Many small charities rely on local businesses' support to serve the needy in their city. However, it can be challenging for a small business owner with limited financial resources to find the right cause to support. Ian Mitchell King Los Angeles, a philanthropist and Rotarian who has worked with multiple charities for several years, offers advice to help business owners pick an organization to work with.
King emphasizes that it is important for a local business owner to do careful research before choosing a charitable cause. It's best for the charitable organization and the business to set up a long-term relationship rather than making occasional donations, so picking the right charity from the get-go is imperative. To pick the right charity, a business owner will want to know the local community's needs to see how he or she can have the greatest positive impact. Is the business in a socio-economically disadvantaged area? If so, working with a toy/clothes drive, a local food bank, or a homeless shelter would be a good way to meet the needs of local community members. Has the area been heavily impacted by climate change? If so, working with projects that help the environment would be the best action. This process can be harder for online businesses, King admits because they serve consumers throughout the United States and even internationally. Even so, e-commerce sites that want to choose relevant causes can do so by finding projects that have a national or international appeal.
Ian Mitchell King Los Angeles points out that a business should consider its products/services and target audience. For instance, it makes sense for a clothing store to donate clothing to homeless shelters, and it also makes sense for a company selling food products to donate products to food banks. On the other hand, a children's toy store may want to work with a charity that helps children in need. In contrast, a local HVAC company may want to make its mark by donating a certain amount of time to helping maintain and/or repair HVAC units for socioeconomically disadvantaged community members. What's more, Ian Mitchell King notes that choosing a charity in line with the business's industry and overall goals can make it easy for customers to get involved, especially if the business promotes the charity and its contributions on its social media accounts.
Ian Mitchell King Los Angeles also notes that choosing a charitable project isn't a one-time thing. A business owner will want to periodically reassess its relationship with the charity in question to ensure that it continues to benefit local community members. In some instances, a charity may shut down, move, or refocus its efforts if changes in the community warrant significant changes in how a charitable organization operates. In other instances, a business may expand its products/services and decide to take on new causes to support. There may also be one-time events or annual events a business will want to support. For instance, a local incidence of racial profiling may lead a business owner to make a one-time donation to organizations promoting racial tolerance. An annual Thanksgiving event may need local support in order to successfully serve a needy group of people. Such giving would not only be expected by community members but also give a business the platform needed to encourage its consumers to get involved in creating positive change.
Consumers expect local business owners to be involved in the
community by making charitable donations, sponsoring local charities, and/or
donating time to local projects that will make the community a better place.
Business owners who give back to their communities gain good publicity and
build trust in the community as community members can see that the business
cares about the greater good and not just its own profit margin. Even so, Ian
Mitchell King says, a business owner should never rush into choosing a charity
to work with or choose a charity simply because it has name-brand recognition
and is well-known in the local area. Rather, a business owner who truly wants
to improve life in his or her community should consider which charitable
organizations need to support the most and look for charities relevant to the
company and what it does or sells. Developing long-term relationships with the
right local non-profit organization shows the business is serious about making
a long-term difference and enables a non-profit to properly plan future
projects, knowing it can count on current and future support from a business.
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