What is a Corporate Holiday Giving Program?

As the holidays draw closer, this is an opportune time to decide if you want to participate in a corporate holiday giving program.

With the fiscal pressures of the holiday season, many find themselves struggling to keep up with financial demands. Your company can help by making a positive difference in the lives of others through the implementation of a corporate holiday giving program.

Some organisations make these programs mandatory; others set up such programs for voluntary participation. Some organisations will have a range of activities within their program, some of which are voluntary and some of which are mandatory.

Here are some ideas to kick off your corporate giving program.

1. Instead of gifts to clients, make donations on their behalf to a local organisation.

Many businesses don't need the gift hamper they receive from their suppliers or providers. You can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability by putting your commitment into action through making a donation on behalf of your client. It is great to put some thought into which charity you choose to receive your donation. It might be another client of yours. It might be a client of your client's. It might be an organisation with which they are already involved. It might even be something that relates to their business. For example, if their business is in the food and beverage industry, you might donate to a soup kitchen or food bank.

2. Donate staff time.

Staff volunteering initiatives are great to enjoy all year around but especially important over the holiday season! As not-for-profits in the community work hard to wrap gifts for people in need, assemble food hampers for families struggling in the Christmas period, an extra set of hands is greatly appreciated. Choose a not-for-profit with which you already have a relationship or would like to build a relationship as this staff volunteering can then be rolled out further into the following year.

3. Create a homemade-only Secret Santa initiative.

One of the key environmentally unsustainable practices of the holiday season is the huge emphasis on consumerism. If your organisation participates in Secret Santa, consider creating a rule for all gifts to be homemade from recycled materials. This not only challenges staff to be creative in their approach but cuts down on wastage over the period. For those who are time-poor and struggling to come up with an idea, you could also extend the rules to allow purchasing from op-shops. This is a great opportunity to encourage people to think differently about the environmental impact the holidays have on our planet and our society.

4. Use your 2021 holiday period to trial your 2022 employee giving initiatives.

If you want to find out whether or not your employee giving or volunteering initiatives will create a meaningful impact in the community and among your team, now is a wonderful time to test the waters to see if you're on the right track! Whether it's a donation model, a volunteer model or a pro-bono program, these next few weeks can serve as the time to gather feedback from your staff members and the organisations with which you are engaging.

If you're looking for some more fantastic ideas or if you need help building your corporate holiday giving program, contact Strategic Sustainability Consultants today!

This article was originally published on the Strategic Sustainability Consultants website.