There are many communities in need of assistance, but unfortunately, there are never enough people available to provide help. At the same time, corporations can benefit from team building and community involvement. One way for corporations to achieve both of these goals is by offering employees opportunities to work together to support the community. It can even be as simple as bringing food and coffee to local health workers as an act of thank you for their service.
By having corporate teams come together to participate in community engagement initiatives, organizations can accomplish positive change in their local areas and cultivate a sense of shared purpose and responsibility among their staff. Getting employees to work as a team in this way can bring about positive results for the community and yield better outcomes for the organization. Your team will have a sense of accomplishment which in the end will get them to feel proud to be working within your corporation.
What are Community Engagement Initiatives
Community engagement initiatives are planned activities designed to foster meaningful relationships between a business or organization and the local community. These initiatives often focus on providing a wide range of resources, from food and housing support to local parks for the kids. It can create opportunities of bringing diverse groups of people together to address common issues. It can also focus on education, like offering to read books to kids in your local library. Supporting members of the community can be as simple as donating to the local food banks or simply just saying high and listening to them. A little goes a long way and don’t forget to have fun with it!
How to Improve Community Engagement
Creating effective community engagement initiatives requires careful consideration and planning. It’s important to know the needs of the community as well as what resources are available to support the people. By understanding the target audience and the resources available, it is possible to create an initiative that will have a positive impact on the community.
So, how to get employees to work as a team while helping others?
There are numerous ways to get involved in and contribute to the community while enjoying yourself. You and your team can build wheelchairs for hospitals or senior citizens. You can organize a trail walk and bring trash bags to collect all the trash. Not only are you creating a beautiful space that people can enjoy but you’re also helping our earth. Improving our community gives you a sense of accomplishment knowing you are participating in making the world a better place.
Here are 3 ways on how to improve community engagement:
1. Identifying – Figuring out what a local community needs.
Figuring out what a local community need is the first step in getting your team to work as a whole. It can be picking up trash around the town or donating to a local pet shelter. Volunteer programs can help employees in a variety of ways. It can boost your company’s morale to know that they work for a company that cares about others and help the overall atmosphere in the workplace. One example is volunteering at your local animal shelter which in all cases, they are responsible for a number of pets and sometimes cannot provide the necessary supplies. In our Paws for a Cause workshop, your team can have the opportunity to help out pets in need by preparing supplies such as dog beds, pull toys or a pet gift to be donated to local pet shelters. Additionally, volunteer programs can help promote a sense of purpose and give employees an opportunity to give back to their community.
2. Designing – Assigning team roles and responsibilities.
Assigning team roles and responsibilities. It’s important to communicate clear goals and purpose for why you are doing what you’re doing in the community. So, after your company picks an initiative that you want your team to take part in, devise a plan. If you’re going to organize a trash pick-up day, put your employees into different teams, each team will scope out a different part of an area. Don’t forget to make it enjoyable, so whichever team collects the most in a certain amount of time frame, wins a prize and bragging rights. This also gives the opportunity for people in your corporation to get to know each other and help create meaningful connections between members of the community and each other. Inspire everyone into getting involved and provide a way for everyone to contribute.
3. Executing – Put it into effect.
Put it into effect. After viewing what good can be done within your corporation and how much everyone has enjoyed it, continue to do so. Community projects are another great way to get your employees to work as a team bringing people together and encouraging a sense of connectedness and belonging. Through projects that involve meaningful activities, such as our Do Good Bus where we pick you up to do charitable work and help the community. Whether it is working in a soup kitchen or helping out in a shelter. With each bus ride, we make sure to incorporate your company’s core values and mission while giving back.
The Benefits of Corporate Teams Engaging in Community Engagement Initiatives
Not only is your corporation benefiting society, but it is also helping your team come together to make a better dynamic in the workplace. Teams will learn what it means to work together in achieving the same goal. By participating in activities, employees can feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. In this section, we will discuss deeper a few reasons why and how community engagement strengthens your team.
Increased Sense of Shared Purpose and Responsibility
A sense of shared purpose and responsibility among employees can be a major asset to any organization. It can create a team that doesn’t feel like there is just another day at work. They can feel a sense of belongingness and excitement as if that is where they should be. This can help motivate employees to work together to build stronger and more trustworthy bonds with each other. Having employees feel as if they have a purpose, gives them a greater sense of pride in a company’s success.
Improved Employee Morale
Involving your employees in community engagements has a positive effect on employee satisfaction. Working for a company that gives back, gives people a sense of fulfillment as if they’re proud to say they work there. Engaging with the community often provides employees with a refreshing break from their day-to-day tasks, allowing them to take a step back and gain a new perspective on their work. Which in turn helps strengthen your team because it will help the overall productivity within your corporation.
Increased Company Loyalty
Community involvement also helps employees stick with your organization instead of looking for a job somewhere else. Company loyalty and morale go hand and hand. When your employees feel good about the work they’re doing, there’s no need for them to go anywhere else. Having a company that is noble and incorporates corporate social responsibility increases a sense of pride and loyalty that can be helpful over time and carry it into their professional lives.
How TeamBonding Can Help
TeamBonding helps corporate teams by making community engagement more interactive and enjoyable. We help teams devise creative and engaging activities to strengthen their relationships with the community. It can also help them create fun challenges and activities that allow all team members to learn, develop, and have fun while engaging with the community.
TeamBonding has many Charitable & CSR team building programs. A couple of the programs that we offer are our Foodbank Showdown where teams are competing on contestants’ row, trivia competition, and grocery theme challenge stations where they will get to win coupons along the way to exchange for groceries that will be donated to a local charity. Also, Cooking for a cause where you will participate in cooking classes, which involve food, competition, and creative challenges. Your group will be divided into small teams who work together to create meals to share with local families. These are just a couple of the charitable events that we offer and there is so much more. We are happy to provide ongoing support and guidance to help you reach your goals.
If you’re looking for a fun, engaging activity for your team that also supports the community, get in touch with TeamBonding for more details!
