Business and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are no longer catch phrases. Smart businesses are aligning their planning with CSR goals. The reasons are simple:

• The majority of consumers increasingly seek to be customers of companies that are socially responsible.
• Social media has been a game-changer. Companies’ reputations can rise and fall with social media and news reports. It’s important to be in the news and on social media for positive things.
• Employees want to be associated with businesses that have a good reputation and are CSR leaders.

To that end, there are ways your company can get involved with Giving Tuesday which has become a global force for good each year. Giving Tuesday is a day to give thanks and give back in the philanthropic sector. Last year, over $45 million was raised globally, which was an increase of 63 percent over the previous year. It is expected to be much bigger this year.

So, how can your business get involved in supporting Giving Tuesday?

• Social Media – Get your employees involved in your company’s CSR efforts. Tell them to take selfie’s of themselves with your business name and why or how they’re supporting Giving Tuesday as well. Remind them to add key Giving Tuesday hastags: #GivingTuesday and #UNselfie. Don’t just tweet or post once. Keep the momentum moving by sharing messages and ideas each week for your staff to get out on their social media platforms and that of your business.

• Workplace Giving Campaign – Many businesses do workplace giving campaigns. If your corporation has a few preferred nonprofits, this is the time to encourage your staff to give to these organizations. There are a number of vendors who work with companies to provide workplace giving tools for the benefit of their employees. Check out: America’s Charities Online Giving Solution, VolunteerMatch or GiveBack. However, there are many others, which are great for businesses.

• Donate Your Commissions or A Portion of Your Sales – Many brokerage firms and financial companies give their commissions to charity on Giving Tuesday. Smaller businesses give a percentage of their sales to charity on Giving Tuesday. Join the effort with your preferred nonprofit organizations. Make sure to send out a press release and get media coverage. And, get your staff on their social media accounts as well to help spread the word!

• Matching Gifts – If your company has matching gifts program, remind your employees. If you don’t have one, now’s the time to create it. All you have to do is determine how your business will match employee gifts to charity depending on your goals and budget. Companies typically match dollar for dollar or some even double it up to a certain amount per employee per year. And, remember to speak to your tax accountant regarding the benefits to your business on these types of gifts.

• Volunteer Day of Service – Many businesses and organizations offer their employees a paid day of service. Designate a day leading up to Giving Tuesday or on the day itself and encourage your team to get out there and spend time in the community. When you partner with a charity, make sure you’re giving them the expertise and help they actually need from you. Since many charities tend to be on the smaller side, think about partnering with a variety of organizations. Check out VolunteerMatch for places to volunteer. You can also call the largest nonprofits in your area that may have the infrastructure to support a large number of volunteers.

• Give Selflessly through our platform – Use Selfless.ly to enroll your employees and start a culture of giving selflessly. It’s easy to get started and you can use any of our features, right out of the box. Our turnkey philanthropic solution is great for organizations of any size. Get a free demo here: https://selflessly.io/get-started/.

This is the time to get into the holiday spirit and join the global #GivingTuesday efforts!