focused on strengthening an aspect of the institution—its governance, management, infrastructure, and more. 

6 Project or event sponsorships

A company may choose to support a special project or event organised by a charity. The charity usually sets different sponsorship packages a company can choose from. In exchange, the not-for-profit gives the corresponding equivalent such as social media posts related to the company and logo inclusion on its website. 

7 Cause-related marketing

If your business sells products, you can offer to contribute a portion of an item’s sale to your chosen charity. This allows you as well as your customers to instantly support the non-profit organisation. Another bonus: The charity can be promoted in your store or website, so more people can be informed about it. 

8 Company fundraisers

Businesses can create and host their own fundraiser in support of a charitable institution. From the traditional raffle to bake sales, there are many in-person as well as online opportunities to raise funds.

How can you start a corporate philanthropy program?

Is there is no existing philanthropy program in your workplace? You can take charge by initiating it or suggesting it to your human resource department. The Business Journals suggests following these tips: 

1. Form a community involvement council. This will help determine the causes that are important for the employees. 
2. Provide options for causes to support, and explain how each cause can be helped. That way, employees can discover which ones they resonate with the most.
3. Go beyond employees. Find ways to involve your employees’ family and friends, and even your clients.
4. Thank your staff by giving them a reward when a philanthropic goal is achieved. Examples include dressing casually at work, getting off work early, or getting a day off. 
5. Be proud and show off your employees’ good deeds. Spread the news about your corporate giving projects via e-newsletters, on social media, or through the local news.
6. Encourage employees to give by making it a part of your culture. Partner with organizations throughout the year and not just during the holidays. 

In conclusion

Corporate giving has endless benefits for your business and your employees. We hope this post encourages you to form a philanthropy program in your workplace as soon as possible. Hopefully, animal rescue will be one of the main causes you decide to support as a corporation.