Many new entrepreneurs feel a strong desire to give back to their communities or to causes that mean something special to them. However, they might not know how to get started even though they’re driven by a passion for philanthropy. In truth, you don’t need much to make a big impact on the charities and causes that are important to you. Here are just some ways you can become a successful philanthropist without a multi-million dollar corporation at your disposal.
Make Quarterly Gifts
As a new entrepreneur, you may not have a vast fortune to donate to your favorite cause, but every gift will be appreciated. To make an impact that’s longer-lasting, you can divide your donation up into quarterly installments. This can help the charitable organization make better use of your $3,000 or $5,000 yearly donation over a longer period of time. Additionally, making quarterly donations will help you stay active in philanthropy throughout the year.
Choose One Community Organization
Some businesses change direction with their philanthropic efforts from year to year, which can be confusing for their own employees and for their customers. Instead, it’s better to choose one organization that supports the cause that you care about. In donating regularly to that organization, you can develop a strong relationship that will benefit your business and the cause that will be helped through your efforts of philanthropy. As you build this relationship, your employees and customers will want to get involved as well.
Partnering With a Charity
Once you build a relationship with a charitable organization, such as Rusty Tweed, you may be able to partner with them. This will help you each promote one another and draw more people to your causes. Your own customers will take an interest in the charities your business supports, while other donors to the same organization may take a deeper interest in you and your business.
Giving More Than Money
Another benefit of working closely with one organization is that you’ll learn more about how the organization functions. You’ll also learn more about its needs and how you can help fulfill those needs. As a new entrepreneur, you may not have hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked for charitable donations, but, as your business grows, you will have a stronger influence in your community. You can use that influence to organize blood drives, food drives, clothing donations, or other community events to raise awareness for your philanthropic cause.
Getting Your Customers Involved
Even when your resources are limited, you can make a bigger and lasting contribution by getting your customers involved in your philanthropic efforts. One good way to do this is to host a raffle and give away a free product or service. The money your customers pay for each raffle ticket can go towards the philanthropic organization of your choice. This can generate a much larger donation than that which you would donate single-handedly.
Use Social Media
You should already have an account on one or more social media websites for the purpose of growing your business. You can also use these accounts to help raise awareness about your philanthropic efforts. This will let your followers know that you have an interest in a specific cause or organization, which may also inspire them to get involved with the same charity. By using hashtags relevant to the cause or charity, you’ll become accessible to a wider range of people.
You may find more ways to increase your philanthropic impact over time. While you should check with the organizations to see how tax laws affect the donations they can accept, your philanthropic efforts are only limited by your own creativity. In time, your business will grow and you’ll be able to give more to the causes that inspire you, but, in the meantime, there’s still much you can do to positively influence the causes you care about
