Did you know that corporate community engagement plays a significant role in building a positive team culture? That’s just one of the many benefits of community engagement in the workplace.
These activities can help you build a winning workplace culture that goes beyond the bottom line. When employees feel connected to something bigger, they show up differently. They’re not just working, they’re bringing their A-game for a vision that extends beyond the office walls and their paychecks.
By linking your company’s goals with meaningful corporate community outreach programs, you create a space your teams are genuinely excited to be a part of. Let’s explore how you can leverage this to build stronger teams and a positive culture before we dive into some community engagement examples to get you started.
What Are the Benefits of Corporate Community Engagement?
Corporate community engagement is a win-win strategy that benefits more than just your community—it elevates your business and empowers your employees. Use it to create a positive workplace where your employees can feel honored and passionate, and you’ll unlock their hidden potential.
Corporate Community Engagement By the Numbers
The numbers speak volumes here. For example, a comprehensive review of literature on the topic from the One More Tree Foundation revealed the following statistics and trends:
- Morale and Job Satisfaction: Employees who participate in corporate community outreach programs report higher job satisfaction alongside a sense of accomplishment and pride.
- Engagement and Productivity: Corporate community involvement results in an increase in workplace engagement. Employees exhibit increased productivity, motivation, and commitment to their organization’s success.
- Turnover Rates: Employee volunteer and community engagement programs lead to lower turnover rates and a more positive opinion of company culture.
- Collaboration and Team Skills: Corporate community engagement helps build essential teamwork, leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
Top Benefits of Community Engagement
Before we start highlighting our favorite ideas for community engagement, let’s take a closer look at how volunteering can benefit your teams. Here are the top three ways corporate community involvement can benefit your company.
1. Positive Brand Reputation
Corporate community engagement can give your company a better reputation. It shows that your company truly cares about giving back to the community, whether you’re volunteering, donating, or finding other ways to give back.
This improves your brand by demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility, which can set you apart from the competition. Potential customers and talent alike will see the good your company is doing and have a higher chance of choosing you over others.
2. Improved Community Relationships
Community relationships can be essential for success in many industries. Prospective clients want to see that your company focuses on more than making more money. They want to support companies that genuinely care about their employees and community.
Remember, when you help the community, you’re often helping the people who are engaging with your organization. Improving your community relationships helps your business by building customer loyalty and a reputation people can trust. In turn, loyal customers spread the word, and this word-of-mouth marketing gives you the opportunity to gain new customers.
3. Employee Engagement and Motivation
Corporate community engagement can also benefit employees and teams in several ways that improve your bottom line. When your employees are involved in something that’s important and that they’re passionate about, this brings them a sense of joy and accomplishment.
Suddenly, your employees aren’t just working a regular 9-5 with no purpose. They’re helping people, giving back to their community, and supporting an organization that cares. This boosts their happiness, which leads to more engagement, motivation, and productivity.
Building Winning Teams with Corporate Community Engagement
Okay, so you’re ready to explore some community outreach ideas for businesses that want to give back, but what now?
It’s time to take the first step to empower your employees and make a lasting impression on your local community. In doing so, you’ll help turn your organization into a sustainable workplace.
You and your teams can work together to build a positive team culture one success at a time. Here are four helpful steps to point you in the right direction.
1. Identify Community Needs and Causes Based on Company Values
The first step is to review your company’s mission statement. This will help you figure out what your company stands for and its overall purpose, and refine that if needed.
From there, you can research organizations that align with your company’s values and social mission. You’ll also want to look into the needs of your community; try focusing on the groups who are most likely to buy from or work for your company.
Sometimes the best way to find out what the community needs is to talk directly to the people who live there. You might send out surveys to existing customers or connect with community managers to ask what issues need to be addressed and how you can help.
2. Incorporate Community Involvement In Company Policies and Goals
If you don’t have one, you might start by implementing an employee volunteering policy that allows for PTO for volunteering. Your policy could also outline examples of community involvement you’ll be engaging in together. Provide your employees with all the resources they need to make volunteering more convenient and enjoyable.
You might also delve into community support goals with corporate giving programs. Look for charities that need donations and encourage employees to help donate. At the end of each year, consider tallying up the donations made by each team or employee to celebrate how much your organization gave to those in need.
3. Encourage Employee Participation and Volunteerism
Now it’s time to get your employees involved! It’s all about motivating your employees to volunteer their time and help with the community needs you’d like to support. For example, if you set up a company donation program, give out awards to the teams or employees who donated the most!
Another effective method for motivating employees is to acknowledge their hard work and achievements with hands-on volunteering. Try creating volunteering leaderboards or planning a fun corporate volunteering event to celebrate a win for your team.
4. Monitor the Impact of Corporate Community Involvement
Finally, keep tracking the impact of your corporate community engagement. This helps you identify areas that need improvement and ensure you’re making a positive impact on the causes you support.
We already mentioned tracking participation to recognize and reward employees. This can also help you evaluate and improve your programs each year.
Next, consider the effect your organization’s involvement has on the community. Here are some questions to ask:
- Is the community satisfied with how you’re getting involved?
- Do people believe you’re doing a good job?
- Are your employees satisfied?
Corporate Community Engagement for Team Building
If you want to get the most out of these initiatives, make it fun! Corporate community engagement is rewarding and a great opportunity to have fun with your employees. It creates team building opportunities to get you and your workers out of the office and into situations where you’re helping others and connecting with each other.
You can also use these programs to engage in a bit of friendly competition. Team building competition can help build a positive company culture. It gives employees a chance to get to know each other, build relationships, and improve trust. All for the good of the community!
Our Top 3 Community Involvement Examples
With over two decades of experience with team building activities, we’ve identified several ways for organizations to give back and strengthen their teams. Here are some of our favorite community outreach ideas for businesses of all types:
- Bikes for the Biosphere: In this program, teams get together to build adult bicycles to donate to local community centers. It’s good for people who may not have transportation and great for the environment.
- Clean Water Connection: This program gives your team the ability to make a difference in some of the world’s most underprivileged communities. You and your employees will build water filters that provide people with clean water for years to come.
- Wheels Around the World: In this philanthropic program, each team will complete a set of activities and then personalize a wheel safety cover for their sponsored recipient. Participants make a direct impact on a person’s life and raise awareness of what it’s like to live with a physical disability.
Each of these programs will help your employees feel good about themselves, your company, and their coworkers. They can appreciate what everyone has accomplished together and how they’ve helped others while connecting on a deeper level.
For more examples of community involvement-oriented team building programs, check out our charitable and corporate social responsibility page.
Examples of Successful Corporate Community Engagement
There are many companies that are already reaping the benefits of corporate community engagement. Here are a few of the best examples of organizations that have taken an active role in creating positive changes within their community and team culture:
- Coca-Cola Foundation: This philanthropic program uses strategic investments to support sustainable community initiatives across the globe.
- Salesforce Foundation: This one’s all about partnering with school districts and education nonprofits to ensure students have the skills they need to succeed in life.
- The Starbucks Foundation: This program provides grants to youth programs and nonprofit organizations, transforming lives across the world. It also focuses on uplifting communities affected by a disaster.
- Walmart Foundation: This corporate giving program works to give people access to a better life, ensuring that more people have access to the foods they want and need.
- Apple Community+: This program rewards Apple employees for giving back. For every hour they volunteer and every dollar they donate, Apple matches it with a monetary donation to the same organization.
- Johnson & Johnson Foundation: This program invests in companies and individuals who are on the front lines of delivering care and maintaining health systems within communities in need.
- Motorola Solutions Foundation: This program provides donations to support first responders, STEM education programs, and underrepresented communities in need of aid.
Ready to Get Started with Corporate Community Engagement?
It’s time to get started building your winning team! Building a powerful company culture isn’t just about internal strategies—it’s about connecting your team to something bigger. The benefits range from happier employees and a more productive workplace to a larger, more loyal customer base.
Whether it’s volunteering with local nonprofits or creating meaningful community initiatives, your company has the power to drive positive change. Remember, investing time and resources into your community is an investment in your organization’s success.
Take the first step today. Contact TeamBonding to learn more about how we can help you elevate your company culture and create meaningful impacts where it matters the most.
