By Josh Driver
Let’s find some ways to do good today!
Everyone feels better when they do good. We can engage employees and help employees recharge by providing each other 10 ways to do good.
Think of those times you helped someone else. Awesome, right?! That’s the thought behind our book: Do Good, Feel Better!
In our book, Selflessly has combined efforts with Laura Wells McKnight & Ann-Marie Harrington to offer it to our community. The research showed that we can incorporate doing good as a key term beyond giving back! By using doing good, we can include additional ways to give back and help others! This article is a great way to think about employee engagement through doing good.
Why is this important?
It’s important because of the incredible positive effects of giving back & doing good for each individual doing the good and the overall community around us. This is a great book that creates positivity and is an easy read. As a highlight from our book, we want to share 10 ways to Do Good!
Check out the list below as a quick reference. Then throughout the rest of the article we will share quick highlights from each section.
Caring About Health and Wellness
Giving to Charities
Volunteering at a Charity
Serving on a Charity’s Board of Directors
Purchasing Products That Support a Cause
Recycling and Respecting a Sustainable Environment
Donating Items of Food and Clothing
Marketing a Favorite Charity
Sharing with Family and Friends in Need
Celebrating at Community Events
Next, we’ll share a bit more on giving examples & 10 Ways to Do Good. Enjoy 🙂
Caring About Health and Wellness
Caring for your mental and physical health is the first step in doing the most good for others. Pay attention to what makes you feel better. Exercising, eating nutritiously, expressing gratitude, spending time with people you enjoy, & acknowledging your self-worth are a few examples of caring. As a last point, always remember to celebrate the little things!
Giving to Charities
A fun reminder that if you can give a little, you’ve got a lot. Be grateful! People who practice gratitude report stronger immune systems, more positive emotions, lower blood pressure, increased happiness, more compassion, and fewer feelings of loneliness.
When it comes to giving, positive reinforcement is a must. In particular, it’s important to reinforce that every gift to charity is good! That is regardless of the profile of the giver, the size of the gift, or the charity receiving it.
Volunteering at a Charity
For Volunteering, research studies indicate that we have improved self-worth and feelings of accomplishment. Further, volunteering helps enhance a person’s social networks.
As a note, “Volunteering” means a hands-on contribution of your time to an organized cause that helps others. In the days of remote work, you can even consider your “hands-on” work to be virtual! Be creative to use your specific skills from near or far.
Serving on a Charity’s Board of Directors
As you give back and volunteer with charities, you may find the opportunity to help further on their board of directors. Similar to how for-profit companies have advisors and board members to help guide the organization, nonprofits need this too!
Many charities need help increasing their awareness. This will help in finding new donors and volunteers. You may even join a board and get your company involved in either volunteering or giving to the nonprofit.
Purchasing Products That Support a Cause
You can do good through your purchasing habits. Many of the items you already use daily or monthly can be purchased with a purpose. Many companies have a brand image around giving back to the local community or a global cause.
The B Corporation movement is about building a sustainable and inclusive economy. Many of which donate profits to a cause. You can support companies that have such stated missions that align with your goals and beliefs.
Recycling and Respecting a Sustainable Environment
As we look fully at individual and corporate social responsibility, recycling comes into play! This could be your individual items you purchase from the store that can be recycled. This could also be your computer, your laptop, or even any type of battery, in general!
It’s all helpful, especially as we see more cars transition to electric, we need the raw materials recycled to keep making batteries!
Donating Items of Food and Clothing
You can help provide charities with the necessary items they need! You can organize this at work, as well! Be sure to connect with the charity first to be sure they need items and can use them.
Food and clothing drives are great all year. Also, birthday parties or holiday parties can include a donation item to enter the party! Don’t forget, donating blood is another way to do good!
Marketing a Favorite Charity
Did you know, 65 percent of millennials are likely to volunteer if a coworker participates in a charity? Powerful, right? This is part of increasing awareness for charities. If you’d rather stay private about the causes you support, perhaps you could support by writing content for a charity’s website.
How about a few fun facts from a well-known cookie!
The first Girl Scout Cookies were baked in 1917 in the kitchens of Girl Scouts in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Babe Ruth promoted the “Million Cookie Drive” during the 1924 World Series
Thin Mints are the most popular — averaging $175 million in annual sales
Sharing with Family and Friends in Need
“Sharing” means helping one particular person, family, or group of people you select. Two great examples include adding money to a medical fund for a specific coworker or preparing a meal for a homebound neighbor. This is sharing as a social impact activity!
The reason we break this out separately is that the IRS does not allow charitable deductions for sharing. In other words for gifts that are intended to benefit specific individuals or families directly.
This is still a great way to do good! Remember the feelings and positivity that come? The only downside is that individuals or companies cannot claim a tax deduction for money you give to friends, family, or other people in need.
Celebrating
One way to explain celebrating is doing something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc. Celebrating definitely feels good! It makes you feel better about who you are, what you do, and what you have accomplished.
Another way to think about celebrating is through charitable events. “Celebrating” can mean supporting favorite causes by showing up at events. This is valuable to a charity because it helps the charity raise money for its mission and it also helps the charity raise awareness which helps bring new supporters to the cause.
The Key Takeaway
All 10 are great & can be considered as types of Corporate Philanthropy!
Feel free to incorporate any of the 10 Ways to Do Good into your employee giving and volunteering program or your individual efforts at home. We all will feel better!
A reminder, here’s the link to read the book in full : Do Good, Feel Better
We wish you an awesome day
