Construction companies have always been leaders in philanthropy and are some of the most charitable orgs we see making a huge impact today. The industry has the man-power, literally and figuratively. And more importantly, their mission is aligned to bettering their local communities.
The biggest hurdle we see for this industry is making sure these efforts are being tracked and not losing momentum in a fast and changing climate. Also, philanthropy efforts have become a vital portion of bidding on a community project.
So how can construction companies utilize their resources for the greatest impact in today’s climate? And how can they easily track their efforts to motivate employees and their communities?
1. Dollars for Doers.
Incentivize your employees with donation dollars for volunteer hours completed. Many employees are already motivated. Reward them with incentives like a dollars for doers program. Create a week-long volunteer event to build momentum around the program or a one-day event. And a great way to encourage them is to let them choose the nonprofits they want to support with their charitable dollars.
2. Coordinate local “hands on” volunteer opportunities.
Construction companies are loaded with manpower. Engage by offering them hands-on opportunities. Check out our “hands-on” collection in our Millie database full of nonprofits that would benefit from labor intensive activities. Habitat for Humanity and Make it Count Foundation are just a few examples from the list. You can check out the full collection here:
3. Create a match program.
Giving holds different language preferences for different people. Some employees prefer to give by monetary donation. Offering an ongoing match donation program incentivises employees to donate. And as mentioned before, if they are in the driver seat of choosing which nonprofits to support, the experience will feel more rewarding for them.
4. Empower social impact champions.
The absolute most successful way we’ve seen employees care is to give them a voice. There are social impact champions in every organization that are willing and excited to partner with you and be internal champions among their peers. The best way to give them this voice is by creating subcommittees and letting them spearhead some of the planning and execution. Championing these leaders goes a long way!
5. Make it fun!
No one ever said social impact had to be hard. We have seen so many fun social impact events recently. Like a magic show, a formal ball, or a CEO playing “Are you smarter than a 5th grader.”. Lean into what’s a good fit for your company’s culture.
6. Utilize your unique skills.
Construction is a great resource that can help those who need it. Connect with local orgs who could benefit from your services. Perhaps a local nonprofit’s facility could use a face lift. Or we’ve seen one construction company build a treehouse for a child through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. There are so many orgs who could benefit from construction support.
Millie is a great tool for connecting companies with philanthropic opportunities, engaging employees, and tracking efforts. Request a Millie demo for more information on how to be sure that your social impact efforts can be properly and seamlessly tracked.
